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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubdivision Regulations-BERTIE COUNTY SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS t ter. TABLE OF CONTENTS I". .; -Purpose II. 'Jurisdiction :III. Authority IV. Service and Permits V.;. Terms of Approval ' VI. Penalties IVII. Duty of Register of Deeds Duty -of Clerk of Court VIII. Separability' IX. Compliance with Official Plans X. Exceptions and Variations XI. Definitions M. ,Procedures for Plat Approval Sketch Design Plan Preliminary Plat Final Plat XIII. Design Standards XIV. Plat Requirements Sketch Design Plan Preliminary Plat Final Plat XV. Improvements ARTICLE I Purpose The purpose of these regulations is to guide the subdivision of land within the jurisdiction of Bertie County in order to promote the public health, safety and general welfare of the community. They are designed to lessen congestion in the streets and highways; to further the orderly layout and use of land; to insure proper legal descrip— tion and proper monumentation of subdivided land; to secure safety from fire, flood, panic and other dangers; to provide adequate light and air; to prevent the overcrowding of land and avoid undue con— centration of population; to facilitate adequate provisions for transportation, water, sewerage, parks, schools, playgrounds and other public requirements; and to facilitate the further re — subdivision of larger tracts into small parcels of land. ARTICLE II Jurisdiction On and after the date of enactment these regulations shall govern each and every subdivision of land lying within Bertie County and outside the boundary or extraterritorial jurisdiction of any municipality, and area within the jurisdiction of any municipality whose governing body by resolution agrees to these regulations. ARTICLE III Authority Bertie County hereby exercises its authority to make and adopt subdivision regulations under provisions pursuant to Chapter 153A, Article 18 of the General Statues of North Carolina. ARTICLE IV Service and Permit No street shall be recommended for acceptance for maintenance by the North Carolina Department of Transportation nor shall any permit be issued by an administrative official of Bertie County for the construction of any building or other improvement requiring a permit, upon any land concerning which a plat is required to be approved, unless and until the requirements set forth in these regulations have been complied with and same approved by the planning commission. 11 ARTICLE V Terms of Approval The approval of a plat pursuant to these regulations shall not be deemed to constitute or effect the acceptance by Bertie County or the public, of the dedication of any street or other ground, public utility line, or other public facility shown on the plat. ARTICLE VI Penalties Any person who, being the owner or agent of the owner of any land located within the platting jurisdiction of Bertie County, as defined herein, thereafter transfers or sells any such land as a subdivision, as defined herein, without such subdivision of land having been platted and approved under these regulations and recorded in the office of the Register of Deeds of Bertie County shall be guilty of a misdemeanor as established by G.S. 153A-334. The description by metes and bounds in the instrument of transfer or other document used in the process of selling or transferring shall not exempt the transaction from such penalties as the courts may exact. The County, through its County Attorney or other official designated by the Board of County Commissioners, may enjoin such illegal transfer or sale by action for injunction. i ARTICLE VII Duties of the Register of Deeds and Clerk of Court Bertie County shall file a copy of these regulations with the Register of Deeds of Bertie County. The Register of Deeds shall not thereafter file or record a plat of subdivision located within the platting jurisdiction of Bertie County without the approval of the legislative body or its authorized agent as required in these regulations. Neither shall the Register of Deeds record a deed or other instrument of.conveyance regarding land located in a subdivision within the platting jurisdiction of Bertie County as defined herein unless a plat of the subdivision has been approved by the legislative body of Bertie County or its authorized agent as required in these regulations. The landowner 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 platting jurisdiction of Bertie County as defined -herein. The recording of a plat of a subdivision without the approval of the legislative body or its authorized agent, as required by these regulations, shall be null and void. 2 The Clerk of the Superior Court of Bertie County shall not order or direct the recording of a plat where such recording would be in conflict with this article. ARTICLE VIII Separability Should any section or provision of these regulations be for any reason held void or invalid by the courts, it shall not affect the validity of any other,section or provision hereof which is not itself held void or invalid. Whenever the provision of any other law, ordinance or regulation imposes higher standards than are required by the provisions of these regulations, the provisions of such law shall govern. ARTICLE IX Compliance with Official Plans Wherever a tract to be subdivided embraces any part of a street, road or highway designated on official maps or in official plans for Bertie County, such part of that