APPENDIX B  SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS*

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*Editor's note: As currently set out, App. B, containing the subdivision regulations of the city, is derived from an ordinance adopted July 13, 1998, as amended through June 30, 2004. Formerly App. B was derived from Ord. of Sept. 9, 1974. Absence of a history note following a particular section or subsection in App. B indicates that such section or subsection derives unchanged from Ord. of June 30, 2004; conversely a history note enclosed in parentheses following a section or subsection indicates amendment by the legislation shown in such history note.

Cross references: Planning board, § 2-146 et seq.; buildings and construction, Ch. 5; housing, Ch. 11; streets and sidewalks, Ch. 16; utilities, Ch. 18; zoning, App. A.

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Article I.  Introductory Provisions

1.1.  Title.

1.2.  Purpose.

1.3.  Authority.

1.4.  Jurisdiction.

1.5.  Prerequisite to plat recordation.

1.6.  No maintenance, permits, or services until final plat approval.

1.7.  Thoroughfare plans.

1.8.  School sites on land use plan.

1.9.  Zoning and other plans.

Article II.  Legal Provisions

2.1.  General procedure for plat approval.

2.2.  Statement by owner.

2.3.  Effect of plat approval on dedications.

2.4.  Penalties for violation.

2.5.  Separability.

2.6.  Variances.

2.7.  Amendments.

2.8.  Abrogation.

2.9.  Repeal of existing subdivision regulations.

2.10.  Effective date.

2.11.  Adoption.

2.12.  Administrator.

2.13.  Gift lots.

2.14.  Vested rights.

Article III.  Review and Approval of Plats

3.1.  Plat shall be required on any subdivision of land.

3.2.  Approval prerequisite to plat recordation.

3.3.  Procedures for review of major and minor subdivisions.

3.4.  Procedure for review of minor subdivisions.

3.5.  Sketch plan for major subdivisions.

3.6.  Preliminary plat submission and review.

3.7.  Final plat submission and review.

3.8.  Contents of preliminary and final plats.

3.9.  Recombination of land.

3.10.  Resubdivision procedure.

Article IV.  Required Improvements, Dedication, Reservation, and Minimum Standards of Design

4.1.  General.

4.2.  Suitability of land.

4.3.  Name duplication.

4.4.  Subdivision design.

4.5.  Streets.

4.6.  Buffer strips.

4.7.  Utilities.

4.8.  Storm water drainage.

4.9.  Other requirements.

Article V.  Definitions

5.1.  Subdivision defined.

5.2.  Other definitions.

5.3.  Word interpretations.

ARTICLE I.  INTRODUCTORY PROVISIONS

1.1.  Title.

This ordinance shall be known and may be cited as the Subdivision Regulations of Raeford, North Carolina.

1.2.  Purpose.

The purpose of this ordinance is to establish procedures and standards for the development and subdivision of land within the territorial jurisdiction of the City of Raeford. It is further designed to provide for the orderly growth and development of the city; for the coordination of streets and highways and with other public facilities; for the dedication or reservation of recreation areas serving residents of the immediate neighborhood within the subdivision and of rights-of-way or easements for street and utility purposes; and for the distribution of population and traffic in a manner that will avoid congestion and overcrowding and will create conditions essential to public health, safety, and the general welfare. This ordinance is designed to further facilitate adequate provision of water, sewerage, parks, schools, and playgrounds, and also to facilitate the further re-subdivision of larger tracts into smaller parcels of land.

1.3.  Authority.

This ordinance is hereby adopted under the authority and provision of the General Statutes of North Carolina, Chapter 160A-371 through 376.

1.4.  Jurisdiction.

The regulations contained herein shall govern each and every subdivision of land within the corporate limits of Raeford, North Carolina as now or hereafter established, and the surrounding extraterritorial jurisdiction up to a distance of one mile from the corporate limits.

1.5.  Prerequisite to plat recordation.

After the effective date of this ordinance, each individual subdivision plat of land within the city's jurisdiction shall be approved by the Raeford Planning Board.

1.6.  No maintenance, permits, or services until final plat approval.

No street shall be maintained by the city nor street dedication accepted for ownership and maintenance in any subdivision for which a plat is required to be approved unless and until such final plat has been approved by the Raeford Planning Board. Also, no permit shall be issued and no street lighting, water, or sewer shall be extended to or connected with any subdivision upon any land within the City of Raeford or its exterritorial jurisdiction unless and until the requirements set forth in this ordinance have been met and the final plat approved.

1.7.  Thoroughfare plans.

When a proposed subdivision includes any part of a thoroughfare, which has been designated as such upon the officially adopted thoroughfare plan of the city, that part of such thoroughfare shall be platted by the subdivider in the location shown on the plan and at the width specified in this ordinance.

