A. 
General Provisions.
1. 
Compliance. Proposed subdivisions shall conform to the comprehensive plan, the official zoning map, and all requirements in SGC Title 22, Zoning.
2. 
Name. The proposed name of the subdivision shall not duplicate, or too closely approximate, the name of any other subdivision. The planning commission has advisory authority to designate the name of the subdivision and shall do so before final plat approval.
3. 
Lands unsuitable for development. Lands which have been found to be unsuitable for development or subdivision because of potential hazards, such as flooding, snow avalanches, rockfalls, landslides, unstable slopes, subsidence, high water table, polluted or nonpotable water supply, high voltage lines, air or vehicular traffic hazards or other features which may be detrimental to the health, safety, or general welfare of existing or future residents, shall not be developed or subdivided and shall not be included in any building lot unless the hazards are eliminated or will be overcome by approved design and construction plans. The applicant shall submit engineered plans showing proposed design and construction in said areas for city review as part of the subdivision approval process.
(S.G.C. 21.40.010; Ord. 03-1729 § 4, 2003)
A. 
Generally. Municipality shall be party to all easements. All easements shall be recorded and no changes shall occur without municipal approval.
B. 
Utility easements. Utility easements at least five feet wide along the front property lines of lots shall be provided where necessary for public utilities. An anchor pole easement 10 feet wide, 25 feet deep, appropriately placed, together with the right of access shall be provided where necessary for pole-mounted public utilities. Buried electrical and telecommunication utilities are recommended wherever possible. No more than four lots shall be served by private utility easements.
C. 
Access easements.
1. 
No more than four lots shall utilize a single common access road that is constructed to less than the regular municipal street standard. For minor subdivisions of two or three lots with access easements rather than public street access, said easements shall be constructed in accordance with city standards.
2. 
All access easements serving more than two lots shall be named and all lots shall be assigned physical street addresses.
3. 
In the event that a minor subdivision is proposed adjacent to a subdivision that contains an access easement, the municipality may require that the access easements be adjacent each other. The minimum square footage of the lots in the second subdivision shall not include the easements. The municipality may also require that a road be built to municipal standards within the two 20-foot easements. The adjoining property owners shall equally share the cost of the construction of the road.
4. 
Establishment of maximum access easement grade. During the subdivision plat approval process, a maximum developed grade shall be established for each access easement. This grade shall not exceed 20 percent in any case and shall exceed 15 percent in only exceptional cases.
5. 
Access easement grade verification. Prior to the issuance of a building permit on a lot in a minor subdivision served by an access easement, the lot owner shall provide verification from a registered land surveyor of the grade of the access easement and a statement that the grade does not exceed the maximum grade approved for the access easement.
D. 
Drainage easements.
1. 
Drainage easements conforming substantially to the exterior boundaries of on-site watercourses, drainage ways, channels, or streams as determined by the city public works director shall be provided. Wherever possible, it is desirable that the drainage be maintained by an open channel with landscaped banks and adequate width for maximum potential volume of flow. Ten-foot-wide easements, or wider, may be required on both sides of any year-round creek or stream. The planning commission may require wider easements if the stream is anadromous as determined by the board after consultation with Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
2. 
Where existing site conditions make it impractical to include drainage facilities within road rights-of-way, permanent easements for such drainage facilities shall be provided in accordance with the approved site drainage plan.
3. 
When a drainage system proposes to convey water across private land outside the subdivision, appropriate drainage easements or other drainage rights must be secured by the applicant and indicated on the application.
4. 
Low lying lands along watercourses subject to flooding or overflowing during storm periods, whether or not included in areas designated for dedication, shall be preserved and retained in their natural state as drainage ways.
E. 
Temporary easements. Two five-foot temporary construction easements, one on each side of each permanent easement, shall be granted when necessary. Temporary easements shall be for a term not to exceed 90 consecutive days from the date of beginning of construction unless otherwise required by the planning commission.
(S.G.C. 21.40.030; Ord. 03-1729 § 4, 2003; Ord. 08-10 § 4, 2008)
A. 
Lots – Generally. The size, shape, arrangement and orientation of lots shall be appropriate for the location of the subdivision and for the type of development and use contemplated consistent with minimum lot sizes defined in SGC Title 22, Zoning, and the appropriate environmental regulatory agency regulations.
