The provisions of this title apply to the processing of both final short and long plats and unit lot subdivisions (ULS). A final plat/ULS can only be applied for after a preliminary plat/ULS approval has been issued, and the conditions and improvements required by the preliminary plat approval have been installed or adequately provided for.
(Ord. 2043 § 1 (Att. E), 2021; Ord. 2140 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)
A. 
Preparation.
1. 
The final plat/ULS shall be prepared by a professional engineer or professional land surveyor registered or licensed by the state of Washington. The preparer shall certify on the plat/ULS that it is a true and correct representation of the lands actually surveyed. The preparation of the plat/ULS shall comply with the Survey Recording Act, Chapter 58.09 RCW and Chapter 332-130 WAC.
2. 
Scale and Format. All geographic information portrayed by the preliminary plat/ULS shall be accurate, legible, and drawn to an engineering (decimal) scale. The horizontal scale of a preliminary plat/ULS shall be 100 feet or fewer to the inch, except that the location sketch and typical street cross sections may be drawn to any other appropriate scale. A final plat/ULS shall be 24 inches by 36 inches in size, and if more than one sheet is needed each sheet shall be numbered consecutively and an index sheet showing the entire property and orienting the other sheets, at any appropriate scale, shall be provided.
3. 
All applications shall submit electronic documents of the application material in .pdf format or other version as determined by the director.
B. 
Contents. An application for final plat/ULS shall contain the following:
1. 
In cases where any protective deed covenants will apply to lots or parcels within a subdivision, a typewritten copy of such covenants shall be submitted along with the final plat.
2. 
The final plat/ULS shall be accompanied by a complete survey of the section or sections in which the plat or replat is located, or as much thereof as may be necessary to properly orient the plat within such section or sections. The plat and section survey shall be submitted with complete field and computation notes, showing the original or re-established corners, with the descriptions of the same, and the actual traverse showing error of closure and method of balancing. A sketch showing all distances of the plat/ULS shall accompany this data. The allowable error of closure shall not exceed one foot in 10,000 feet.
3. 
The final plat/ULS shall be accompanied by a current (within 30 days) title company certification of:
a. 
The legal description of the total parcel sought to be subdivided;
b. 
Those individuals or corporations holding an ownership interest in said parcel;
c. 
Any lands to be dedicated shall be confirmed as being in the name of the owners signing the dedication certificate;
d. 
Any easements or restrictions affecting the property to be subdivided with a description of purpose and referenced by auditor's file numbers and/or recording number.
4. 
If lands are to be dedicated or conveyed to the city as part of the subdivision, an A.L.T.A. title policy may be required by the city engineer.
5. 
All required performance and maintenance bonds.
6. 
Applicable fee as determined by the currently adopted fee schedule in accordance with Chapter 3.80 FMC.
7. 
A final plat/ULS drawing containing the following information:
a. 
The name of the subdivision;
b. 
Legal description of the property being subdivided;
c. 
Numeric scale, graphic scale, true north point and date of preparation of the final plat;
d. 
The boundary line of the plat, referenced to USGS or USC and GS datum and based on an accurate traverse, with angular and linear dimensions and bearings;
e. 
The exact location, width and name of all streets, alleys and other public ways within and adjacent to the subdivision;
f. 
The exact location, width and purpose of all easements and dedications for rights-of-way provided for public and private services and utilities;
g. 
True courses and distances to the nearest established street lines, or section or quarter section corner monuments which shall accurately locate the subdivision;
h. 
Municipal, township, county or section lines accurately tied to the lines of the plat by distances and courses;
i. 
All lot and block numbers and lines, with accurate dimensions in feet and hundredths of feet, clearly depicting unit lots and parent lots for a ULS;
j. 
Delineation of the building envelope and setbacks of each parent lot;
k. 
The radii, internal angles, points of curvature, tangent bearings and lengths of all arcs;
l. 
The accurate location of each permanent control monument. One such monument shall be located at each and every controlling corner on the boundaries of the parcel of land being subdivided; at each street centerline intersection, each point of curvature (PC), each point of tangency (PT), and each point of reverse curve (PRC); and at each intersection of a street centerline with a plat boundary;
m. 
