SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS
City of Lawrence, Kansas
And
Unincorporated Areas
of Douglas County
Kansas
D R A F T
January 26, 2006
September 2006
Staff recommended changes are in small caps.
Planning
Commission recommended changes are in red text or red strike
through.
Gray outlined text is where revisions are needed to resolve conflicts
between proposed and original draft text.
20-801 General...................................................................................................... 4
(a) Purpose and Intent....................................................................................... 4
(b) Jurisdiction................................................................................................... 6
(c) Applicability.................................................................................................. 6
(d) Exemptions.................................................................................................. 6
(e) Vested Rights............................................................................................... 7
20-802 General Review and Approval Procedures............................................... 8
(a) Authority to File Applications.......................................................................... 8
(b) Form of Application....................................................................................... 8
(c) Pre-application Meetings............................................................................... 8
(d) Application Processing Cycles......................................................................... 8
(e) Application Review and Recording fees........................................................... 9
(f) Application Completeness, Accuracy and Sufficiency......................................... 9
(g) Applications Containing Technical Deficiencies................................................. 9
(h) Applicability................................................................................................ 10
20-803 Property Divisions in Service Area 1, Lawrence Urban Growth Area... 10
(a) Prerequisite to Development........................................................................ 10
(b) Procedure Required.................................................................................... 10
20-804 Conservation-Cluster Developments in the Urban Growth Areas.......... 10
(a) Purpose..................................................................................................... 10
(b) Applicability................................................................................................ 11
(c) Immediate Development Acreage and Future Development Acreage................ 11
(d) Notice to Nearby Property Owners...................................................... 14
(e) Conservation-Cluster Developments – After Annexation.................................. 15
(f) Application................................................................................................. 15
(g) Administrative Review................................................................................. 16
20-805 Large Parcel Property Divisions in Urban Growth Areas....................... 16
(a) Purpose..................................................................................................... 16
(b) Applicability................................................................................................ 16
(c) Immediate Development Area and Future Development Area.......................... 17
(d) Restrictive Covenants.................................................................................. 20
(e) Notice to Nearby Property Owners...................................................... 20
(f) Application................................................................................................. 21
(g) Administrative Review and Consideration Procedures..................................... 22
(h) Developable Acreage and Development of Future Development Area................ 22
(i) Large Parcel Property Divisions Not Made in
Accordance with 20-805(a)-(g)..... 22
20-806 Property Divisions in the Rural Area (Outside the UGAs)...................... 23
(a) Purpose..................................................................................................... 23
(b) Definitions.................................................................................................. 24
(c) Applicability................................................................................................ 24
(d) Parent Parcel Division.................................................................................. 25
(e) Property Divisions Not Made in Accordance with
20-806(a) through (e)............ 27
20-807 Certificate of Survey, Administrative Review Procedures..................... 28
(a) Purpose..................................................................................................... 28
(b) Authority.................................................................................................... 28
(c) Applicability................................................................................................ 28
(d) Application................................................................................................. 28
(e) Requirements and Material to be Included.......................................... 28
(f) Criteria for Review...................................................................................... 30
(g) Review and Action by the Planning Director................................................... 31
(h) Appeals Process for Sections 20-804, 20-805 and 20-806............................. 31
20-808 Minor Subdivisions................................................................................... 32
(a) Purpose..................................................................................................... 32
(b) Authority.................................................................................................... 32
(c) Applicability................................................................................................ 32
(d) Criteria for Review...................................................................................... 33
(e) Application................................................................................................. 34
(f) Review and Action by the Planning Director................................................... 35
20-809 Major Subdivisions................................................................................... 36
(a) Purpose..................................................................................................... 36
(b) Applicability................................................................................................ 36
(c) Applications and Procedures........................................................................ 36