B. 
Lot dimensions and arrangement.
1. 
Lot dimensions shall not be less than the requirements of the zoning ordinance.
2. 
Depth and width of properties reserved or laid out for commercial and industrial purposes shall be adequate to provide for off-street parking and loading facilities required for the type of use and development contemplated, as established by the zoning ordinance.
3. 
Residential lots abutting on major streets and highways shall be platted with sufficient depth to permit adequate separation between the buildings and such traffic ways.
4. 
Corner lots should be of a size sufficient to meet front yard setbacks on both streets as required by the applicable zoning requirements. This provision may require that corner lots exceed normal lot size minimum square footages.
5. 
On-Site Sewage Disposal. In areas where no public sewer system is available, the lots shall be large enough to conform to the regulations and specifications of the appropriate environmental regulatory agency.
C. 
Blocks.
1. 
Blocks shall generally be of sufficient width to provide for two rows of lots with minimum depth. Exceptions may be permitted in blocks adjacent to major streets, waterways, and water bodies or other land features restricting further development.
2. 
The planning commission may require easements and/or rights-of-way through a block to accommodate utilities, drainage, and pedestrian traffic.
(S.G.C. 21.40.040; Ord. 03-1729 § 4, 2003)
A. 
Any minor subdivision containing lots which do not directly access public roads shall have road maintenance agreements setting forth the rights of the various lot owners.
B. 
Any road maintenance agreement concerning access roads not maintained by the municipality shall be prepared, notarized and recorded. Such agreements shall also be referenced on the subdivision plat.
(S.G.C. 21.40.060; Ord. 03-1729 § 4, 2003)
A. 
Generally. The arrangement, character, extent, width, grade, and location of all streets shall conform to the comprehensive plan and shall be considered in their relation to existing and planned streets, to topographical conditions, to public convenience and safety, in their appropriate relation to adjoining subdivisions.
B. 
Improvements. Streets shall be graded and improved to conform to applicable standards and specifications adopted by the assembly in accordance with the approved construction plans.
C. 
No more than four lots shall utilize a single common access road that is constructed to less than the municipal street standard.
(S.G.C. 21.40.070; Ord. 03-1729 § 4, 2003)
A. 
The arrangement of streets in new subdivisions shall make provision for the connection to existing streets in adjoining areas. Where adjoining areas are not subdivided, future extension of streets shall be provided for as required by the city.
B. 
Proposed streets shall be extended to the boundary lines of the tract to be subdivided, unless prevented by topographic or other physical conditions or the streets are designed as permanent dead-end streets.
C. 
The street arrangement shall make the best use of the topography of the land consistent with the type of development proposed.
D. 
Where an existing half-street is adjacent to the subdivision, the remaining half of the street shall be dedicated.
E. 
Collector streets shall be properly related to the public street system, to special traffic generated by facilities such as schools, churches, and shopping centers; to population densities; and to major streets that they feed.
F. 
Minor streets, which include local access and cul-de-sac streets, shall conform as much as possible to topography; shall discourage use by through traffic; shall permit efficient drainage and sewer systems; and shall result in the minimum amount land devoted to streets necessary to provide convenient safe access to lots.
(S.G.C. 21.40.080; Ord. 03-1729 § 4, 2003)
A. 
Proposed subdivisions that border on, contain limited access highway right-of-way or easement, or existing or proposed major streets, are required to limit access to such streets by one of the following means:
1. 
Providing access to all lots from local streets; and screening and/or providing a buffer along the rear of lots that back up against a primary arterial;
2. 
Requiring use of cul-de-sacs, loop streets, or other minor streets; or
3. 
Providing a marginal access or service frontage road(s) separated from the arterial by buffer land that provides limited access to the arterial.
B. 
All lots in major subdivisions shall have direct access to dedicated public roads. Exceptions to this provision shall only be granted through Chapter 21.50 SGC when there is a finding that a compelling public interest exists that merits the waiver.
