§ 703. Final plat; performance bond.

Before a plat of a subdivision is recorded with the clerk of the superior court of Chatham County and the lots thereon offered for sale, an original, and five prints of the final design of the subdivision shall be submitted to the planning commission for review.

Until a final plat of a subdivision has been submitted to and reviewed by the planning commission and approved and signed by the mayor and clerk of the city, the clerk of the superior court of Chatham County shall not record the plat of such subdivision, nor shall the owner or agent of such subdivision be authorized to transfer or sell any of the land within such subdivision by reference to a plat. For large subdivisions, the final plat may be submitted for approval progressively in contiguous sections satisfactory to the planning commission.

(703.01) Final plat requirements. The original copy of the final plat shall be drawn on 18-inch by 24-inch sheets of linen with black India ink at a scale of not less than 200 feet to the inch. Where necessary, the final plat may be several linen sheets accompanied by an index sheet showing the entire subdivision. The final plat shall contain the following information:

(a)

Primary control points to which all dimensions, angles, bearings, and similar data on the plat shall be referred.

(b)

Tract boundary lines; right-of-way lines of streets, easements and other rights-of-way; property lines of all lots; and in all such cases with surveyed dimensions, bearings or deflection angles, radii, arcs, and central angles of all curves shown.

(c)

Name and right-of-way width of each street or other right-of-way.

(d)

Location, dimensions, and purpose of any easement.

(e)

Number to identify each lot or site.

(f)

Purpose for which sites, other than residential lots, are dedicated or reserved.

(g)

Minimum building set back line on all lots and other sites.

(h)

Location and identification of monuments.

(i)

Names of record owners of adjoining unplatted land.

(j)

Reference to recorded subdivision plats of adjoining platted land by record name.

(k)

Certificate that all survey work was performed by a registered civil engineer or registered surveyor.

(l)

Statement by owner dedicating streets, rights-of-way, easements, and any sites for public use. Such dedications must be formally accepted by the aldermanic board of the city before such dedications shall be binding on the city.

(m)

Title, scale, north arrow, and date.

(n)

Key map showing the location of the subdivision in the city.

(o)

All plats shall show the expected limits of the 100-year flood where appropriate.

(p)

Approved record drawings.

(q)

Location and identification of any wetlands.

(703.02) Certification from county health department. If lots are not to be served by either public sewers or public water, or both, then the final plat shall be accompanied by a certificate from the county health department certifying health department approval of the water supply system and/or waste disposal system to be used and health department approval of lot sizes and lot widths established in such subdivision.

(703.03) Certificate from engineer. At the time the final plat is submitted, it shall be accompanied by a certificate from the developer's engineer certifying that the subdivider has complied with the following conditions:

(a)

All infrastructure improvements and landscape requirements have been installed in accord with the requirements of this ordinance and in accord with the design approved by the aldermanic board on the preliminary plan; and/or

(b)

A performance bond, escrow account, certified check, or irrevocable letter of credit from a bank which has a business office within the State of Georgia, in the amount of 150 percent of the required infrastructure improvements and maintenance and landscape requirements, which is acceptable to the city and such bond, escrow account, or certified check, or irrevocable letter of credit has been posted and is available to the city, and in sufficient amount to ensure the completion of all required improvements.

If a bond is offered, it shall be executed by a surety or guaranty company qualified to transact business in the State of Georgia and acceptable to the city. In no event shall the depositor of the irrevocable letter of credit or bond have any significant interest in the bank upon which such irrevocable letter of credit has been authorized or in the surety or guaranty company issuing the bond. Significant interest of the depositor means acting as an officer or director or owning more than one (percent of the stock of such bank, surety or guaranty company.);b3; The aldermanic board may reduce the bond, escrow account, or irrevocable letter of credit by as much as one-half upon completion of construction. If no faults or failures develop, the remaining bond, escrow account, or irrevocable letter of credit may be reduced by an additional 50 percent at the end of six months.

At the end of the second six months, the developer shall request an inspection, and if no faults or failures have developed, the aldermanic board shall release the bond escrow, or irrevocable letter of credit. Such bond, escrow, or irrevocable letter of credit shall remain in force until released by the aldermanic board after due inspection of said improvements and shall not automatically expire, or if a letter of credit containing an expiration date, shall be replaced with a letter of credit acceptable to the city at least ten days prior to its expiration.

(703.04) Filing the final plat. The final plat shall be filed with the planning commission not less than 20 days prior to a regular meeting of the planning commission.

(703.05) Action on final plat. If the planning commission finds that all the requirements of this ordinance have been met, it shall recommend approval of the final plat and submit such plat to the aldermanic board.

If the planning commission finds that all the requirements of this ordinance have not been met, and after deficiencies have been discussed and reviewed with the applicant, and the applicant given a period of time which shall not exceed 90 days to take corrective action, then the planning commission shall recommend disapproval of the final plat to the aldermanic board and shall set forth its reasons for such recommendations in writing. Except where an extension of time is authorized by the applicant for final plat review, the planning commission shall have 30 days from the date of the submission of a final plat to submit its recommendations on such plat to the aldermanic board. Unless such action is taken within such 30-day period, then such plat shall be deemed to have received a recommendation for approval from the planning commission and the aldermanic board may take final action on such plat without waiting further for the recommendations of the planning commission.

(a)

When the final plat has been approved, the planning commission shall present the final plat to the clerk of the superior court of Chatham County to be recorded. The planning commission shall provide the subdivider with the subdivision map book number and page number in which the subdivision has been recorded by the clerk of the superior court. The cost of such recording shall be paid by the subdivider and shall be deposited with the planning commission [prior] to such recording.

(b)

After the final plat of the subdivision has been recorded, then all lots shown on such subdivision may be made available for sale and such subdivision shall be entitled to all privileges and services available to other subdivisions within the city.

(703.06) Revisions to recorded plat. The subdivider shall file with the planning commission copies of the proposed revisions to a recorded plat together with all supporting information as required by these regulations.

Proposed revisions to a recorded plat which alter or change in any way the street and/or utility layout of said plat shall be submitted as a preliminary plan in accordance with section 702 of these regulations. Proposed revisions to a recorded plat which do not alter or change in any way the street and/or utility layout of said plat shall be submitted as a final plat in accordance with section 703 of these regulations.

(Ord. of 7-2-2001, § I; Ord. of 4-2-2012(2) , § I; Ord. of 6-5-2017(2), § I )