proposed public way shall be platted and dedicated by the subdivider in the location and dimensions specified. Subdivision and sale of land creates additional responsiblities for Bertie County primarily in the provision of county services to new residents to insure the orderly growth and development of the county in accordance with general principles set forth in the county policies, regulations and ordinances. It is recommended that the subdivider dedicate or reserve open spaces for parks, schools, fire station, and playgrounds to serve the people that will, in part, be living in a newly developing area of the county. Upon acceptance of the dedicated land to the county as shown on the final plat, Bertie County agrees to accept .the responsibility of maintaining the site. ARTICLE X Exceptions and Variations Where topography or other existing physical conditions are such that compliance with all of the requirements of Article XIII of these regulations would cause an unusual and unnecessary hardship on the subdivider, the planning commission may vary the minimum requirements set forth herein, provided that such variation will not have the effect of nullifying the interest and purpose of these regulations. 3 Developers are required, if found appropriate, to apply for a variation to preserve areas of natural, aesthetic or historic value. Where a variation is accepted, the reasons for such shall be noted in the minutes of the planning commission. The requirements and standards of these regulations may be modified by the planning commission in the case of a plan and program for a planned unit development (PUD), which in the judgement of both the Board of County Commissioners and the planning commission provides adequate public spaces and improvements for circulation, recreation, light, air, and service needs of the tract when fully developed and populated, and which also provides such convenants or other legal provisions as will assure conformity to and achievement of the plan. ARTICLE XI Definitions For the purpose of these regulations certain words used herein are defined as follows: 1) Authorized Agent - One who is acting as representative for, or by the authority of, the subdivider. 2) Building Setback Line - A line parallel to the front property line which establishes the minimum allowable distance between the nearest portions of any building steps, eaves, gutters, and similar fixtures, and the street right-of-way line when measured perpendicularly thereto. 3) CAMA - Coastal Area Management Act of 1974, as amended. 4) Corner Lot - A lot which occupies the interior angle at the intersection of two (2) street lines. The street line forming the least frontage shall be deemed the front of the lot except where the two (2) street lines are equal, in which case, the owner shall be required to specify which is the front when requesting a build- ing permit. 5) Dedication - A gift, by the owner, of a right to use land for stated purposes. A dedication may be made with a written instru- ment and is completed with an acceptance. 6) Disclosure. Statement - A statement prepared and signed by the subdivider and the buyer of the subject real estate, fully and completely disclosing the status of the street upon which the lot fronts. The statement shall also include an explanation of the consequences and responsibility as to maintenance and construction of proposed roadways. 4 7) Double Frontage Lot - A continuous lot of the same depth as the width of a block containing two tiers of lots and which is accessible from both of the streets upon which it fronts. 8) Easement - A grant by the property owner for use by the public, a corportation or person(s) of a strip of land for specific reasons. 9) Extraterritorial Jurisdiction - The land lying outside of the corporate limits of incorporated municipalities, but within the one mile district designated by the municipalities subject to municipal planning and development controls as provided for in 160A-362 of the North Carolina General Statutes. 10) Lot - A portion of a subdivision or.any other parcel of land intended as a unit for transfer of ownership or for development', or both. The word 'lot' includes the word 'parcel' or 'plot'. 11) Lot of Record - A lot which is a part of a subdivision, a plat of which has been recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Bertie County prior to the adoption of these regulations, or a lot described by metes and bounds, the description of which has been so recorded prior to the adoption of these regulations. 12) Official Map or Plan - Any maps or plans officially adopted by the Board of County Commissioners as a guide for the development of Bertie County. 13) Planned Unit Development (PUD) - A land development project comprehensively planned as an entity via a unitary site plan which permits flexibility in building siting, mixtures of building types and land uses, recreational areas and useable open spaces and the preservation of significant natural features. Included within this definition shall be planned unit residential developments and planned unit non-residential developments or combinations thereof. 14) Planning Commission - The Economic and Industrial Planning and Developnment Commission of Bertie County, North Carolina. 15) Plat - A map or plan delineating a tract or parcel of land to be subdivided, land to be dedicated for public use, or right-of- way for street and utility pruposes. The word 'plat' shall in- clude the terms 'map', 'plot', and 'plan'. 