All plat meander lines or reference lines along bodies of water shall be established above, but not farther than 20 feet from, the highwater line of such body;
n. 
Accurate outlines and legal descriptions of any areas to be dedicated or reserved for public use, with the purposes of such dedication or reservation and any limitations indicated thereon and in the dedication;
o. 
Accurate outlines of any areas to be reserved by deed covenant for common use of owners of property within the subdivision, together with the purposes of such reservation;
p. 
Any restrictions or conditions on the lots or tracts within the subdivision, as required by the city council or at the discretion of the property owner;
q. 
The name and seal of the licensed land surveyor responsible for preparation of the final plat, and a signed certification on the plat by said surveyor to the effect that it is a true and correct representation of the land actually surveyed by him or her, that the existing monuments shown thereon exist as located and that all dimensional and geodetic details are correct;
r. 
A signed certification stating that the subdivision has been made with the free consent and in accordance with the desires of the owner or owners. If the plat includes a dedication, the certificate or a separate written instrument shall contain the dedication of all streets and other areas to the public, any individual or individuals, religious society or societies, or to any corporation, public or private, as shown on the plat, and a waiver of all claims for damages against any governmental authority which may be occasioned to the adjacent land by the established construction, drainage or maintenance of said street or other areas so dedicated. Such certificate or instrument shall be signed and acknowledged before a notary public by all parties having any interest in the lands subdivided. An offer of dedication may include a waiver of right of direct access to any street from any property. However, direct street access may be waived only so long as other access to the lot is provided. No such waiver may result in an unusable lot. Such waiver may be required by the city engineer as a condition of approval. Roads not dedicated to the public must be clearly marked on the face of the plat. Any dedication, donation or grant as shown on the face of the plat shall be considered as a statutory warranty deed to the said donee or grantee for use for the purpose intended by the donation or grant. The acceptance of right-of-way by the city shall not obligate the city to improve or develop the lands in the right-of-way;
s. 
Certification that all lots meet minimum zoning requirements. In the case of unit lot subdivisions, the face of the final ULS shall have notes identifying parent lots and unit lots, and the following notes and requirements as applicable:
i. 
Approval of the development on each unit lot was granted by the review of the development, as a whole, on the parent lot.
ii. 
Subsequent platting actions and additions or modifications to structure(s) shall not create any nonconformity of the parent lot.
iii. 
Unit lots are not separate buildable lots independent of the overall development. Additional development of individual unit lots may be limited as a result of the application of development standards to the parent lot.
iv. 
Impact fees and frontage improvements, when required, are due at the time the building permit is issued.
v. 
Any other notes determined by the director to be necessary to ensure the public health, life and safety is protected, and the unit lot subdivision maintains compliance with conditions of the preliminary ULS approval;
t. 
Certification that roads, utilities, drainage facilities, and related infrastructure have been built or provided for;
u. 
If the plat is subject to a dedication, a certificate containing the dedication of all streets and other areas, signed and acknowledged before a notary public by all parties having an ownership interest in the lands subdivided;
v. 
Signature blocks for the certification of approval by the county assessor-treasurer, county auditor, Fife finance director-treasurer, community development director, public works director, and city manager;
w. 
Space for the signature of the city manager to accept the public rights-of-way on behalf of the city;
x. 
Certification by the Pierce County treasurer that all taxes and delinquent assessments for which the property may be liable as of the date of certification have been paid, satisfied or discharged;
y. 
A form for the certificate of the county recorder;
z. 
Buildable Lands Report Information.
i. 
Number of dwelling units;
ii. 
Gross and net acreage;
iii. 
Existing zoning and plan designation;
iv. 
Proposed zoning and plan designation;
v. 
Number of platted lots;
vi. 
Square feet used to determine permitted number of units;
vii. 
Square feet used for:
(A) 
Environmental constraints;
(B) 
Roads;
(C) 
Stormwater and utilities;
(D) 
Achieved density.