1.8.  School sites on land use plan.

If the Raeford City Council and Hoke County Board of Education have jointly determined the specific location and size of any school sites to by reserved and this information appears in the land use plan, the planning board shall immediately notify the board of education whenever a sketch plan for a subdivision is submitted which includes all or part of a school site to be reserved. The board of education shall promptly decide whether it still wishes the site to be reserved. If the board of education does not wish to reserve the site, it shall so notify the Raeford Planning Board. If the board of education does wish to reserve the site, the subdivision shall not be approved without such reservation. If the board of education has not purchased or begun proceedings to condemn the site within eighteen (18) months, the subdivider may treat the land as freed of the reservation.

1.9.  Zoning and other plans.

Similarly, proposed subdivisions must comply in all respects with the requirements of the zoning ordinance in effect in the area to be subdivided, and any other officially adopted plans and regulations.

ARTICLE II.  LEGAL PROVISIONS

2.1.  General procedure for plat approval.

After the effective date of this ordinance, no subdivision plat of land within the city's jurisdiction shall be filed or recorded until it has been submitted to and approved by the Raeford Planning Board as set forth in section 1.5 of this ordinance and until this approval is entered in writing on the face of the plat by the Zoning Officer and attested by the city clerk.

The Hoke County Register of Deeds shall not file or record a plat of a subdivision of land located within the jurisdiction of the City of Raeford that has not been approved in accordance with these provisions, nor shall the Clerk of Superior Court order or direct the recording of a plat if the recording would be in conflict with this Section.

2.2.  Statement by owner.

The owner of land shown on a subdivision plat submitted for recording, or his authorized agent, shall sign a statement on the plat stating whether or not any land shown thereon is within the subdivision regulation jurisdiction of Raeford, North Carolina.

2.3.  Effect of plat approval on dedications.

Pursuant to G.S. 160A-374, the approval of a plat shall not be deemed to constitute or effect the acceptance by the city or public of the dedication of any street or other ground, public utility line, or other public facility shown on the plat. However, the city council may by resolution accept any dedication made to the public of lands or facilities for streets, parks, public utility lines, or other public purposes, when the lands or facilities are located within its subdivision regulation jurisdiction. Acceptance of dedication of lands or facilities located within the jurisdiction of this ordinance, but outside the Raeford corporate limits shall not place on the city any duty to open, operate, repair, or maintain any street, utility line, or other land or facility, and the city shall in no event be held to answer in any civil action or proceeding for failure to open, repair, or maintain any street located outside its corporate limits.

2.4.  Penalties for violation.

A.         Violations. After the effective date of this ordinance, any person who, being the owner or agent of the owner of any land located within the territorial jurisdiction of this ordinance, thereafter subdivides his land in violation of this ordinance or transfers or sells land by reference to, exhibition of, or any other use of a plat showing a subdivision of the land before the plat has been properly approved under the terms of this ordinance and recorded in the office of the Hoke County Register of Deeds, shall be guilty of a violation and guilty of a misdemeanor. The description by metes and bounds in the instrument of transfer or other document used in the process of selling or transferring land shall not exempt the transaction from this penalty.

B.         Criminal penalties. The violation of any provision of this ordinance shall subject the offender to criminal prosecution and, upon conviction, to fine and/or imprisonment set to the maximum allowed in G.S. 14.4.

C.        Civil penalties. The City of Raeford, through its attorney or other official designated by the city council, may enjoin illegal subdivision, transfer, or sale of land by action for injunction or ensure compliance through an order of abatement. Further, violators of this ordinance shall be subject to a civil penalty in the amount of on hundred dollars ($100.00) per day of violation to be recovered by the city. Violators shall be issued a written citation, which must be paid within ten (10) days. If the violator fails or refuses to comply with an injunction or order of abatement within the time allowed by the court, he may be cited for contempt, and the city may execute the order of abatement. The city shall have alien on the property for the cost of executing an order of abatement.

D.        Continuing violation. Each day's continuing violation of this ordinance after notification of violation shall be a separate and distinct offense and subject to additional fine or civil penalty.

E.         Equitable remedies. Notwithstanding subsection C above, this ordinance may be enforced by appropriate equitable remedies issuing from a court of competent jurisdiction.

F.         Combination of remedies. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the use of remedies available the city. Raeford may seek to enforce this ordinance by using any one, all, or a combination of remedies.

2.5.  Separability.

Should any section or provision of this ordinance be decided by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unconstitutional or invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the ordinance as a whole or any part thereof other than the part so declared to be unconstitutional or invalid.