(S.G.C. 21.40.090; Ord. 03-1729 § 4, 2003)
Names of new streets shall not duplicate existing street names unless a new street is a continuation of or in alignment with the existing street. Street names for dedicated rights-of-way may be recommended by the Sitka historic preservation commission and approved by the municipality. House numbers shall be assigned in accordance with the house numbering system in effect in the city and borough.
(S.G.C. 21.40.100; Ord. 08-10 § 4, 2008)
A. 
Cul-de-sacs. Streets designed to have one end permanently closed shall be no longer than 400 feet, and shall be terminated by a circular turnaround having a radius not less than 45 feet. Offset or T-shaped turn-arounds providing equivalent radius may be substituted.
B. 
Grade. The grade of streets shall not exceed 12 percent unless approved by the planning commission. The minimum grade of all streets shall be not less than one percent.
C. 
Grade changes. All changes in street grades shall be connected by vertical curves.
D. 
Intersections.
1. 
Streets shall intersect as nearly as possible at right angles (90 degrees). The intersection of two new streets at an angle less than 70 degrees shall require approval of the city public works director or his designee. Generally, streets approaching an intersection should be curved for at least 100 feet to create right angles. Not more than two streets shall intersect at any one point unless specifically approved by the planning commission.
2. 
Adequate stopping sight distance will be provided at each intersection. Sight distance must be equal to or exceed the stopping sight distance required for the speed limit of the intersecting street. In no case will sight distance be less than 150 feet.
3. 
Proposed new intersections along one side of an existing street shall, wherever practicable, coincide with any existing intersections on the opposite side of such street.
4. 
Minimum property line radius at the intersection of two local streets shall be at least 15 feet; and minimum property line radius at an intersection involving a collector street shall be at least 20 feet.
5. 
Intersections shall be designed with a minimum grade. At the approach to an intersection in hilly or rolling areas, a leveling area shall be provided as required by the city.
6. 
Where existing topography or vegetation inside any lot corner at an intersection creates a traffic hazard by limiting visibility, the city may require that such ground and/or vegetation (including trees) be modified in connection with the grading of the public right-of-way or easement to the extent deemed necessary to provide sight distance. An easement shall be provided on the plat for required cut slopes.
7. 
The cross-slopes on all streets, including intersections, shall be three percent or less.
E. 
Alleys. Alleys may be required to the rear of all lots used for business purposes.
F. 
Curves. Curves on public streets shall not be less than 100-foot radius.
(S.G.C. 21.40.110; Ord. 03-1729 § 4, 2003)
A. 
The right-of-way of all streets shall be of the width specified below, unless necessitated by unusual topographic, physical or design features as determined by the planning commission:
Type
Right-of-way
Pedestrian walkway
10 feet
Alleys or easements
20 feet
Arterials
80 feet
Collectors
60 feet
All other streets
50 feet
B. 
Excess right-of-way. Right-of-way widths in excess of the standards designated in this title shall be required whenever, due to topography, additional width is necessary to provide adequate side slopes.
(S.G.C. 21.40.120; Ord. 03-1729 § 4, 2003)
A. 
Flood hazard areas. Designs of facilities in flood hazard areas in all lots in all subdivisions shall be consistent with the requirements in SGC § 21.55.150.
B. 
Street lighting. Street lighting shall be installed by the developer at all intersections in all major subdivisions along the road system prior to the issuance of a building permit of the affected lots. Street lighting requirements in the city and borough customer service policy also apply.
C. 
Underground utilities. All utilities shall be installed underground in all minor and major subdivisions along the road system.
D. 
Sidewalks. Although sidewalks or pathways are not required in major subdivisions, contractors will be offered the ability, through the subdivision variance process, to have increased density or less setbacks in any subdivision submitted for approval if they have included sidewalks and/or pathways in that subdivision.
E. 
Drainage plans required. Drainage plans shall be prepared by the applicants for minor and major subdivisions when they are determined to be necessary by the municipality. The plans shall be approved by the municipality prior to final plat approval.
F. 
Mailboxes. Developers of minor and major subdivisions shall install concrete pads for mailboxes consistent with U.S. Postal Service policies and regulations for the lots that are created in the subdivision.
G. 
Major subdivision lot sale restriction. No lot, tract, or parcel within any major subdivision may be sold until service by water supply, sanitary sewer collection and disposal, and electrical power has been inspected, approved, and accepted for maintenance by the city and borough. Said utilities shall be dedicated to the municipality after they are accepted for maintenance. This restriction may be waived by the municipality.