(d) Criteria for Review...................................................................................... 36
(e) Preliminary Plat – Application....................................................................... 37
(f) Review and Action by the Planning Commission............................................. 37
(g) Phasing for Final Plats................................................................................. 38
(h) Effects of Approval by the Planning Commission............................................. 39
(i) Preliminary Plat – Review and Action by Governing Body................................. 39
(j) Preliminary Plat Expiration........................................................................... 40
(k) Final Plat – Application................................................................................ 40
(l) Final Plat – Review by Planning Director........................................................ 41
(m) Signatures on Final Plat............................................................................... 42
(n) Processing After Approval of Final Plat.......................................................... 42
20-810 Subdivision Design Standards................................................................. 43
(a) General...................................................................................................... 43
(b) Frontage and Access................................................................................... 44
(c) Blocks........................................................................................................ 44
(d) Streets...................................................................................................... 45
(e) Street Names and Lot and Block Numbering................................................... 51
(f) Easements................................................................................................. 51
(g) Parks, Open Space Schools and Other Public Facilities.................................... 53
(h) Land In Floodplain Overlay District................................................................ 53
(i) Resource Preservation – City of Lawrence..................................................... 53
(j) Resource Preservation – Unincorporated Area of the County........................... 53
(k) Soils and Soil Testing........................................................................... 54
20-811 Public Improvements............................................................................... 54
(a) Public Improvement (Construction) Standards................................................ 54
(b) Streets...................................................................................................... 55
(c) Sidewalks and Pedestrian Ways................................................................... 55
(d) Wastewater Disposal Systems...................................................................... 57
(e) Water Supply............................................................................................. 58
(f) Telephone, Cable Television Electrical Lines.................................................. 58
(g) Street Trees............................................................................................... 59
(h) Completion of Public Improvements.............................................................. 64
(i) Escrow Deposit........................................................................................... 65
(j) Irrevocable Letter of Credit.......................................................................... 66
20-812 Contents of Plats..................................................................................... 66
(a) Preliminary Plat.......................................................................................... 66
(b) Final Plat.................................................................................................... 70
20-813 Administration and Enforcement............................................................ 72
(a) Planning Department Powers and Duties....................................................... 72
(b) Planning Commission Powers and Duties....................................................... 72
(c) Dedications................................................................................................ 73
(d) Building Permits.......................................................................................... 73
(e) Appeals..................................................................................................... 73
(f) Variances................................................................................................... 74
(g) Design Variances for Planned Unit Development............................................. 75
(h) Enforcement and Penalties........................................................................... 75
(i) Violations................................................................................................... 75
(j) Penalties; Remedies.................................................................................... 75
20-814 Building Setbacks, Enforcement, Exceptions........................................... 77
(a) Building or Setback Lines On Major Streets or Highways................................. 77
(b) Exceptions.................................................................................................. 77
(c) Appeal – Setback..................................................................................... 77
(d) Enforcement........................................................................................... 78
(e) Interpretation....................................................................................... 78
20-815 Interpretations, Rules of Construction and Definitions.......................... 78
(a) Interpretation and Rules of Construction........................................................ 78
(b) Definitions.................................................................................................. 78
(1) The purpose of the Subdivision Regulations of this Article is to ensure that the Division of land, which, in many instances, is an initial step in urbanization, will serve the public interest and general welfare. Since the allocation and arrangement of parcels of land for both private uses and public uses helps to influence the health, safety, economy, livability, and amenities of an area, these regulations are intended to:
(i) provide for the harmonious and orderly Development of land within the City and the Unincorporated Area of Douglas County by making provisions for adequate open space, continuity of the transportation network, recreation areas, drainage, utilities and related Easements, light and air, and other public needs;
(ii) contribute to conditions conducive to health, safety, aesthetics, convenience, prosperity, and efficiency; and
(iii) provide for the conservation and protection of human and natural resources.
