What Are Public Improvement Plans?

Public Improvement Plans are prepared by a Registered Civil Engineer licensed to practice within the State of California. They show how improvements are to be constructed within City rights-of-way and easements and also generally include improvements in private property areas as well. The improvements include, but are not limited to, street improvements, including street lighting and undergrounding of existing or proposed overhead utilities, sanitary sewer, water systems, storm drainage, and grading.

When Are Public Improvement Plans Required?

The requirement to prepare and submit Public Improvement Plans typically arises during the course of review of a development application, most commonly subdivisions, conditional use permits, design review, and building permits. Not every such application is required to submit plans; the decision whether or not plans must be submitted is made by staff members of the Engineering Division of the Department of Community Development. Sometimes the conditions of approval placed upon a development application (for example, a requirement to widen a street or extend a storm drain) are in themselves enough to trigger the need for plans, and then the requirement to submit plans is also imposed.

How Are Public Improvement Plans Approved?

Blueprints of Public Improvement Plans (normally 6 sets, 8 if review by the Department of Recreation and Parks is necessary) are initially submitted by the applicant's engineer to the Engineering Division of the Department of Community Development. Following a cursory check to make sure that all necessary items have been submitted, the blueprints are distributed (in sets of two) for review to the Planning Division, the Utilities Department, and the Recreation and Parks Department (if appropriate). Two copies are retained by the Engineering Division of the Community Development Department.

Each plan check entity then reviews the blueprints. Required changes are marked on the prints in colored pen or pencil. One set of marked up prints is returned to the private engineer and one set is retained for use in review when new prints of the corrected plans are resubmitted. All of the exchange of prints takes place through the Engineering Division.

The process of submittal, review, mark-up return, correction, and resubmittal continues until all the plan check entities are satisfied that their concerns have been adequately addressed. Typically, two or three cycles are required. A second cycle (or check) usually doesn’t take as long as the first. The goals of the various entities for completing the checks are 42 calendar days (6 weeks) for a first check and 21 calendar days for subsequent checks.

Once the plans are determined to be satisfactory, the private engineer submits mylar originals for signature. The plans are initialed by various plan check entities and then forwarded to the City Engineer for signature approval. Once approved, the original drawings are assigned a City file number and returned to the private engineer. The private engineer then has 17 blueline copies of the plans made up and resubmits the original mylars and blueline copies, all of which are then utilized by a variety of City and public utility entities as a record of improvements to be installed.

It should be noted that, independent of City review, a separate review of the plans is required by the Sonoma County Water Agency, PG&E, and Pacific Bell, and their approvals in writing are required before the City will approve the plans.

What Are Final Maps/Parcel Maps?

Final Maps and Parcel Maps are what convert a tentative subdivision map or tentative parcel map from a conceptual approval by the City’s Planning Commission into a legal subdivision of land. (Note: The difference between a Final Map and a Parcel Map is that a Final Map deals with a "major subdivision - five or more lots - and a Parcel Map deals with a "minor" subdivision - four or fewer lots.) They are accurate maps that locate precisely the land being subdivided and depict exactly how that land is to be subdivided - how many lots will be created, what shape they will take, what rights-of-way and easements will be dedicated and the like.

Final maps and Parcel Maps are prepared by licensed surveyors and certain registered civil engineers who have dual authorizations to practice both civil engineering and land surveying. Only individuals licensed to practice these activities in California may prepare Final Maps and Parcel Maps.

When Are Final Maps/Parcel Maps Required?

Final Maps and Parcel Maps must be prepared and approved within the "life" of the tentative maps or tentative parcel maps they are converting into an actual subdivision of land. For most such tentative maps and tentative parcel maps the "life" is seven years - an initial two year approval and separate one year extensions thereafter (which must be applied for prior to the expiration of the previous approval or extension.)

Note: A Final Map or Parcel Map is required only if a subdivision of land is involved.

How Are Final Maps/Parcel Maps Approved?

Final Maps and Parcel Maps usually travel through the review and aproval process in tandem with the Public Improvement Plans that detail the public and private improvements that are required to be constructed in conjunction with the subdivision. They’re not required to travel in tandem, but they usually do.

Whether they travel in tandem with Public Improvement Plans or not, Final Maps or Parcel Maps cannot be approved until after several other things take place: the Public Improvement Plans must be approved; a subdivision agreement between the city and the subdivider must be prepared, signed by the subdivider, and signed by the City Engineer on behalf of the City; and appropriate and sufficient security (usually in the form of bonds) must be posted by the subdivider. Then, and only then, can the Final Map or Parcel Map be sent to the City Council, it is accompanied by a report prepared by City staff explaining just what it is that the Council will be approving.

Once the City Council approves a Final Map or Parcel Map, the only significant step that remains is recordation at the County Recorder’s Office. Once the map is recorded, the subdivision of land is an accomplished fact.

How Much Does This Cost?

Fees for plan checking of Final Maps, Parcel Maps and Public Improvement Plans, and later inspection by the City of the installation of the required public improvements are established as follows:

For Final Maps (for subdivision of land into five or more lots) and associated improvement plans, the fee is on a per lot basis multiplied by the number of lots. The current per lot basis my be obtained by representatives of the Engineering Division of the Department of Community Development (543-3200).

For Parcel Maps (for subdivision of land into four or fewer parcels) and associated improvement plans, the fee is on a per lot basis multiplied by the number of lots, plus an amount equal to 5% of the estimated cost of all the improvements, public and private, as shown on the plans. The estimated cost is provided by the private engineer and verified by City staff. Again, the per lot fee basis is available from representatives of the Engineering Division of the Department of Community Development (543-3200)

For improvement plans associated with a non-subdivision-style project, the fee is equal to 5% of estimated cost of all the improvements, public and private, as shown on the plans.

Collection of the fees takes place at different points in time as noted below:

For final maps, one-half of the fees are collected at the time of initial submittal of the improvement plans for checking and the other half is collected prior to approval of the map.

For parcel maps, the per lot amount is collected at the time of the initial submittal of the improvement plans and the 5% amount is collected prior to approval of the map.

For improvement plans associated with a non-subdivision style project, the entire fee is collected after approval of the plans, but prior to the return of the approved plans for blueline copying.

For more information, contact the Community Development Engineering Division at 543-3200.