(Ord. 2043 § 1 (Att. E), 2021; Ord. 2140 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)
A. 
Timing. Final short and long plats/ULS shall be approved, disapproved, or returned to the applicant with a detailed list of deficiencies within 30 days from the date of filing thereof, unless the applicant consents to an extension of such time period.
B. 
Review and Decision.
1. 
Final Short Plats/ULS. Upon receipt of a final short plat application, the director shall forward to the city engineer and other departments or agencies for their review. If the director finds that the short subdivision/ULS proposed for final plat/ULS approval conforms to all terms of the preliminary plat/ULS approval, and the subdivision meets the requirements of Chapter 58.17 RCW, other applicable state laws, and this title, the director shall approve the final short plat.
2. 
Final Long Plats.
a. 
Upon receipt of a final plat for council approval, containing all of the application requirements, the director shall determine the completeness of the application and either place the final plat on the next council agenda that allows for at least 10 working days of staff review prior to the council meeting, or return it to the applicant with a detailed list of deficiencies.
b. 
The director shall forward the plat to the city engineer and to other city departments for review. Prior to the date at which the council will consider the final plat, the director shall forward to the council the original of the final plat, along with the planning agency's report which discusses the conformity or nonconformity of the final plat with the terms and conditions of the preliminary plat approval, the requirements of this title, and the requirements of Chapter 58.17 RCW and other applicable state laws.
c. 
The council shall approve, disapprove, or return to the applicant for modification or correction a proposed final plat, on the date of the meeting set for consideration of the final plat unless the applicant agrees, in writing, to an extension of the time period. If the council finds that the subdivision proposed for final plat approval conforms to all terms of the preliminary plat approval, and said subdivision meets the requirements of Chapter 58.17 RCW, other applicable state laws, and this title, it shall by resolution approve the final plat and direct and authorize the city manager to suitably inscribe and execute its written approval on the face of the final plat. The council's decision shall include written findings and conclusions to support its decision.
(Ord. 2043 § 1 (Att. E), 2021; Ord. 2140 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)
The director shall distribute the original and copies of the approved final plat as follows:
A. 
The original shall be returned to the applicant to be forwarded to the county auditor for filing;
B. 
Two paper copies shall be transmitted to the county assessor;
C. 
One reproducible copy shall be transmitted to the city engineer;
D. 
One reproducible copy shall be retained in the files of the planning department.
(Ord. 2043 § 1 (Att. E), 2021; Ord. 2140 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)
A. 
Applications for a final long plat vacation or alteration shall be processed in conformance with Chapter 58.17 RCW, as amended.
B. 
Any amendment, modification and vacation of final short plat/ULS shall be accomplished by following the same procedure and satisfying the same laws, rules and conditions as required for a new short plat/ULS application, as set forth in this title, except that when an alteration or vacation involves a public dedication, that alteration or vacation shall be processed as provided in RCW 58.17.212 or 58.17.215, as amended.
(Ord. 2043 § 1 (Att. E), 2021; Ord. 2140 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)
Any lots in a final plat/ULS filed for record are a valid land use, notwithstanding changes in zoning laws, for five years from the date of filing if the date of filing is on or after January 1, 2015.
(Ord. 2043 § 1 (Att. E), 2021; Ord. 2140 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)
A. 
Large lot division consists of a division of land into lots or tracts, each of which is five acres or larger.
B. 
The filing procedure, fee, review criteria, approval and appeal procedure for large lot divisions shall be the same as for short plats. The city shall determine if and when any of the sections are not applicable to a large lot division review.
C. 
One mylar original tracing and four prints of the approved large lot division plan which shows the original tract and contains the legal description of the original tract and shows the divisions, the future roads and future drainage shall be filed with the city engineer. The plan may be drawn in any manner which is neat and legible.
D. 
Large lot division approval is not exempt from the procedures required by the State Environmental Policy Act.
E. 
When segregation is requested by the developer, applicant or purchaser of a large lot division, the person shall provide the assessor with a copy of the legal description of every lot which is created by the division.
(Ord. 2043 § 1 (Att. E), 2021; Ord. 2140 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)