(2) The Subdivision Regulations of this Article are designed, intended and should be administered to:
(i)
ensure that Development in the City and in the Unincorporated Area of
Douglas County is in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan; any adopted Area Plans, watershed/sub-basin plans, sector or neighborhood plans covering
the subject Subdivision; the applicable Zoning Regulations enacted
to implement those plans; and the Lawrence/Douglas
County MPO Transportation Plan;
(ii) provide for the conservation of existing neighborhoods and facilitate the development of new neighborhoods;
(iii) prevent the Development of substandard Subdivisions and blighted areas that will be a detriment to the Community;
(iv) coordinate the Development of each parcel of land with the existing Community and facilitate the proper development of adjoining land;
(v) provide adequate and accurate records of all land Divisions;
(vi) ensure that the cost of Improvements, which benefit primarily the tract of land being developed, be borne primarily by the Owners or Developers of the subject tract, and that the cost of Improvements that provide benefits to the subject tract and the Community as a whole be shared by the Developer and the Community;
(vii) ensure that Subdivisions are designed and developed in a manner that is consistent with all applicable Flood protection and stormwater management regulations and other applicable land use and Development regulations of Lawrence and Douglas County;
(viii) provide for the efficient arrangement and orderly location of Street/Roads;
(ix)
encourage the reduction of
vehicular congestion and support multi-modal transportation and design
standards in a manner that supports multi-modal transportation;
(x) provide for the reservation or Dedication of lands for open space and other Community facilities;
(xi)
require the provisions of
off-site and On-Site Public
Improvements that are necessary to
serve land being developed; and
(xii) provide for any other services, facilities and Improvements deemed necessary to serve land being developed; and
(xiii) establish building envelope lines.
(1) The Subdivision Regulations of this Article shall apply to all lands within the City of Lawrence and the Unincorporated Area of Douglas County.
(2) In some cases, different standards are established for lands within the City, the Urban Growth Areas and the Rural Area. Unless otherwise expressly stated, however, all regulations and standards of this Article shall apply with equal force to land located in incorporated and Unincorporated Areas.
Unless expressly addressed as an exemption in Section 20-801(d) below, no Lot, tract or parcel of land shall be divided into two or more parts for the purpose of sale, transfer or Development, whether immediate or future, except through the procedures and in accordance with the standards set forth in this Article. For property within the incorporated City of Lawrence, no building permit shall be issued unless the property is platted. If subdivision is required within the City of Lawrence, than the Subdivider shall plat all of their contiguously owned lands that are not platted.
(1) The purpose of this sub-section is to list specifically those divisions and transfers of land that are entirely exempt from regulation under this Article. This sub-section shall be strictly construed, so that any transaction failing in any way to meet one, or more, of the requirements for exemption shall be subject to the full effect of this Article.
(2) The following divisions and transfers of land are exempt from the requirement that divisions of land occur only in accordance with the standards and procedures set forth in this Article and may be accomplished by deed or other instrument of transfer without any reference to this Article:
(1) A division of land created in conformance with this Article, or with the previously adopted Subdivision Regulations that has been maintained in individual Ownership (except as provided in Section 20-801(e)(3)) shall remain lawfully existing, retaining established rights to issuance of a building permit. Such legally created division of land shall not be subject to further review under this Article; unless or until this previous division of land is further divided pursuant to this Article.
(2) A Lot of Record created before the Effective Date of this Article in the City of Lawrence that has been maintained in individual ownership, may be used for residential purposes for a single-family home or for another use that is allowed in the City’s UR (Urban Reserve) District without further review under this Article, until such Lot of Record is further subdivided.
A Lot of Record or a division of land lawfully created within the A (Agricultural), A-1 (Suburban-Home Residential , District in the Unincorporated Area of Douglas County before the Effective Date of this Article, that has been maintained in individual ownership, may be used for residential purposes for a single-family home or for another use allowed within the A (Agricultural District), without further review under this Article, until such lot of record or division of land is further subdivided[LMF2]
(3) Upon the recording of a Final Plat, development rights in land covered by that Plat shall vest in accordance with K.S.A. 12-764. This vesting shall be effective only so long as the same general category of residential uses is continued; any significant change of use shall subject the property to additional review and the applicability of additional regulations, which may affect some rights that are vested as to the particular use and the particular pattern of development. The development rights for a single-family residential subdivision shall expire in accordance with K.S.A. 12-764(a).