16) Plat, Final - A map of land subdivision prepared in a form suitable for filing of record with necessary affidavits, dedi- cations, acceptances, and with complete bearings and dimensions of all lines defining lots and blocks, streets, public areas, and other dimensions of land, as prescribed by these regulations. 5 17) Plat, Preliminary — A map of a proposed land subdivision show— ing the character and proposed layout of the tract in sufficient detail to indicate the suitability of the proposed subdivision of land, as prescribed by these regulations. 18) Reservation - A reservation of land not involving the transfer of property rights. It simply constitutes an obligation to keep property free from development for a stated period of time. 19) Review Officer — The County Building Inspector or Planning Commission designee responsible for reviewing, processing, and assisting in the review of subdivision requests and providing technical assistance in the evaluation of requests. 20) Single Tier Lot — A lot which backs upon a limited access highway, a railroad, a physical barrier, or a non—residential use and to which vehicular access from the rear is usually prohibited. 21) Sketch Plan — A schematic representation of the subdivision layout and design. 22) Street — a public dedicated right—of—way for vehicular traffic: a)'Arterial Street or Major Road — A street or road connecting widely separated areas and desinged to carry a large volume of traffic which may be fast, heavy, or both. These are usually numbered State and Federal highways. b) Collector Street or Feeder Roads — A street or road which serves as the connecting street or road between local residential streets or rural roads and the Arterial Streets or !Major Roads. c) Cul—de—sac — A short street having but one end open to traffic and the other end being permanently termin— ated and a vehicular turn —around provided. d) Frontage Road — A street that is parallel to a full or partial access.controlled street facility and func— tions to provide controlled access to adjacent land. e) Minor Street or Road — A residential street or rural road whose primary function is to provide access to abutting properties and is designed to disccourage use by through traffic. Minor streets may also be referred tows 'neighborhood' streets or farm roads. 23) Structure — Anything constructed or erected, the use of which requires more or less permanent location on the ground or which is attached to something having more or less permanent location on the ground. 24)' Subdivider — Any person, firm, or corporation who subdivides or develops any land deemed to be a subdivision as herein defined. 0 25) Subdivision — All divisions of a tract or parcel of land into two or more lots, building sites, or other divisions for the purpose of sale or building development (whether immediate or future) and shall include all divisions of land involving the dedication of a new street or road, or a change in existing streets or roads. 26) Subdivision Review Sheet — The official document of action concerning all subdivision requests of Bertie County. 27) Technical"Review Committee — A review committee appointed by the planning commission representing different areas of expertise valuable to the field inspection of a subdivision. This committee will be made up of any number of persons the commission feels necessary to complete the review process of a subdivision. 28) The Board of County Commissioners — The governing body of Bertie County, North Carolina. 29) Thoroughfare Plan — The Thoroughfare Plan as drawn for Bertie County and approved by the North Carolina Department of Trans— portation as the basis for the development of the transportation system in the county. ARTICLE XII Procedures for Plat Approval No subdivision plat within the jurisdiction of Bertie County shall be accepted for recording by the Register of Deeds until and unless final approval has been given by the Board of County Commissioners, or by the planning commission, or by the Subdivision Review Officer acting as the authorized agents of the Board of County Commissioners as set forth herein. To obtain final approval, the subdivider shall generally adhere to the procedure indicated below. 1. Sketch Design Plan Previous to -the filing of an application for approval of the preliminary plat, the subdivider shall submit to the Sub— division Review Officer a sketch design plan of the proposed subdivision. The subdivider should discuss his thoughts and ideas pertaining to the new subdivision and also become familiar with the regulations affecting the land to be subdivided.. When sufficient information is available, the Subdivision Review Officer shall request that a preliminary plat be prepared by the subdivider. Included in the sketch design plan, shall be: 7 a) Name of the subdivision. b) Vicinity map showing the relationship between the subdivision and neighboring tracts, roads and streets, and geographic features, such as rivers, creeks, and drainageways. c) Proposed street right—of—way and lot layout. d) Total acreage of track to be subdivided. e) Minimum lot size and the total number of lots. f) Location of all existing or proposed water and sewer lines and dimensions, if applicable. g) Approximate location and amount of any land to be dedicated or reserved for public or private use. Also, an explanation of type of use intended for the area. h) Location of all designated Areas of Environmental Concern within the subdivision. i) North Arrow. j) Scale. This procedure