H. 
Water and sewer utilities – Minor subdivisions. All water and sewer lines in minor subdivisions shall be constructed to municipal standards and inspected by the municipality prior to the issuance of a building permit on the lots served by the utilities if an approved subdivision agreement is in place.
(S.G.C. 21.40.130; Ord. 03-1729 § 4, 2003)
A. 
Generally. Access and utility easements on island properties shall be sufficient in width, design, and construction to accommodate the needs of all present and future property owners. Potential moorage sites shall be designated on all plats. In the event sites are not identified and served by access easements, a plat note shall be added stating that private individual docks or mooring buoys will be required to access the lots.
B. 
Design and construction. All access easements shall be a minimum of 15 feet wide. Utility easements shall be a minimum of 10 feet wide. The character of the construction of the easement and the type of vehicle that is allowed to use the easement shall be described in a plat note. The width of easements may be reduced, as appropriate, through the variance process.
C. 
The planning commission shall approve the location, design and construction of all easements, mooring locations, and binding plat notes. The board shall initially rely on the representations of the applicant in its review and then shall utilize its independent judgment as to the sufficiency of the arrangements. The right of appeal to the assembly shall be maintained. The trails and other accesses shall be constructed in accordance with the terms of the plat notes within one year of the recording of the plat.
D. 
The municipality shall be a party to all easements and binding plat notes. They shall not be modified without the approval of the platting board.
E. 
All property owners who directly benefit from the access and utility easements and moorage arrangements shall approve, in writing, of any future resubdivision of parcels on an island prior to the approval of a resubdivision.
F. 
Maintenance agreements shall be prepared and referenced on the face of the plat and shall apply to all communal docks.
(S.G.C. 21.40.140; Ord. 03-1729 § 4, 2003)
Subdivision of land within flood hazard areas requires that the land subdivision and associated development are designed to minimize flood damages. The approval of a land use permit or a subdivision in the flood hazard area shall not constitute a representation, guarantee, or warranty of any kind by the municipality and any official or employee thereof of the practicability or safety of the proposed use, and shall create no liability upon the municipality, its officials or employees.
A. 
Plats involving land within a flood hazard area must show the following:
1. 
Evidence has been submitted that all necessary permits required by state or federal law have been applied for and granted;
2. 
The flood hazard area shall be labeled “flood hazard area” on preliminary and final plats;
3. 
The preliminary and final plat shall include the ground elevation and the regulatory flood elevations, if available, at reference points to be established by the city;
4. 
All new or replacement water supply systems and sanitary sewage systems, including on-site systems, shall be designed to minimize or eliminate infiltration of floodwaters into the systems and discharges from the systems into floodwaters;
5. 
All new or replacement utilities such as electric and telephone systems shall be designed or constructed in an attempt to eliminate disruptions due to flooding and associated hazards;
6. 
The susceptibility of the proposed facility and its contents to flood damage and the effect of such damage on the individual owner;
7. 
The importance of the services provided by the proposed facility to the community;
8. 
The requirements of the subdivision for a waterfront location (if applicable);
9. 
The availability of alternative locations not subject to flooding or the proposed subdivision and land use;
10. 
The compatibility of the proposed uses with the existing development and development anticipated in the foreseeable future;
11. 
The relationship of the proposed subdivision to the comprehensive plan and floodplain management program for the area;
12. 
The safety of access to the property for emergency vehicles in times of flood;
13. 
The expected heights, velocity, duration, rate of rise, and sediment transport of the floodwaters expected at the site;
14. 
The costs of providing governmental services during and after flood conditions, including maintenance and repair of public utilities and facilities such as sewer, electrical and water systems, and streets and bridges;
15. 
The installation of valves or controls on sanitary and storm drains which permit the drains to be closed to prevent back-up of sewage and storm waters into buildings or structures.
B. 
In determining if the requirements of this section are fulfilled, the planning commission shall consider the intent of this title and at least:
1. 
The danger to life and property due to the increased flood heights or velocities caused by subdivision fill, roads, structures, and intended uses;
2. 