Unless otherwise expressly stated, applications for review and approval under this Article may be initiated by (1) all the Owners of the property that is the subject of the application; or (2) the Landowners’ authorized Agent.
Applications required under these Subdivision
Regulations shall be submitted in a form and in the numbers of copies
required by the official responsible for accepting the application. Officials
responsible for accepting applications shall develop checklists of application
submittal requirements and make those checklists available to the public.
Application forms and checklists of required submittal information shall be
available in the office of the official responsible for accepting the
application. The application also shall contain all materials required by:
Section 20-807(b) (d) for Certificate of Survey applications; Section 20-812(a)
for Preliminary Plat applications; or Section 20-812(b) for Final Plat
applications, whichever is applicable.
(1) All Applicants submitting applications for approvals required by this Article must attend a pre-application meeting with Planning Staff. Pre-application meetings are also required whenever the provisions of this Article expressly state that they are required. Pre-application meetings shall be scheduled by the Applicant to allow adequate time to review and respond to issues raised at the pre-application meeting. The meeting shall occur at least 7 working days before submitting an application.
(2) All other Applicants are encouraged to arrange a pre-application meeting with Planning Staff. The Planning Director will provide assistance to Applicants and ensure that appropriate Planning Staff members are involved in pre-application meetings.
Officials responsible for accepting applications may, after consulting with review and decision-making bodies, promulgate processing cycles for applications. Processing cycles may establish:
(1) the official date upon which a completed application was submitted;
(2) deadlines before consideration;
(3) dates of regular meetings;
(4) the scheduling of Staff reviews and Staff reports on complete applications; and,
(5) any required time frames for action by review and decision-making bodies.
Applications shall be accompanied by the review and recording fee
amounts that have been established by the applicable Governing Body,
as applicable. Fees are not required with applications initiated by review
or decision-making bodies. Application review fees are nonrefundable.
(1) An application will be considered complete and ready for processing only if it is: submitted in the required number and form; includes all required information; and, is accompanied by the required fees.
(2) Within seven (7) working days of application filing, the Planning Director shall determine whether the application includes all information required by these Subdivision Regulations. If an application does not include all of the required information, it will be deemed incomplete. If an application includes all of the required information, it will be deemed complete. Written notice of the incompleteness and the specific information lacking shall be provided to the Applicant or the Applicant’s Agent within two (2) working days of a determination.
(3) No processing of incomplete applications shall occur and incomplete applications will be removed from the processing cycle. When the deficiencies are corrected, the application will be placed in the next processing cycle. If the deficiencies are not corrected by the Applicant within 60 days, the application will be considered withdrawn. No refund of a review fee shall be made for applications that are withdrawn.
(4) Applications deemed complete will be considered to be in the processing cycle and will be reviewed by Planning Staff and other review and decision-making bodies in accordance with the procedures of these Subdivision Regulations.
(1) The Planning Director may require that applications be revised before being placed on the agenda of the Planning Commission or Governing Body, if the Planning Director determines that:
(i) the application contains one or more significant inaccuracies or omissions that hinder timely or competent evaluation of compliance with this Article;
(ii) the application contains multiple minor inaccuracies or omissions that hinder timely or competent evaluation of compliance with this Article;
(iii) the application cannot be approved without a variance or some other change or modification that the decision-making body for that application does not have the authority to grant or approve. This determination shall be made in written form to the applicant. If the determination is based on this sub-section (iii), it shall include an explanation of what variance, change or modification would be required to allow approval of the application.
(2) Applications that contain the aforementioned types of inaccuracies or that substantially fail to comply with this Article shall be revised before they will be placed on an agenda of the Planning Commission or Governing Body.
(3) Action or inaction by the Planning Director under this section may be appealed to the appropriate Governing Body in accordance with Section 20-807(h) or Section 20-813(e) whichever is applicable.
Unless expressly exempted under Section 20-801(d), no Subdivision or Rural Residential Development may be created and no Certificate of Survey may be recorded with the Register of Deeds until the division has been approved in accordance with the applicable Review and Approval Procedures of this Article.