does not require an application or fee. B. Preliminary Plat The preliminary plat shall follow the sketch design plan as discussed with the Subdivision Review Officer and the design standards as indicated herein. The preliminary plat shall be checked against the design standards and plat requirements by the Technical Review Committee of the planning commission. It shall be the duty of this committee to insure that the District Highway Engineer, the County Health Director, the County School Superintendent, the CAMA Permit Officer, and such other agencies and officials as may deem necessary or desirable, to have an opportunity to review and make recommendations concerning the proposed subdivision plat before approval is given. The Technical Review Committee shall make recommendations to the planning commission including any recommendations received from other county and state agencies and officials reviewing the plat. The planning commission shall discuss with the subdivider changes deemed advisable, if any, and the kind and extent of improvements to be made by the subdivider. The preliminary plat shall show all streets and roads in the subdivision as public or private. This designation shall not apply to an access way for an individual property owner, but shall apply to all streets and roads for two or more property owners, lots, building sites or other divisions of land. The streets and roads designated to be offered for dedication to the public shall meet the requirements for public streets according to state standards. The streets and roads de— signated to be private shall meet the same standards as those designated to be public. W The preliminary plat shall show the water and sewer lines that are to be connected to any existing public system unless service is not available. This availability for water and sewer services will be determined by the Board of County Commissioners or their duly authorized representative. The preliminary plat shall be accompanied by a complete set of water and sewer construction plans if applicable, for the subdivision prepared by a registered engineer, and approved by the appropriate state and local agencies. The subdivider shall submit four copies of the preliminary plat, construction plans if applicable, and any other supplementary material to the Subdivision Reivew Officer at least fifteen days prior to the regularly scheduled planning commission meeting at which said plat is to be considered by the planning commission. The planning commission shall approve, approve conditionally, or disapprove the preliminary plat within fifty (50) days after the preliminary plat is submitted. Failure of the planning commission to act within this period shall be deemed an approval. The approval of the preliminary plat is authorization for the subdivider to proceed with the construction of the necessary improvements or guarantee their installation, as provided, in preparation of the final plat. C. Final Plat The final plat shall constitute only that.portion of the preliminary plat which the subdivider proposes to record and develop at that time. Such a portion shall conform to all requirements of these subdivision regulations. No final plat shall be approved unless and until the subdivider shall have installed in that area represented on the final plat all improvements required by these regulations or shall have guaranteed their installation as provided in the following guarantees: 1) A surety bond made by a surety company licensed to do business in the State of North Carolina, or 2) A certified check drawn in favor of Bertie County, or 3) cash deposited in an escrow account with Bertie County, or 4) any other method deemed appropriate by the Board of County Commissioners. Such guarantees shall be in an amount of not less than one hundred percent (100%) nor more than one hundred and twenty—five percent (125%) of the estimated cost of the required improvements. Determination as to the appropriate method and amount of guarantee shall be made by the County Commissioners or a duly authorized representative of the Board of County Commissioners. Such guarantees shall run for a 9 period of one year and may be renewed once for a period of one year upon written approval from the Board of County Commis— sioners or their representative. If, at the end of the determined time, the improvements have not been made, Bertie County shall be paid the determined amount and the interest that has accrued since the time of plat approval. When the improvements have been made as specified in these regulations and if cash has been deposited with Bertie County, the amount of guarantee and the interest accrued is to be paid to the subdivider. The Clerk of Court shall secure from all subdividers a letter in which said subdivider shall agree to maintain the required improvements of these regulations until such time as: 1) The streets of the subdivision are accepted by the North Carolina Department of Transportation for maintenance, 2) Other improvements are accpeted by the Board of County Commissioners, or 3) Other improvements of these regulations are accepted for maintenance by the property owners association that is recognized and approved by the Board of County Commissioners. No final plat will be accepted for review by the planning commission or the Board of County Commissioners unless accompanied by written notice by the Board of County Commissioners or a duly authorized representative of the Board of County Commissioners acknowledging compliance