2.6.  Variances.

The Raeford Planning Board may authorize a variance from these regulations when, in its opinion, undue hardship may result from strict compliance and only to the extent that is absolutely necessary and not to an extent which would violate the intent of this ordinance. In granting any variance, the planning board shall make the findings required below, taking into account the nature of the proposed subdivision, the existing use of land in the vicinity, the number of persons to reside or work in the proposed subdivision, and the probable effect of the proposed subdivision upon traffic conditions in the vicinity. No variance shall be granted unless the planning board finds all four (4) of the following conditions to exist:

1.         That there are special circumstances or conditions affecting said property such that the strict application of the provisions of this ordinance would deprive the applicant of the reasonable use of his land.

2.         That the variance is necessary for the preservation and enjoyment of a substantial property right of the petitioner.

3.         That the circumstances giving rise to the need for the variance are peculiar to the parcel and are not generally characteristic of other parcels in the jurisdiction of this ordinance.

4.         That the granting of the variance will not be detrimental to the public health, safety, and welfare, or injurious to other property in the territory in which said property is situated.

2.7.  Amendments.

The Raeford City Council may from time-to-time amend the terms of this ordinance, but no amendment shall become effective unless it shall have been proposed by or shall have been submitted to the planning board for review and recommendation. If the planning board fails to submit a report within thirty (30) days from the time the proposed is submitted to it, it shall be deemed to have recommended approval of the amendment.

No amendment shall be adopted by the city council until they have held a public hearing on the amendment. Notice of the hearing shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the Raeford area at least once a week for two (2) successive calendar weeks prior to the hearing. The initial notice shall appear not more than twenty-five (25) nor less than ten (10) days prior to the hearing date. In computing the ten (10) to twenty-five (25) day period, the date of publication is not to be counted, but the date of the hearing is counted.

2.8.  Abrogation.

It is not intended that this ordinance repeal, abrogate, annul, impair, or interfere with any existing easements, covenants, deed restrictions agreements, rules, regulations, or permits previously adopted or issued pursuant to law. However, where this ordinance imposes greater restrictions, the provisions of this ordinance shall govern.

2.9.  Repeal of existing subdivision regulations.

This ordinance in part carries forward by re-enactment some of the provisions of the Raeford Subdivision Regulations of 1974 and it is not the intention to repeal but rather to re-enact and continue in force such existing provisions so that all rights and liabilities that have accrued thereunder are preserved and may be enforced. All provisions of the subdivision regulations of 1974, which are not re-enacted herein, are hereby repealed. All suits at law or in equity and/or all prosecutions resulting from the violation of any subdivision regulations heretofore in effect, which are now pending in any of the courts of this state or of the United States, shall not be abated or abandoned by reason of the adoption of this ordinance, but shall be prosecuted to their finality the same as if this ordinance had not been adopted. Any and all violations of the existing subdivision regulations of 1974, prosecutions for which have not yet been instituted, may be hereafter filed and prosecuted. Nothing in this ordinance shall be so construed as to abandon, abate, or dismiss any litigation or prosecution now pending and/or which may heretofore have been instituted or prosecuted.

2.10.  Effective date.

This ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after July 13, 1998.

2.11.  Adoption.

Duly adopted by the City Council of Raeford, North Carolina this the thirteenth day of July, 1998.

John K. McNeil
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Mayor, City of Raeford

Betty Smith
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City Clerk

2.12.  Administrator.

This ordinance shall be administered and enforced by the zoning officer or other representative designated by the city manager.

2.13.  Gift lots.

For the purpose of interpreting these regulations, when a parent makes a one time gift per child of a parcel of land divided from the parent's property, the transaction shall not be deemed to be for the purpose of sale or building development. The resulting transaction shall therefore not be subject to any regulations enacted pursuant to this ordinance. For proper recordation of the gift lot, the subdivision administrator will note on the lot survey that it is a gift lot, and not subject to the provisions of the subdivisions regulations, although all zoning and other requirements still apply.

2.14.  Vested rights.

A landowner submitting a preliminary or final plat for approval may declare he is seeking to acquire a vested right pursuant to G.S. 160A-385.1 and the Raeford Zoning Ordinance by completing the appropriate form and following the procedure described in the zoning ordinance.

ARTICLE III.  REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF PLATS

3.1.  Plat shall be required on any subdivision of land.

Pursuant to G.S. 160A-372, a final plat shall be prepared, approved, and recorded pursuant to the provisions of this ordinance whenever any subdivision of land takes place.

3.2.  Approval prerequisite to plat recordation.

Pursuant to G.S. 160A-373, no final plat of a subdivision within the jurisdiction of the City of Raeford as established in section 1.4 of this ordinance shall be recorded by the Hoke County Register of Deeds until it has been approved by the planning board as provided herein and the county review officer, as required by law (G.S. 47-30.2). To secure such approval of a final plat, the subdivider shall follow the procedures established in this article.

