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Article 11 — Subdivisions and Land Development, Chapter 11-4 — PRELIMINARY PLATS

current as of 2025-12-16verified current · checked 2026-08-24Officialofficial source ↗6 sections · full chapter

§ 11-4-1

Preliminary Plat Approval Required

The purpose of this chapter is to ensure compliance with the basic design concepts and improvement requirements of subdivisions through the submittal of a preliminary plat. Any subdivision involving the dedication of a public street or public land, and any subdivision involving a new private street, shall require the submission of a preliminary plat.

§ 11-4-2

Relationship of Preliminary Plat to Land Development Permit

The Director of Community and Economic Development or their designee must first approve a preliminary plat for subdivision activity prior to the issuance of a land development permit or initiation of any land disturbing or construction activities. An application for preliminary plat approval may be processed independently or in conjunction with an application for issuance of a land development permit. Applicants are cautioned, however, that the preliminary plat approval is discretionary with regard to consistency with the design requirements of this article, and therefore, proceeding simultaneously with preliminary plat and land development permit applications may result in the revision of civil engineering drawings and construction plans if the layout of the proposed subdivision must be significantly modified.

§ 11-4-3

Preliminary Plat Specifications

A preliminary plat shall be prepared by a professional engineer, a registered land surveyor, a landscape architect, a land planner, or any other person professionally familiar with land subdivision and land development activities. The preliminary plat shall meet the following specifications:

(a)Proposed name of subdivision. The proposed name of the subdivision shall not duplicate or too closely approximate, phonetically, the name of any other subdivision in the city or county. If shown to the contrary, the Community and Economic Development Department may refuse to accept such subdivision name.

(b)Plat standards. The preliminary subdivision plat shall be clearly and legibly drawn at a scale of 100 feet or less to 1 inch and meet all other document standards as provided by the Community and Economic Development Department.

(c)Owner contact information. Name, address and telephone number of the property owner.

(d)Applicant contact information. Name, mailing address, telephone and e-mail address of the applicant.

(e)Miscellaneous. Tax parcel number(s), date of survey, north point and graphic scale, source of datum, date of plan drawing, and revision dates, as appropriate.

(f)Use. Proposed use of the property.

(g)Location and tract boundaries. Location (land district and land lot) and size of the property in acres (or in square feet if less than an acre), and the approximate boundaries of the tract to be subdivided or developed by bearings and distances. The preliminary plat must reference and be based on a boundary survey of the exterior boundaries of the proposed subdivision, prepared by a registered land surveyor.

(h)Location map. A location map of the property in relation to the surrounding area with regard to well-known landmarks such as arterial streets or railroads. Location maps must be drawn at a scale sufficient to show clearly the information required, but not less than 1 inch equal to 2,000 feet. U.S. Geological Survey maps may be used as a reference guide or as the required location map.

(i)Prior subdivision. Name of former approved subdivision, if any, for all of the land in the preliminary subdivision plat that has been previously subdivided, showing boundaries of same.

(j)Zoning. Zoning district designation of the subject property and all adjacent properties, and zoning district boundaries and overlay zone boundaries as appropriate.

(k)Conditions of approval. A copy of zoning, special use and variance conditions, if applicable.

(l)Natural features and flood plains. Natural features within the property, including drainage channels, bodies of water, wooded areas and other significant natural features such as rock outcroppings. On all water courses entering or leaving the property, the direction of flow shall be indicated. The 100-year flood plain, if any, shall be outlined.

(m)Streets, easements, political boundaries and built features. Man-made features within and adjacent to the property, including street right-of-way and pavement widths, names of existing streets, all easements, city and county political boundary lines, and other significant information such as location and dimensions of bridges, utility lines, existing buildings to remain, and other features.

(n)Subdivision layout. The proposed subdivision layout, including lot lines and street right-of-way lines, with proposed street names or letter designations and right-of-way widths, along with the front building setback line and the approximate dimensions of the length and width of each lot.