with these regulations. Upon the installation, or a suitable arrangement for their installation, of the improvements shown in the approved preliminary plat for the whole or that part of the subdivision to be developed, the applicant shall submit a final plat of the area. On application for final plat approval, the subdivider shall pay an inspection fee of $25.00 or $5.00 per lot, whichever is greater, to Bertie County. The subdivider shall submit five copies of the final plat to the planning commission within twelve months after approval of the preliminary plat; otherwise such approval shall become null and void unless an extension of time is applied for and granted by the planning commission. The final plat shall follow the form of the preliminary plat at a scale of one inch equal to one hundred feet'(1" = 100'). Final plat pages should not exceed 16" x 20" for filing with the Register of Deeds. Final plat submissions shall be received by the planning commission at least fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting of the planning commission at which it is to be considered. The planning commission, secretary shall schedule the date of consideration and notify the subdivider by letter. 10 The date of consideration shall be fifty (50) days or less from the receipt of the final plat submission by the secretary. The final plat shall be reviewed by the planing commission with the adivice and assistance of the Technical Review Committee for compliance with the approved preliminary plan. The planning commission may appoint a professional planner or engineer to check the final plat against the subdivision's actual layout for correctness; charging costs to the subdivider. If the final plat is found to be in compliance, the planning commission chairperson shall transmit the final plat together with the planning commission's recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners for final action; or, if the final plat is found not to be in compliance, or if changes have been made from the approved preliminary plat, the planning commission chairperson shall notify the subdivider. The subdivider shall be given an opportunity to submit a revised final plat to the planning commission if so directed by the planning commission. If a revised final plat is not submitted, the planning commission chairperson shall transmit the final plat together with the planning commission's recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners. for final action. Such recommendations shall specify how the final plat is not in compliance with the regulations and any unapproved changes from the approved preliminary plat. The final plat, and the recommendations of the planning commission, shall be reviewed by the Board of County Commissioners. The Board of County Commissioners shall approve or disapprove the final plat. Approval of the final plat is authorization for the subdivider to file the plat with the Register of Deeds. If the Board of County Commissioners should disapprove the final plat, the reasons for such action shall be noted and recommendations made on the basis of which the proposed subdivision would be approved. The action of the Board of County Commissioners shall be noted on the final plat, with two copies being returned to the subdivider, one copy to the Register of Deeds, and another copy being retained by the planning commission. No final plat shall be approved until all required improve— ments are installed or their installation guaranteed as provided in these regulations, the inspection fee has been paid, and the certificates required by these regulations to appear on the final plat have been properly filled out and signed. D. Optional Plat Review Procedure The sketch design' and preliminary plat review procedure may be modified to allow for a one—step final plat approval by the planning commission under the following conditions where the 11 subdivision: a) is seven lots or less fronting on an exisitng state or county maintained road, and b) does not constitute the enlargement of a previously platted subdivision to greater than seven lots, and c) does not involve any new street nor prospectively requires any new street for access to interior property, and d) does not require any extension of public sewage or water lines or the creation of new drainage easements, and e) does not adversely affect the development of the remainder of the parcel or of the adjoining property, and f) creates no new or residual parcels not conforming to the requiements of these regulations and related controls, and g) has been submitted for review and approved by the District Highway Engineer, the County Health Director, the County School Superintentent, the CAMA Permit Officer, or other such agencies and officials as the Board of County Commissioners may deem necessary or desirable, and h) meets final plat criteria as set forth in these regulations. The sketch design and preliminary plat review procedure may be modified to allow for a one—step final plat approval by the Subdivision Review Officer under the following conditions where the subdivision: a) is four lots or less fronting on a state or county maintained road, and b) does not constitute the enlargement of a previously platted subdivision to more than four lots, and c) does not involve any new street or prospectively require any new street for access to interior property, and d) does not require extension of public sewage or water lines or the creation of new drainage easements, and e) does not adversely affect the development of the remainder of the parcel or of adjoining property, and f) creates no new or residual parcels not conforming to the requirements of these regulations and related controls, and g) has been submitted for review and approval by the District Highway Engineer, the County Health Director, the County School Superintendent, the CAMA Permit Officer, or other such agencies and officials as the Board of County Commissioners may deem necessary or desirable, and h) meets final plat criteria as set forth in these regulations. 