The danger that structures may be swept onto other lands or downstream and the risk of injury to others;
3. 
The adequacy of proposed water supply and sanitation systems and the ability of these systems to be safe from disease, contamination, and unsanitary conditions under flood conditions.
(S.G.C. 21.40.150; Ord. 03-1729 § 4, 2003)
A. 
Generally.
1. 
All subdivisions, boundary line adjustments, replats, and any plat that requires approval to be recorded shall comply with the required monumentation and flagging as detailed in this section. References to monumentation and flagging requirements appear in other sections of this code; however, this section shall control.
2. 
All monuments required herein shall be installed, shown, and referenced on all final subdivision plats prior to the recording of the plats. All monuments recovered during the survey process shall all be shown on the plat.
3. 
The following are the requirements for secondary monumentation:
a. 
All secondary monuments shall be at least a five-eighths-inch by 24-inch rebar and cap at all exterior and interior controlling corners, points, and angles. Monuments shall be capped and stamped with survey grade material and information. Where topography limits depth or type of monument, a reasonable survey grade monument of choice may be used if approved by the platting authority, and this includes setting monuments until reasonable refusal for depth.
b. 
Secondary monumentation shall be required at all exterior and interior angles, corners, points, and used where needed for curvature control for all subdivisions, replats and/or reviews under this title.
i. 
Where there is an existing and sufficient monument that is accurate and durable, that monument may be used to fulfill this subsection.
ii. 
Primary monumentation may be required for certain plats. A primary monument will fulfill this subsection.
4. 
The following are the requirements for primary monumentation:
a. 
Primary monuments must be established for surveys as set forth in this subsection. A primary monument must consist of a minimum two-inch diameter metal pipe, at least 30 inches long, with a minimum four-inch flange at the bottom. A minimum two-and-one-half-inch diameter metal cap must be permanently attached at the top. If both the cap and the pipe are of nonferrous metal, then additives with magnetic qualities must be permanently attached at both the top and bottom of the monument. Every primary monument cap must be permanently stamped with the year set, the surveyor’s registration number, and the corner identification. This data must be orientated so that the data may be read when the reader is facing north. Monuments and accessories found in a disturbed condition must be returned to the original position and condition as nearly as possible or replaced so as to perpetuate the position. An alternative monument may be approved by the platting authority, where needed due to constraints of topography.
b. 
All major subdivisions, planned unit developments, cluster subdivisions, small lot subdivisions of six lots or more, or any hybrid or combi subdivision of six lots or more shall provide at least two recovered or new primary monuments along the boundary of the subdivision at points required by the platting authority or planning commission.
c. 
All minor subdivisions, zero lot lines, or hybrid or combi subdivisions of five lots or less shall provide at least one recovered or new primary monument along the boundary of the subdivision at points required by the platting authority or planning commission.
d. 
Primary monumentation for boundary line adjustments, accretion plats, replats, vacation of easements or rights-of-way, lot joiners, or lot splits may be required where existing primary monumentation is found insufficient by the platting authority or planning director.
e. 
Existing primary monuments that are recovered, accurate, and durable may be used to fulfill this subsection.
f. 
All primary monuments must be referenced to at least three bearing trees or objects. If bearing trees or objects are used, they must be located as nearly as possible at right angles and may not be farther than 100 feet from the monument. A distance to trees or objects must be measured at waist height and in the case of trees measured to the center of the tree with distances reduced to horizontal equivalent. Bearing trees must be marked with a nonferrous metal tag of at least nine square inches in size which must be placed facing the monument. These tags must be clearly and permanently marked as to the corner nomenclature and distance.
5. 
Existing recovered monumentation shall be shown and described.
6. 
Flagging requirements appear in other sections of this title; however, this section shall control. If considered appropriate to facilitate the review or consideration of a subdivision or other plat, flagging may be required to be installed by the municipality during the review process. Criteria to determine when flagging shall be installed shall include when topography, drainage, structures, location of utilities or other important improvements, or other material issues, such as disputed property line raise the need for more information. Such a decision shall be by motion of the planning commission, platting authority, or city and borough assembly.
(S.G.C. 21.40.160; Ord. 03-1729 § 4, 2003; Ord. 18-07 § 4, 2018)