No division of land in Service Area 1 of the Lawrence Urban Growth Area shall be approved until the land proposed for division has been annexed into the City.
Upon annexation of land originally in Service Area 1 into the City of Lawrence, a proposed division of platted or unplatted land shall be processed and considered in accordance with the Minor Subdivision or Major Subdivision provisions of this Article, whichever is applicable.
The purpose of
this Section is to allow for an alernative administrative approval procedure to
Large Parcel Property Divisions in the Urban Growth Area for rural residential
development when it The
purpose of this Section is to allow for an alternative to conventional rural residential
development that may be administratively approved and that will: 1) preserve and maintain
environmentally or geographically sensitive areas; and, 2) preserve and
maintain the sites of historic landmarks or other historic features. The
clustering of development parcels within the Urban Growth Areas on less than 40 Acres is allowed when it
involves the dedication of a conservation easement to conserve and protect land
that is worthy of conservation. The Residential Development Parcels are
clustered to mitigate impact on the resources to be preserved and to anticipate
future development patterns for the resources to be preserved and to anticipate
future development patterns for the remainder of the property after annexation.
is allowed to accomplish an easier transition from rural development to an
urban scale and density of future development after annexation into a city. This
Section is designed to address the unique impacts on future development caused
by divisions of smaller parcels of land in the Urban Growth Areas, as those are
the areas expected to be absorbed into a City within the planning period of the
adopted Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
(1)
A division of a parcel of land
that is less than forty (40) acres in area, but at least twenty (20) acres
in area, and that is located in Service Areas 2-4, of Lawrence’s Urban Growth Area or in
another City’s Urban Growth Area, may be approved according to the Conservation-Cluster Development provisions
of this Section. In calculating the
size of a parcel, the parcel size shall be deemed to include one-half of the
adjoining road right(s)-of-way.
(2)
A division of a parcel land
that is less than forty (40) acres in area, but at least twenty (20) acres in area,
and that is located in
Service Areas 2-4,
of Lawrence’s Urban Growth Area,
or in another City’s Urban
Growth Area, but which is not made according to this Section, must be made in
conformance with the standards set forth in Section 20-805(h) or another city’s appropriate standards and pursuant to the procedures provided in Section 20-809, Major Subdivisions.
Lands divided pursuant to Section 20-804(b) shall be developed as a Conservation-Cluster Development and shall contain an Immediate Development Area and a Future Development Area in accordance with the following requirements.
(1) Immediate Development Area.
The Immediate Development Area of a Conservation-Cluster Development
shall not exceed sixty percent (60%) of the total acreage of the proposed
development. Residential Development Parcels and Street/Roads the cross access easements serving these
parcels shall be located only in the Immediate Development Area. Individual Residential Development
Parcels shall only take access from the
cross access easement and shall be laidout be located in a manner
that minimizes adverse impacts to the Future Development Area. Development of
the Immediate Development Area, to the greatest extent practicable, shall
conform to the following requirements:
(i) Minimum Parcel Acreage. The minimum Residential Development Parcel size shall be three (3) acres.
(ii)
The minimum Residential
Development Parcel size shall be :
a.
Three (3) acres; or
b.
One (1) acre; provided,
that each one acre Residential Development Parcel
shall be adjacent to two (2) acres, which are:
1.
subject to restrictive
covenant that requires this two (2) acre area to be used for the location of
lateral lines for an on-site sewage management system servicing the dwelling
located on the one acre parcel; and
2.
included in the Future
Development Area.
(iii) Location of Residential Development Parcels.
Within the Conservation-Cluster Development, each Residential Development Parcel shall be designed and developed in accordance with the requirements in this sub-section:
a. Clustered to take access from Cross Access Easements to minimize access points to the adjacent public right(s)-of-way.
1. Cross Access Easements shall be established by a separate legal instrument, acceptable to the County Counselor and the easement shall be dedicated to the County.
2.
Upon annexation
into a City, the
cross access easements shall be dedicated to the City, as public road
right(s)-of-way, to allow for construction of Street/Roads within them to meet the then current
city Street/Road standards.
b. Planned and laid out to allow for future subdivision OF the Residential Development Parcels into platted lots at an urban scale commensurate with the zoning subdivision regulations of the annexing city.