12 ARTICLE XIII Subdivision Design Standards The following shall be considered the minimum requirements for all new subdivisions. A. Lots The size, shape and location of each lot within a subdivision shall be made with proper regard to all topographic features, soil conditions, contemplated use, and the surrounding property. Land subject to flooding and land deemed by the planning commission to be uninhabitable for other reasons shall not be platted for residential occupancy, nor for such other uses as may increase danger to health, life or property, or aggravate any natural hazard. Such land may be set aside for such uses as will not be endangered by periodic or occasional inundation, or will not produce unsatisfactory living conditions. The minimum lot size shall not be less than those required for water supply and waste disposal or in any case less than twelve thousand (12,000) square feet, not less than seventy— five (75) feet wide at the building line, nor less than one hundred and fifty (150) feet deep. All lots shall conform to the building setback and yard requirements used for public water supply and sewage disposal or in any case not less than twenty—five (25) feet from side and rear lot lines and not less than fifty (50) feet from the right—of—way. Where public water and sewage systems are not available and an individual water supply or individual sewage disposal system is planned, the subdivider at no cost to the county, shall have the site investigated by the County Health Department or other authorized, qualified individual or firm, to determine whether or not such individual systems are feasible and shall present proof to the planning commission that appropriate soil tests have been conducted, and each lot in the subdivision not served by public water or sewage disposal systems have been approved by the County Health Department for individual water supplies or sewage disposal systems. Every lot shall front on or abut a public dedicated right—of—way, designated 'public' road or state maintained raodway. Corner lots shall have an additional ten (10) feet to permit adequate building setback from side streets. Double frontage and reverse frontage.lots shall be avoided, except where required to separate residential development from through traffic. Side lot lines shall be substantially at right angles or radial to street lines. 13 6. Utilities All public water and sewage systems within the subdivision must be in accordance with the existing state and county regulations. All individual water and sewage systems within the subdivision must be in accordance with the existing county health regulations. See paragraph D below for other standards related to utilities. C. Blocks The length of blocks shall not be less than four hundred (400).feet nor more than twelve hundred (1,200) feet. The width of blocks shall have sufficient width to allow two (2) tiers of lots of minimum depth except where single —tier lots are required to separate residential development from through transportation routes or other types of use, or when abutting a water area. Where blocks abut transportation routes such as limited access highways and railroads, commercial and/or industrial development, a buffer strip of no less than fifty (50) feet will be required. D. Easements The subdivider shall convey easements to the county or appropriate utility company for both underground and overhead untility installation where needed. Easements for utilties should be centered on rear or side lot lines and shall be at least ten (10) feet, or as required by utility companies. Wider easements may be required if the topography prohibits maintenance equipment from safely operating within the easement. Where a subdivision is traversed by a water course, drainageway, channel or stream, there shall be provided a storm water easement or drainage right—of—way conforming substantially with the route of such water courses, and such increased width or construction, or both, as willbeadequate for the purpose of managing storm water runoff in a manner that will safeguard the health and property of the public and the surrounding area. Lakes, ponds, streams, and similar areas will be accepted for maintenance only if sufficient land is dedicated as a public recreation area or park or if such area constitutes a necessary part of the drainage management system. Such areas must be approved by the planning commission before approval of the final plat. E. Sedimentation and Erosion Control When disturbing the land the subdivider shall take all reasonable measures to protect all public and private 14 property from damage by such activities. When any land disturbing activity is to be undertaken in a subdivision the subdivider shall notify the North Carolina Sedimentation Control Commission to determine whether a Sedimentation and Erosion Control Plan is required. F. Streets and Roads Access to lots or parcels formed by a subdivision of land - including the enlargement of a previously approved plat shall meet the present design and construction criteria as referenced in the most recent SUBDIVISION ROADS, MINIMUM CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS, published periodically by the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The following shall be considered the acceptable minimum standards of design for subdivision streets and in no case shall be less than those of the North Carolina Department of Transportation. 