3.3.  Procedures for review of major and minor subdivisions.

All subdivisions shall be considered major subdivisions except those defined as minor subdivisions in this section. Major subdivisions shall be reviewed in accordance with the procedures in section 3.5 through 3.8. Minor subdivisions shall be reviewed in accordance with the provisions in section 3.4. However, if the subdivider owns, leases, holds an option on, or holds any legal or equitable interest in any property adjacent to or located directly across a street, easement, road, or right-of-way from the property to be subdivided, the subdivision shall not qualify under the abbreviated procedure. The abbreviated procedure may not be used a second time within three (3) years on any property less than one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet from the original property boundaries by any subsequent owner, individual having an option on, or individual having any legal interest in the original subdivision at the time the subdivision received preliminary or final plat approval.

A minor subdivision is defined as one involving no new public or private streets or roads, or right-of-way dedication, no easements, no utility extension, where the entire tract to be subdivided is five (5) acres or less in size, and where four (4) or fewer lots result after the subdivision is completed.

3.4.  Procedure for review of minor subdivisions.

A.         Sketch plan for minor subdivisions. Prior to submission of a final plat, the subdivider shall submit to the subdivision administrator two (2) copies of a sketch plan of the proposed subdivision containing the following information:

1.         A sketch vicinity map showing the location of the subdivision in relation to neighboring tracts, subdivision, roads, and waterways;

2.         The boundaries of the tract and the portion of the tract to be subdivided;

3.         The total acreage to be subdivided;

4.         The existing and proposed use of the land within the subdivision and the existing uses of land adjoining it;

5.         The existing street layout and right-of-way width, lot layout, and size of lots;

6.         The name, address, and telephone number of the owner;

7.         The name, if any, of the proposed subdivision;

8.         Streets and lots of adjacent developed or plated properties;

9.         The zoning classification of the tract and of adjacent properties;

10.       A statement from the Hoke County Health Department that a copy of the sketch plan has been submitted to them, if a septic tank system or other on site water or wastewater system is to be used in the subdivision.

The subdivision administrator shall review the sketch plan for general compliance with the requirements of this ordinance and the zoning ordinance. The subdivision administrator shall advise the subdivider or his authorized agent of the regulations pertaining to the proposed subdivision and the procedures to be followed in the preparation and submission of the final plat.

One (1) copy of the sketch plan shall be retained by the subdivision administrator, and one (1) copy shall be returned to the subdivider or his authorized agent.

B.         Final plat for minor subdivisions. Upon approval of the sketch plan by the subdivision administrator the subdivider may proceed with the preparation of the final plat in accordance with the requirements of this ordinance.

The subdivider shall submit the final plat so marked, to the subdivision administrator not less than fifteen (15) days prior to the planning board meeting at which it will be reviewed. Further, the final plat shall be submitted not more than twelve (12) months after the date on which the sketch plan was approved; otherwise such approval shall be null and void, unless a written extension of this limit is granted by the subdivision administrator on or before the twelve (12) month anniversary of the approval.

The final plat shall be prepared by a Registered Land Surveyor currently licensed and registered in the State of North Carolina by the North Carolina State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. The final plat shall conform to the provisions for plats, subdivision, and mapping requirements set forth in G.S. 47-30 and the Manual of Practice for Land Surveying in North Carolina.

Five (5) copies of the final plat shall be submitted. Two (2) of these shall be on reproducible material and three (3) shall be black or blue line paper prints. Material and drawing medium for the original shall be in accordance with the Manual of Practice for Land Surveying in North Carolina, where applicable, and the requirements of the Hoke County Register of Deeds.

The final plat shall be of a size suitable for recording with the Hoke County Register of Deeds and shall be at a scale of not less than one (1) inch equals two hundred (200) feet. Maps may be placed on more than one sheet with appropriate match lines.

Submission of the final plat for a minor subdivision shall be accompanied by a filing fee. The fee schedule shall be set by the city council and posted in the City Hall or office of the subdivision administrator.

The final plat shall meet the specifications in section 3.8 of this ordinance.

The following signed certificates shall appear on all five (5) copies of the final plat.

1.         Certificate of ownership and dedication.

I hereby certify that I am the owner of the property shown and described hereon, which is located in the subdivision jurisdiction of the City of Raeford and that I hereby adopt this plan of subdivision with my free consent and establish minimum building setback lines as noted.

TABLE INSET:

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________________

Date

 

 

 

2.         Certificate of survey and accuracy. In accordance with the Manual of Practice for Land Surveying in North Carolina:

On the face of each map prepared for recordation there shall appear a certificate acknowledged before an officer authorized to take acknowledgments and executed by the person making the survey or map including deeds and any recorded data shown thereon. The certificate shall include a statement of error of closure calculated by latitudes and departures. Any lines on the map, which were not actually surveyed, must be clearly indicated on the map and a statement included in the certificate revealing the source of information.