(iv) Utility – Water. All Residential Development Parcels shall obtain water from a publicly treated water source.
(v)
Access to Conservation Area. Future
Development Area. All Residential Development Parcels shall have direct
physical access to Conservation Area
the Future Development Area, either by being contiguous thereto or by a
dedicated pedestrian easement, as set forth in Section 20-810(f)(4).
(vi) Utility – Wastewater. All Residential Development Parcels shall have an on-site sewage management system approved by the Director of Lawrence/Douglas County Health Department or a connection to a wastewater disposal system approved by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
(vii) County Health Code Restriction in Floodplain. On-site sewage management systems shall be located outside the FEMA designated regulatory floodplain.
(viii)
Building Envelopes. The
Immediate Development Area shall not
contain any lands identified as worthy for Resource Preservation in Section
20-810(j). shall not contain any land identified in Horizon 2020 as
an environmentally or geographically sensitive area or the site of an historic
landmark or historic feature. The buildable area for each Residential
Development Parcel within the Immediate Development Area shall be defined by
Building Envelopes.
(ix) Access. The Conservation-Cluster Development shall have direct access to a paved road. One access shall be allowed for the entire development unless a separate access point is necessary to allow access to the Conservation Area to prevent intrusion or damage to the Resources being conserved and protected.
(x) Steep Slopes. The Building Envelopes of Residential Development Parcels shall not contain any slopes greater than fifteen percent (15%).
(xi)
Minimum Frontage and
Entrance Spacing Requirements. Residential Development Parcels must meet
minimum parcel frontage and entrance spacing requirements established in the
County’s adopted “Access Management Resolution”, Resolution No. HR-xx-xx-xx. The
Frontage and Entrance Spacing Requirements that are based on the
classification of the road upon which the Residential Development Parcel is
proposed to have access.
(xii) Drainage Easements. If any portion of the Residential Development Parcel lies in a FEMA designated regulatory floodplain, or if drainage Channels or Swales exist on the Residential Development Parcel that carry runoff from adjacent property or public Street/Roads, the FEMA designated regulatory floodplain or drainage Channel or Swale shall be protected by tax grant of an Easement, or other similar device, evidenced by separate legal instrument, as may be required by the Planning Director and acceptable to the County Counselor.
(2) Future Development Area Conservation
Area.
The Conservation
Area Future Development Area shall meet the requirements set
forth in this sub-section:
(i)
Minimum
Requirement. A minimum of forty percent (40%) of the total
Conservation-Cluster Development shall be designated as Conservation Area. Future Development Area.
(ii)
Horizon 2020. Land
in the proposed Conservation-Cluster Development identified in Horizon 2020 as
environmentally or geographically sensitive areas or sites of historic
landmarks or historic features, shall be included in the Future Development
Area. Sensitive Lands Worthy of Conservation. Lands that are or contains
the resources identified in Section 20-810(j) shall be deemed
to be worthy of conservation.
(iii)
Conservation
Easement. Land within the Future Development Area, which is identified in
Horizon 2020 as being an environmentally sensitive area, a geographically
sensitive area, or the site of an historic landmark or historic feature shall
be made Land that is or contains the
resources identified in Section 20-810(j), such as Floodways, based on the FEMA’s one-hundred year storm;
Floodplains, based on the FEMA’s one-hundred year storm; Jurisdictional
Wetlands; Stream Corridors; Prominent Natural Geographic Features with Rocky
Outcroppings; Stands of Mature Trees or Individually Significant Mature Trees;
and, Archaeological and Historical sites to the greatest extent
reasonably practicable, shall be subject
to a conservation easement to permanently retain the environmental,
geographical or historical characteristics of the land and prevent any use of
these areas that will significantly impair or interfere with the environmental,
geographical or historical characteristics of this land. The conservation
easement shall be in a form provided by the County or in a separate legal
instrument, satisfactory to the County Counselor.
(iv)