1. The street layout shall be made according to good land planning practice for the type of development planned, and shall be coordinated with the street system of the sur— rounding area. All streets must provide for the continuation or appropriate projection of principal streets in surrounding areas and provide reasonable means of ingress and egress for surrounding areas. The street layout shall conform to the arrangement, width and location indicated on any official plans or maps for Bertie County. In areas for which such plans have not been completed, the streets shall be designed and located in proper relation to existing and proposed streets, to the topography, to such natural features as streams, water bodies, and trees or forests, to public convenience and safety and to the proposed use of land to be served by such streets. 2. Minimum street right—of—way width shall be no less than sixty (60) feet, or as shown in the transportation plan for Bertie County, and if a plan does not exist shall. not be less than required in the latest issue of the SUBDIVISION ROADS, MINIMUM CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS, published by the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The alignment of any street or road shall meet applicable standards of the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Minor streets and roads and cul—de—sacs shall be so laid out that utilization by through traffic will be discouraged. 3. All streets or roads shall be graded and paved according to the existing policies of the North Carolina Department of Transportation. 4. Street names which duplicate or are phonetically similar to existing street or road names shall be prohibited. A proposed street which is in alignment with an exisitng street 15 shall bear the name of the existing street. Street names should be as short as possible. Appropriate street signs in conformance with existing county policy shall be placed at all intersections. Traffic signs shall be installed by the subdivider at appropriate street intersections as required. Any supplemental signs deemed necessary to safety and welfare by the planning commission shall also be required for installation. G. Permanent Reference Points Prior to the approval of the final plat, permanent reference points shall have been established as follows. 1. Subdivisions shall have a corner tie where at least one corner of the subdivision shall be desingated by course and distance (tie) from a readily discernible reference marker. If a corner is within two thousand (2,000) feet of a U.S. Geodetic Survey or N.C. Grid System coordinated monument, or Bertie County coordinated system, if such exists, then this corner shall be marked with a monument. When such a monument is not available, the tie shall be made to some pertinent and readily recongizable landmark or identifiable point, physical object or structure. The planning commission may waive this requirement if a subdivision is of such small size, or if there is an existing tie within a reasonable distance of the subdivision. 2. Monuments shall be installed within each block of a subdivision, with at least two (2) monuments designed and designated as control corners. The surveyor shall employ additional monuments, if required. All monuments shall be constructed of concrete and shall be at least four (4) inches in diameter or square and not less than three (3) feet in length. Each monument shall have embedded in its top or attached by a suitable means, a metal plate of noncorrosive material and marked plainly with the point, the surveyor's registration number, the month and year it was installed, and the word 'monument' or 'control corner'. A monument shall be set thrity (30) inches in the ground, unless this requirement is impractical because of unusual conditions. ARTICLE XIV Plat Requirements All plats, reports and other such material for subdivision approval to be presented for recording by the Register of Deeds shall be in accordance with the requirement of these regulations. 16 A. The sketch design plan will show at least the following: 1. streets and their rights —of —way, 2. other rights —of —way and easements, 3. lot lines 4. sites, if any for schools, churches, parks, beaches, uninhabitable areas, etc., 5. site data, such as acreage in track, acreage in land land uses other than residential, number of lots, etc., 6. vicinity map showing relationship between sub— division and surrounding area. B. The preliminary plat shall will show at least the following: 1. the location of existing and platted property lines, streets, buildings, water courses, railroads, trans— mission lines, sewers, city and county lines as appro— priate, bridges, culverts and drain pipes, water mains, and easements and rights —of —way. 2. boundaries of tract shown with bearings anal distances, 3. wooded areas, marshes, normal tidal variations, floodplain including line representing the 100—year flood elevation and any other conditions affecting the site, 4. names of adjoining