The certificate shall take the following general form:

TABLE INSET:

State of North CarolinaCountyof Raeford

 

I, ________________, certify that this plat was drawn under my supervision from an actual survey made under my supervision (deed description recorded in Book ________, Page ________, (etc.) (other); that the boundaries not surveyed are clearly indicated as drawn from information found in Book ________, Page ________, that the ratio of precision as calculated is I: _________; that this plat was prepared in accordance with G.S. 47-30, as amended.

Witness my original signature, registration number, and seal this ________ day of _________, A.D. 19________.


______________________________
Land Surveyor

Official Seal or Stamp


______________________________
Registration Number

The certificate of the Notary shall read as follows:

North Carolina, Hoke County

I, a Notary Public of the County and State aforesaid, certify that ________________; a registered land surveyor, personally appeared before me this day and acknowledged the execution of the foregoing instrument. Witness my hand and official stamp or seal, this ________ day of ________, (year).


______________________________
Notary Public

Seal or Stamp

My commission expires _________.

Following the review by the subdivision administrator, the final plat shall be reviewed by the planning board at or before its next regularly scheduled meeting which follows at least fifteen (15) days after the subdivision administrator receives the final plat and shall approve, conditionally approve with modifications to bring the plat into compliance, or disapprove the final plat with reason within forty (40) days of its first consideration of the plat.

During the review of the final plat the planning board may appoint an engineer or surveyor to confirm the accuracy of the final plat (if agreed to by the city council). If substantial errors are found, the costs shall be charged to the subdivider and the plat shall not be approved until such errors have been corrected.

If the planning board approves the final plat, such approval shall be shown on each copy of the plant by the following signed certificate:

3.         Certificate of approval for recording.

I hereby certify that the subdivision plat shown hereon has been found to comply with the Subdivision Regulations of the City of Raeford. North Carolina and that this plat has been approved for recording in the office of the Hoke County Register of Deeds.


______________________________
Raeford, North Carolina

4.         Certificate of county approval.

State of North Carolina, County of Hoke

I, ________________, Review Officer of Hoke County, certify that the map or plat to which this certification is affixed meets all statutory requirements for recording.

TABLE INSET:

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________________

Date

Officer

 

 

If the final plat is disapproved by the planning board the reasons for such disapproval shall be stated in writing, specifying the provisions of this ordinance with which the final plat does not comply. One (1) copy of such statement of reasons and one (1) print of the plat shall be retained by the planning board as part of the records; one (1) copy of the statement of reasons and three (3) copies of the plat shall be transmitted to the subdivider. If the final plat is disapproved, the subdivider may make such changes as will bring the final plat into compliance and resubmit same for reconsideration by the planning board, or appeal the decision to the Raeford City Council.

If the final plat is approved by the planning board, the original tracking and one (1) print of the plat shall be retained by the subdivider. One (1) reproducible tracing and one (1) print shall be filed with the city clerk, and one (1) print shall be retained by the subdivision administrator for his records.

The subdivider shall file the approved final plat with the Register of Deeds of Hoke County within thirty (30) days of the approval; otherwise such approval shall be null and void.

3.5.  Sketch plan for major subdivisions.

A.         Number of copies and contents. Prior to the preliminary plat submissions, the subdivider shall submit to the subdivision administrator two (2) copies of a sketch plan of the proposed subdivision containing the following information:

1.         A sketch vicinity map showing the location of the subdivision in relation to neighboring tracts, subdivision, roads, and waterways;

2.         The boundaries of the tract and the portion of the tract to be subdivided;

3.         The total acreage to be subdivided;

4.         The existing and proposed uses of the land within the subdivision and the existing uses of land adjoining it;

5.         The proposed street layout with approximate pavement and right-of-way width, lot layout, and size of lots;

6.         The name, address, and telephone number of the owner;

7.         The name, if any, of the proposed subdivision;

8.         Streets and lots of adjacent developed or platted properties;

9.         The zoning classification of the tract and of adjacent properties; and,

10.       A statement from the Hoke County Health Department that a copy of the sketch plan has been submitted to them, if a septic tank system or other on site water or wastewater system is to be used in the subdivision.

B.         Submission and review procedure. The subdivision administrator shall review the sketch plan for general compliance with the requirements of this ordinance and the zoning ordinance. The subdivision administrator shall advise the subdivider or his authorized agent of the regulations pertaining to the proposed subdivision and the procedures to be followed in the preparation and submission of the preliminary and final plats.