(o)Phasing. The proposed phasing of the development, if it is proposed to be platted in phases.

(p)Water supply and sewage disposal. A statement as to the source of the domestic water supply and provisions for sanitary sewage disposal. For those properties that will not be served by a public sanitary sewerage system, but will instead install a decentralized wastewater system, location and results of percolation tests as required and approved by the Hall County Environmental Health Department.

(q)Stormwater management. The approximate location of proposed stormwater facilities shall be shown. Compliance with Chapter 11-11 is not be required at the time of preliminary plat approval but will be required for the issuance of a land development permit or grading permit.

(r)Additional information. Additional information as may be required to ensure compliance with this article and Code.

(s)Certificate of project approval. A certificate of project approval, as follows or as may be modified from time to time, shall be shown on the preliminary plat:

APPROVED FOR LAND DISTURBANCE

Dept. of Community and Economic Development Name_________________________________________ Date__________________________________________ Dev #_________________________________________

§ 11-4-4

Preliminary Plat Application Requirements

Applications for preliminary play approval shall include the following:

(a)Application. A properly completed application requesting review for project approval.

(b)Copies of plats. An electronic copy of the preliminary subdivision plat meeting preliminary plat specifications of this chapter and showing the entire ownership.

(c)Fees. Payment of all applicable application and review fees, as established by the governing body from time to time.

§ 11-4-5

Review and Approval Process

The Director of Community and Economic Development, or their designee is responsible for administering the review and approval process for preliminary subdivision plats, which shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter. The procedures of this section may be supplemented by the Director of Community and Economic Development where additional specification is required.

(a)Online submittal required. Applications and plans for preliminary plats must be submitted for review through the city’s online permitting portal.

(b)Review for completeness and application acceptance. The Community and Economic Development Department shall review the application for completeness at the time of submission. Incomplete applications will not be processed and will be returned to the applicant.

(c)Distribution and agency review of preliminary plat. The Community and Economic Development Department shall route the plans to other city departments as may be appropriate, as well as any county departments such as Public Works for any development on a county road or Environmental Health if a septic system is proposed.

(d)Time period for completion of review. Within two weeks of initial distribution of plans to appropriate departments, each department shall complete their review and make any comments on the portal. Once all departments have completed their review, the applicant can upload revisions on the portal. Within one week of distribution of the revisions to the appropriate departments, each department shall complete their review and make any additional comments on the portal. This process will continue until all comments have been addressed.

(e)Variances. The Community and Economic Development Department shall not approve any preliminary plat that would result in a lot or situation that would clearly require a variance, until or unless such variance is lawfully obtained.

(f)Action. When the Community and Economic Development Department has determined that the preliminary subdivision plat complies with the requirements, purpose and intent of this article and code, it shall be approved. The preliminary plat shall be stamped electronically by the Community and Economic Development Department and will be accessible to the applicant on the portal. This action initiates the land development permit issuance. The owner shall be responsible for compliance with all codes, regulations and zoning requirements and for the satisfaction of all the noted and written comments.

(g)Posting and plans required. A placard shall be completed and must be picked up from the Community and Economic Development Department office for placement on the property. A hardcopy or accessible digital file of the approved plans must be kept on the property at all times during land disturbance activities.

(h)Duration of approval. The preliminary plat shall remain in effect for a period of one consecutive year after which time it shall become null and void and a new certificate may be required if no development activity has begun.

§ 11-4-6

Amendments to Preliminary Plat Approval

The Director of Community and Economic Development, in consultation with the Director of Public Works and/or the Director of Water Resources when engineering or water supply, sanitary sewer or stormwater systems are involved, is authorized to approve minor amendments to preliminary plats (i.e., those that do not affect the public or private street configuration or that reconfigure lots and which do not increase the number of lots), without the need to reapply for preliminary plat approval. The application requirements and procedures for amending preliminary plats, unless minor in nature, shall be the same as for preliminary plat applications.