A. 
Whenever any subdivision of land is proposed, the subdivider or his agent shall apply, in writing, to the agent for the approval of the subdivision plat and submit six copies of the preliminary plat, including the lot, street and utilities layout. No lot shall be sold or conveyed until a final plat for the subdivision shall have been approved and recorded in the following manner.
B. 
Preliminary sketch. The subdivider may, if he so chooses, submit to the agent a preliminary sketch of the proposed subdivision prior to his preparing engineered preliminary and final plats. The purpose of such preliminary sketch is to permit the agent to advise the subdivider whether his plans in general are in accordance with the requirements of this chapter. The agent may submit any preliminary sketch to the Commission, who shall study it and advise the subdivider wherein it appears that changes would be necessary. The agent may mark the preliminary sketch indicating necessary changes, and any such marked sketch shall be submitted to the Commission with the preliminary plat. The preliminary sketch shall be as follows:
(1) 
It shall be drawn on white paper or on a print of a topographic map of the property. It shall be drawn to a scale of 100 feet to the inch. It shall show the name, location and dimensions of all streets entering the property, adjacent to the property or terminating at the boundary of the property to be subdivided. It shall show the location of all proposed streets, lots, parks, playgrounds and other proposed uses of the land to be subdivided and shall include the approximate dimensions.
(2) 
Whenever part of a tract is proposed for platting and it is intended to subdivide additional parts in the future, a sketch plan for the entire tract shall be submitted with the preliminary plat. This sketch is merely for information purposes and is not binding on the subdivider or the governing body.
The subdivider shall present to the agent six prints of a preliminary layout at a scale of 100 feet to the inch as a preliminary plat. The preliminary plat shall include the following information:
A. 
The name of the subdivision, owner, subdivider and surveyor or engineer and the date of the drawing, number of sheets, North point and scale. If true North is used, the method of determination must be shown.
B. 
The location of the proposed subdivision by an inset map at a scale of not less than two inches equal one mile, showing adjoining roads, their names and numbers, towns, subdivisions and other landmarks.
C. 
The boundary survey or existing survey of record, provided that such survey shows a closure with an accuracy of not less than one in 2,500, total acreage, acreage of subdivided area, number and approximate area and frontage of all building sites, existing buildings within the boundaries of the tract and the names of owners and their property lines within the boundaries of the tract and adjoining such boundaries.
D. 
All existing, platted and proposed streets, their names, numbers and widths; existing utility or other easements, public areas and parking spaces; and culverts, drains and watercourses, their names and other pertinent data.
E. 
The complete drainage layout, including all pipe sizes, types, drainage easements and means of transporting the drainage to a well-defined open stream which is considered natural drainage.
F. 
A cross section showing the proposed street construction, depth and type of base, type of surface, etc.
G. 
A profile or contour map showing the proposed grades for the streets and drainage facilities, including elevations of existing and proposed ground surface at all street intersections and at points of major grade change along the center line of streets, together with proposed grade lines connecting therewith.
H. 
A location map tying the subdivision into the present road system, either by aerial photographs or topographic maps of the United States Department of Interior.
I. 
The proposed connection with existing sanitary sewers and existing water supply or alternate means of sewage disposal and water supply.
J. 
All parcels of land to be dedicated for public use and the conditions of such dedication.
K. 
For any proposed subdivision, a contour map of the entire subdivision, contours to be plotted on the site, will be submitted to the agent.
The agent or his appointed representative shall discuss the preliminary plat with the subdivider in order to determine whether or not his preliminary plat generally conforms to the requirements of this chapter and of Chapter 165, Zoning. The subdivider shall then be advised, in writing, within 45 days, which may be by formal letter or by legible markings on his copy of the preliminary plat, concerning any additional data that may be required, the character and extent of public improvements that will have to be made and an estimate of the cost of construction or improvements and the amount of the performance bond which will be required as a prerequisite to approval of the final subdivision plat. In determining the cost of required improvements and the amount of the performance bond, the agent, with the consent of the governing body, may consult with a duly licensed engineer, who shall prepare this data for the agent or preferably may require a bona fide estimate of the cost of improvements to be furnished by the subdivider.
The subdivider shall have not more than six months after receiving official notification concerning the preliminary plat to file with the agent a final subdivision plat in accordance with this chapter. Failure so to do shall make preliminary approval null and void. The agent may, on written request by the subdivider, grant an extension of this time limit.
The subdivision plat or plats submitted for final approval by the governing body and subsequent recording shall be clearly and legibly drawn in ink upon tracing cloth at a scale of 100 feet to the inch on sheets having such size or dimensions as the Clerk of the Court wherein deeds are recorded shall, upon request of the subdivider or his certified surveyor or engineer, from time to time direct so that the same may conform or be recorded in his then current plat book without folding, cutting or trimming and shall include the following:
A. 
A blank oblong space three inches by five inches shall be reserved for the use of the approving authority.
B. 
Certificates signed by the surveyor or engineer setting forth the source of title of the owners of the land subdivided and the place of record of the last instrument in the chain of title.
C. 
A statement to the effect that the subdivision as it appears on this plat is with the free consent and in accordance with the desires of the owners, proprietors and trustees, if any, which shall be signed by the owners, proprietors and trustees, if any, and shall be duly acknowledged before some officer authorized to take acknowledgments of deeds; provided, however, that if the plat is accompanied by a deed of dedication duly signed and properly acknowledged for recordation by such owners, proprietors and trustees, setting forth such statement, then and in that event the statement in the deed of dedication shall suffice.
D. 
When the subdivision consists of land acquired from more than one source of title, the outlines of the various tracts shall be indicated by dash lines, and identification of the respective tracts shall be placed on the plat.
E. 
The accurate location and dimensions by bearings and distances with all curve data on all lots and street lines and center lines of streets, boundaries of all proposed or existing easements, parks, school sites or other public areas, the number and area of all building sites, all existing public and private streets, their names, numbers, widths, existing utilities and those to be provided, such as sanitary sewers, storm drains, water mains, manholes and underground conduits, including their size and type, watercourses and their names, names of owners and their property lines, both within the boundary of the subdivision and adjoining said boundaries.
F. 
Distances and bearings must balance and close with an accuracy of not less than one in 10,000.
G. 
The data of all curves along the street frontage shall be shown in detail at the curve or in a curve data table containing the following: the delta, radius, arc, tangent, chord and chord bearings.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
The plat shall not be approved until the subdivider has complied with the general requirements and minimum standards of design in accordance with this chapter and has made satisfactory arrangements for performance bond, cash or cash bond to cover the cost of necessary improvements, in lieu of construction, to the satisfaction of the agent. Approval of the final plat shall be written on the face of the plat by the agent. The subdivider shall record the plat within 60 days after final approval; otherwise, the agent shall mark his copy of the plat "void" and file this void copy with the County Clerk, who shall refuse to record the subdivider's plat. (The Clerk of the Circuit Court will refuse to record any plat that is in conflict with any provision of this chapter, pursuant to the provisions of Subsection 5 of § 15.2-2254 of the Code of Virginia.)