One (1) copy of the sketch plan shall be retained by the subdivision administrator and one (1) copy shall be returned to the subdivider or his authorized agent

3.6.  Preliminary plat submission and review.

A.         Submission procedure. For every subdivision within the territorial jurisdiction established by section 1.4 of this ordinance, which does not qualify for the abbreviated procedure, the subdivider shall submit a preliminary plat, which shall be approved by the planning board before any construction, or installation of improvements may begin.

Four (4) copies of the preliminary plat (as well as any additional copies which planning board determines are needed to be sent to other agencies) shall be submitted to the subdivision administrator at least fifteen (15) days prior to the planning board meeting at which the subdivider desires the planning board to review the preliminary plat. The subdivision administrator shall review it and present it to the planning board.

Preliminary plats shall meet the specifications in section 3.8 and shall be drawn to a scale of not less than one (1) inch equals one hundred (100) feet and on sheet sizes suitable for recording by Hoke County. Plats may be placed on more than one (1) sheet with appropriate match lines. Submission of the preliminary plat shall be accompanied by a filing fee. The fee schedule shall be set by the city council and posted in the City Hall or office of the subdivision administrator.

B.         Review by other agencies. Concurrent with submission of the preliminary plat to the subdivision administrator, the subdivider shall submit copies of the preliminary plat and any accompanying material to other officials and agencies concerned with new development including but not limited to: The city public works director or district highway engineer as to proposed streets, highways, and drainage systems, the Hoke County Health Director as to proposed water and sewerage systems, the North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources Land Quality Section as to the erosion control requirements; and any other agency or official designated by the planning board for review and recommendation. The subdivision administrator will advise the subdivider concerning which agencies are applicable for a given plat.

C.        Review procedure. The planning board shall review the preliminary plat at or before its next regularly scheduled meeting, which follows at least fifteen (15) days after the planning board receives the preliminary plat and the comments from the appropriate agencies.

The preliminary plat may be checked against the design standards and plat requirements by the technical review committee (composed of two (2) members of the planning board, the subdivision administrator, and one (1) representative of each of the agencies or city departments involved with the subdivision in question, such as the Hoke County Health Department, Highway Engineer, Hoke County Board of Education, etc.), if deemed necessary.

The planning board shall review the preliminary plat along with the recommendations of the technical review committee, if any, and, in writing, recommend approval, conditional approval with conditions to bring the plat into compliance, or disapproval with reasons within forty (40) days of its first consideration of the plat. Failure of the planning board to make a written recommendation within forty (40) days after its first review shall constitute grounds for the subdivider to apply to the city council for approval.

If the planning board recommends conditional approval or disapproval the subdivider may make the recommended changes submit a revised plat for planning board approval before going to the city council or may directly appeal to the city council.

The Raeford City Council shall review the preliminary plat along with the recommendations of the planning board within thirty (30) days after the planning board had submitted its recommendations and approve, approve conditionally with required changes, or disapprove the plat. If the plat is approved conditionally the city council may require that the plat be revised and resubmitted before final approval is given. Failure by the city council to reach a decision within sixty (60) days of its initial review shall be deemed approval.

If the city council approves the preliminary plat, such approval shall be noted on four (4) copies of the plat. One (1) copy of the plat shall be retained by the city council, one (1) copy will be kept by the subdivision administrator, one (1) copy will be submitted to the building inspector, and one (1) copy shall be returned to the subdivider. If the city council approves the preliminary plat with conditions, approval shall be noted on four (4) copies of the plat along with a reference to the conditions and distributed the same as when approved. If the city council disapproves the preliminary plat, the reasons for such disapproval shall be specified in writing. Copies of the plats shall be so marked and distributed, along with the reasons for disapproval, as in the above cases.

Approval of the preliminary plat is authorization for the subdivider to proceed with the construction of the necessary improvements in preparation for the final plat.

3.7.  Final plat submission and review.

A.         Preparation of final plat and installation of improvements. Upon approval of the preliminary plat by the city council, the subdivider may proceed with the preparation of the final plat, and the installation of or arrangement for required improvements in accordance with the approved preliminary plat and the requirements of this ordinance. Prior to approval of a final plat, the subdivider shall have installed the improvements specified in this ordinance or guaranteed their installation as provided herein. No final plat will be accepted for review by the planning board unless accompanied by written notice by the subdivision administrator acknowledging compliance with the improvement and guarantee standards of this ordinance. The final plat shall constitute only that portion of the preliminary plat, which the subdivider proposes to record and develop at that time. Such portion shall conform to all requirements of this ordinance.