property owners or subdivisions, 5. zoning classification, if any, both on the land to be subdivided and on adjoining land, 6. proposed streets, street names, street widths and appropriate grades, 7. the plans for proposed. utility layouts (sewer, water, .gas, electricity, telephone) showing connections to existing systems or plans for individual water supply, sewage disposal, storm drainage, etc., 8. other proposed rights —of —way, easements, locations, widths, and purposes, if appropriate, 9. proposed lot lines, lot and block numbers, and approximate dimensions, 10. proposed minimum building setback lines, 11. contour map with intervals of one foot, or less when required by the planning commission, 12. proposed parks, school sites, or other public open spaces, if any, 13. title, date, north point, graphic scale, name of owner, surveyor and land planner, and site data such as acreage in total tract, acreage in parks or other land use and total number of lots, 14. vicinity map showing relationship between sub— division and surrounding area, 17 C. The final plat shall be at the same scale and shall conform substantially to the preliminary plat as approved and shall constitute only that portion of the approved pre— liminary plat which the subdivider proposes to record and develop at the time, provided, however, that such portion conforms to all requirements of these regulations. the final plat shall show at least the following: 1. the lines of all streets and roads, 2. lot lines and lot numbers, minimum building setback lines, 3. reservations, easements, alleys and any areas to be dedicated to public use or sites for other than res— dential use with notes stating their purpose and any limitations, 4. sufficient data to determine readily and reproduce on the ground, the location, bearing and length of every street line, lot line, boundary line, block line, and building line, whether curved ro straight, and including true north point. This should include the radius, center angle, and tangent distance for the center line of curved streets and curved property lines that are not the boundary of curved streets, .5. all dimensions should be to the nearest one —tenth of a foot and angles to the nearest minute, and accurate location and description of all monuments and stakes, 6. the proposed utility system, including water, gas, sewer, telephone,. storm drainage, 7. the name and locations of adjoining subdivisions and streets, and the location and ownership of adjoining unsubdivided property, 8. title, date, name and location of subdivision, graphic scale and true north point, 9. name of owner, surveyor and land planner, 10. vicinity map showing relationship between sub— division and surrounding area, 11. the following certificates or statements, (a) "This subdivision conforms to the standards of the Worth Carolina Coastal Area Management Act of 1974 and is/is not. located with -in any Area of Environmental Concern." date CA14A Permit Officer 18 (b) "I (we) hereby certify that I am (we are) the owner(s) of the property shown and described hereon and that I (we) hereby adopt this plan of subdivision with my (our) free consent, establish the minimum building lines, and dedicate all streets, alleys, walks, parks and other open spaces to public or private use as noted. Further, I (we) certify that the land as shown hereon is within the subdivision regulation jurisdiction of Bertie County." date owner owner (c) "I hereby certify that the plat shown and described hereon is a true and correct survey and that the monuments have been placed as shown hereon, in accordance with the requirements of the Bertie County Subdivision Regulations." date engineer or surveyor (d) "I hereby certify that the water supply and sewage disposal utility system installed, or proposed for installation, in the subdivision, entitled fully meets the requirements of the North Carolina Division of Health Services or the Division of Environmental Management, and are hereby approved as shown." date county sanitarian 19 (e) "I hereby certify: (1) that streets, utilities and other improvements have been installed in an acceptable manner and according to county specifications in.the subdivision entitled (2) that a security bond in the amount of $ has been posted with Bertie County, or (3) that a satis— factory financial arrangement has been made to assure completion of all required improvments in case of default." date county engineer county clerk (f) "I hereby certify that the subdivision plat shown hereon has been found to comply with the Bertie County Subdivision Regulations, with the exception of such variances, if any, as are noted in the minutes of the Board of County Commissioners and that it has been approved for recording in the officer of the Register of .Deeds." date chair,- Board of County Commissioners, or author— ized local official (g) "I, the county clerk and treasurer of Bertie County, do certify that Bertie County approved this plat or map and accepted the dedication of the easements, rights —of —way and public tracts shown thereon, but assume no responsibility to open or maintain the same until, in the opinion of the governing body of Bertie County, it is in the public interest to do so." date _- , t 20 county clerk/treasurer ARTICLE XV Improvements No subdivision shall be granted final approval unless the agreed upon improvements either have been constructed or approved plans prepared and their execution guaranteed in accordance with the provisions of these regulations. 21