SURVEYING WORK

Introduction

Subdivisions are an integral part of any city or county. Whether commercial or residential in nature, subdivisions can be found nationwide. Developers are usually at the forefront of subdivision creations, and will more than likely utilize the services of a surveyor to design their planned subdivision. Local governments can also request the creation of a subdivision if they feel the current housing needs are not being met by the current housing inventory. For these reasons, subdivisions are continuously being created, and as such, they are a primary product of a surveyor. One of the most important aspects of a subdivision is the creation of a preliminary subdivision plat. A plat is a “map drawn to scale, of a town or a section of land that has been subdivided into lots showing the location and boundaries of individual parcels with the streets, alleys, easements, and rights of use over the land of another” (legal-dictionary). A PRELIMINARY subdivision plat then is simply “A map of a proposed subdivision showing the character and proposed layout of the subdivision and the existing conditions in and around It (Article II). Preliminary subdivision plats are extremely important because they are required in order to obtain approval for the actual subdivision. Consequently, there is an important process in the creation of a preliminary subdivision plat.

Specifications

All preliminary plats have set specifications that must be met. These specifications vary depending on your local governing board. In the case for Las Cruces NM, the county (Dona Ana) sets the required preliminary plat specifications. The specifications include having a title, a scale, a north arrow as well as the date. You must also include a vicinity map as well as the names and addresses of owners. These are just a few examples of the many specifications that are required from the local government.

Apart from your local government’s specifications, you also have your specific project’s specifications. Every project is different, so you will no doubt have different specifications for every project. In our class project for example, we were required to subdivide 40 lots out of a 10 acre parcel. We were also required to limit each lot to have less than 10,000 square feet and more than 5,000 square feet. Setbacks were also established by requiring buildings to be built at least 5 feet from the boundary on its sides, and 15 feet from the front and back. Street width was specified to be 50 feet and property frontage has to be at least 60 feet. Whether they are the government’s specifications, or your specific project specifications, they all must be followed to create an acceptable preliminary subdivision plat.

Lecture

Apart from specifications, preliminary subdivision plats require other aspects for its successful creation. During lecture, our professor talked about many aspects of a subdivision. The lectures ranged from street designs to green development, and always had information that could be incorporated in the design of a subdivision. In my preliminary plat in particular, I relied heavily on the “Planning Aspects” lecture. In this particular lecture, zoning laws were introduced as well as covenants. Learning about zoning laws was helpful in designing my subdivision because I was able to see what zone my property was located in. With this knowledge, I was able to better design the subdivision with an understanding of any limitations I may encounter. Fortunately, my subdivision was located in the performance district which means it has the ability to transform into any other zone with prior approval.

Indeed, class lectures were very helpful in the creation of the preliminary subdivision plat. One other lecture I relied heavily was the “streets” lecture. The lecture was primarily of street designs and focused on different types of streets. We learned about different street layouts such as grid, modified grid, curvilinear, and cul-de-sacs. We also learned about different types of streets such as; arterial, minor arterial, collector, sub collector, and residential streets. This knowledge allowed me to better choose what type of layout and type of street would most favor my subdivision design. The lecture also taught me about different street drainage. Should we choose to incorporate a ditch? Or should we build curb and gutter? Each have their strengths and weaknesses, and understanding them will help you decide which to incorporate in the subdivision.

Research

A thorough research of the local records must be done in order to successfully establish the original boundary of the parent tract. Adjoining properties must also be thoroughly researched. A good way to obtain records is to visit the local county clerk’s office. Usually the office is located in the county building along with both the treasurer’s office and the assessor’s office. Once in the clerk’s office, you can simply ask them for records of the original deed and plats of all important properties. It is important to know that these records can also be accessed online, however you must have a valid username and password. The clerk’s office can provide you with one at no charge (Dona Ana County Documents Online).

Ideally, you should also visit the property being subdivided at least once to find any original monuments specified on the original deed. Flood information should also be researched, and if the property being subdivided is found in a flood zone, then it should be specified on the preliminary plat. Although not required, any cultural or historical feature found in the research should also be listed on the preliminary plat. Ultimately, a thorough research of the property should be fulfilled successfully.

Design

Once all research has been completed, the surveyor can commence with the design of the subdivision. Preferably, the actual plat should be created using computer aided drafting software. I used AutoCAD software to both design the subdivision, and create the parcel. Designing the subdivision is quite simple using the drafting software. Using the legal description, you can draw the original parcel and subsequently start the design. Drawing each lot individually and adding streets can easily be done using the software.

Once the actual drawing is completed, you can begin working in paper space and start to organize the plat. Adding the title, scale, north arrow etc. is done at this stage of the design. The preliminary plat ideally should only be one to two pages. Because of this, great care must be done so that all items can fit comfortably on the plat. Ultimately, once all items are found in the plat, the surveyor should make sure the plat looks visually appealing and presentable.

Conclusion

Preliminary subdivision plats are an extremely important product. The successful completion and presentation of a preliminary plat can subsequently allow the approval of the actual subdivision. Because of their importance, surveyors take preliminary plats very seriously. Their successful completion require thorough research on the local area, and the original records. Plat specifications must be followed and completed. And the design should ultimately be attractive and appealing.

Works Cited

"Article II Definitions." Ecode. Dona Ana County, NM, n.d. Web.

"Plat." TheFreeDictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2015.

"Doña Ana County Documents Online." Documents Online Access Request. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec.

2015.