B.         Improvements guarantees.

1.         Agreement and security required: In lieu of requiring the completion, installation, and dedication of all improvements prior to final plat approval the Raeford City Council may enter into an agreement with the subdivider whereby the subdivider shall agree to complete all required improvements. Once said agreement is signed by both parties and the security required herein is provided, the final plat may be approved by the planning board, if all other requirements of this ordinance are met. To secure this agreement, the subdivider shall provide, subject to the approval of the city council, either one, or a combination of the following guarantees not exceeding 1.25 times the entire cost as provided herein:

Surety performance bond(s): The subdivider shall obtain a performance bond(s) from a surety bonding company authorized to do business in North Carolina. The bond(s) shall be payable to the City of Raeford and shall be in an amount equal to 1.25 times the entire cost, as estimated by the city public works department and approved by the city manager, of installing all required improvements. The duration of the bond(s) shall be until such time as the improvements are accepted by the city council.

Cash or equivalent security: The subdivider shall deposit cash, an irrevocable letter of credit, or other instrument readily convertible into cash at face value, either with the city or in escrow with a financial institution designated as an official depository of the city. The use of any instrument other than cash shall be subject to the approval of the city council. The amount of deposit shall be equal to 1.25 times the cost, as estimated by the city public works department and approved by the city manager, of installing all required improvements. If cash or other instrument is deposited in escrow with a financial institution as provided above, then the subdivider shall file with the city council an agreement between the financial institution and himself guaranteeing the following:

• That said escrow account shall be held in trust until released by the city council and may not be used or pledged by the subdivider in any other matter during the term of the escrow; and

• That in the case of a failure on the part of the subdivider to complete said improvements the financial institution shall, upon notification by the city council, and submission by the council to the financial institution of an engineer's estimate of the amount needed to complete the improvements, immediately either pay to the city the funds estimated to complete the improvements, up to the full balance of the escrow account, or deliver to the city any other instruments fully endorsed or otherwise made payable in full to the city.

2.         Default: Upon default, meaning failure on the part of the subdivider to complete the required improvements in a timely manner as spelled out in the performance bond or escrow agreement, then the surety, or the financial institution holding the escrow account shall if requested by the city council, pay all or any portion of the bond or escrow fund to the City of Raeford up to the amount needed to complete the improvements based on an engineering estimate. Upon payment, the city council, at its discretion, may expend such portion of said funds, as it deems necessary to complete all or any portion of the required improvements. The council shall return to the subdivider any funds not spent in completing the improvements.

3.         Release of guarantee security: The city council may release a portion of any security posted as the improvements are completed and approved by the subdivision administrator. When the administrator approves said improvements, then the council shall immediately release any security posted.

C.        Submission procedure. The subdivider shall submit the final plat, so marked, through the subdivision administrator to the planning board at least fifteen (15) days before the meeting at which it will be reviewed. Further, the final plat for the first stage of the subdivision shall be submitted not more than twelve (12) months after the date on which the preliminary plat was approved; otherwise such approval shall be null and void, unless a written extension of this limit is granted by the planning board on or before the twelve (12) month anniversary of the approval.

The final plat shall be prepared by a Registered Land Surveyor currently licensed and registered in the State of North Carolina by the North Carolina State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. The final plat shall conform to the provisions for plats, subdivisions, and mapping requirements set forth in G.S. 47-30 and the Manual of Practice for Land Surveying in North Carolina.

Five (5) copies of the final plat shall be submitted. Two (2) of these shall be on reproducible material and three (3) shall be black or blue line paper prints. Material and drawing medium for the original shall be in accordance with the Manual of Practice for Land Surveying in North Carolina, where applicable, and the requirements of the Hoke County Register of Deeds.

Requirements for connections to existing water and sewer service shall be decided on a case-by-case basis, where water and/or sewer service is available. Acreage or connection fees shall be determined by policy established by the city council.

The final plat shall meet the specifications in section 3.8 and must be of a size suitable for recording with the Hoke County Register of Deeds. It must be at the same scale and meet the same sheet size requirements as the preliminary plat. Plats may be placed on more than one (1) sheet with appropriate match lines.

The following signed certificates shall appear on all five (5) copies of the final plat:

1.         Certificate of ownership and dedication.

I hereby certify that I am the owner of the property shown and described hereon, which is located in the subdivision jurisdiction of the City of Raeford and that I hereby adopt this plan of subdivision with my free consent, establish minimum building setback lines, and dedicate all streets, alleys, walks, parts, and other sites and easements to public or private use as noted. Furthermore, I hereby dedicate all sanitary sewer, storm sewer and water lines to the City of Raeford.

2.         Certificate of survey and accuracy. In accordance with the Manual of Practice for Land Surveying in North Carolina:

On the face of each map prepared for recordation there shall appear a certificate acknowledged before an officer authorized to take acknowledgments and executed by the person making the survey or map including deeds and any recorded data shown thereon. The certificate shall include a statement of error of closure calculated by latitudes and departures. Any lines on the map, which were not actually surveyed, must be clearly indicated on the map and a statement included in the certificate revealing the source of information.

The certificate shall take the following general form:

TABLE INSET:

State of North CarolinaCountyof Raeford

 

I, ________________, certify that this map was (drawn by me) (drawn under my supervision) from (an actual survey made by me) (an actual survey made under my supervision) (deed description recorded in Book ________, Page ________, etc.) (other); that the ratio of precision as calculated by latitudes and departures is 1: _________; (that the boundaries not surveyed are shown as broken lines plotted from information found in Book ________, Page ________); that this map was prepared in accordance with G.S. 47-30, as amended.

Witness my hand and seal this ________ day of _________, A.D. (year).


______________________________
Registered Land Surveyor

Official Seal


______________________________
Registration Number

I, a Notary Public of the county and state aforesaid, do hereby certify that ________________, a registered land surveyor, personally appeared before me this day and acknowledged and duly executed this certificate.

Witness my hand and official stamp or seal this the ________ day of _________, (year).


______________________________
Notary Public

Official Stamp or Seal

My commission expires _________.

3.         Certificate of approval of the design and installation of streets, utilities, and other required improvements.

I hereby certify that all streets, utilities, and other required improvements have been installed in a manner approved by the appropriate state or local authority and according to city specification and standards in the ________________ Subdivision or that guarantees of the installation of the required improvements in an amount and manner satisfactory to the City of Raeford had been received.

TABLE INSET:

_________

 

________________

Date

Administrator

 

 

The planning board shall review the final plat at or before its next regularly scheduled meeting which follows at least fifteen (15) days after the planning board receives the final plat and shall approve or disapprove the plat with reasons within forty (40) days of its first consideration of the plat.

During its review of the final plat the planning board may appoint an engineer or surveyor to confirm the accuracy of the final plat (if agreed to by the city council). If substantial errors are found, the costs shall be charged to the subdivider and the plat shall not be recommended for approval until such errors have been corrected.

If the planning board approves the final plat, such approval shall be shown on each copy of the plat by the following signed certificate.

4.         Certificate of approval for recording.

I hereby certify that the subdivision plat shown hereon has been found to comply with the Subdivision Regulations of the City of Raeford. North Carolina, and that this plat has been approved by the Raeford Planning Board for recording in the office of the Hoke County Register of Deeds.

TABLE INSET:

_________

 

________________

Date

Administrator
Raeford, North Carolina

 

 

5.         Certificate of county approval.

State of North Carolina County of Hoke

I, ________________, Review Officer of Hoke County, certify that the map or plat to which this certification is affixed meets all statutory requirements for recording.

TABLE INSET:

_________

 

________________

Date

Officer

 

 

If the final plat is disapproved by the planning board, the reasons for such disapproval shall be stated in writing, specifying the provisions of this ordinance with which the final plat does not comply. One (1) copy of such statement of reasons and one (1) print of the plat shall be retained by the planning board as part of its proceedings; one (1) copy of the statement of reasons and three (3) copies of the plat shall be transmitted to the subdivider. If the final plat is disapproved, the subdivider may make such changes as will bring the final plat into compliance and resubmit same for reconsideration by the planning board or appeal the decision to the Raeford City Council.

If the final plat is approved by the planning board, one (1) print of the plat shall be retained by the subdivider. One (1) reproducible tracing and one (1) print shall be filed with the subdivision administrator, one (1) print shall be retained by the planning board for its records, and the original tracing shall be retained by the city for recording.

The subdivider shall submit to the city a check for the recording fee and the city shall file the approved final plat with the Hoke County Review Officer and Register of Deeds and deliver the subdivider's check within thirty (30) days of planning board approval.

3.8.  Contents of preliminary and final plats.

The preliminary and final plats shall depict or contain the information indicated in the following table. An "x" indicates that the information is required.

TABLE INSET:

Information

 

 

1.block containing:

 

 

 

• Property designation

 

• Name of owner

 

• Location (Including township, county, and state)

 

• Date(s) survey was conducted and plat prepared

 

• Scale of drawing in feet per inch listed in words or figures

 

• Bar graph

 

• Name, address, registration number, and seal of the Registered Land Surveyor

 

2.of subdivider

 

3.vicinity map showing the relationship between the proposed subdivision and surrounding area

 

4.limits, township boundaries county lines, if on the subdivision tract

 

5., addresses, and telephone numbers of all owners, mortgagees, registered land surveyors, land planners, architects, landscape architects, and professional engineers responsible for the subdivision

 

6.numbers and seals of the professional engineers

 

7.of plat preparation

 

8.arrow and orientation