Monterey County Municipal Code Ch. 19.10 Design and Improvement Standards

A. The purpose of this Chapter is to provide regulations for the design and physical improvement of minor subdivisions and standard subdivisions, standard subdivisions, and vesting subdivisions.

B. The design and improvement of each subdivision shall comply with the applicable provisions of this Chapter, other ordinances and adopted General Plan, Area Plan, Master Plan, Coastal Land Use Plan or specific plans affecting design and improvement of development.

C. Deed restrictions, when required, shall be recorded and shall run with the land and be enforceable by subsequent owners of property lying within the subdivision. When deemed necessary to effectuate conditions on approved maps, the County shall be named a third party beneficiary of those restrictions and the proposed restrictions shall be filed concurrently with the map and noticed in the owner's certificate.

D. To the extent legally feasible, the subdivider shall assure long-term maintenance of the improvements by use of a homeowner's association, maintenance agreement or other similarly enforceable vehicle approved by County Counsel.

E. Lots, building sites and improvements shall be designed to meet the standards as required by this Title.

(Ord. 4037, 1999).

A. Improvement plans for all improvements other than landscaping shall be prepared under direction and signed by a California registered professional civil engineer. Improvement plans shall in accordance with the Standard Details; Roadway Design Standards and Standard Property Development Specification of the County of Monterey on file in the office of the County Surveyor.

B. Plans, profiles and details shall be legibly drawn, printed or reproduced on sheets not smaller than twenty-two (22) inches by thirty-four (34) inches. A border shall be made on each sheet providing at least one-half inch on top, bottom and right side and one and one-half inch on the left side. A suitable title block shall be placed on the lower right hand corner or along the right edge and provide adequate space for approval by the responsible department and for approval of plan revisions. The design for all improvements required by this Chapter shall conform to standard civil engineering practice and particularly shall comply with the specific requirements in effect at the time of approval of the tentative map.

The final form of all plans shall specifically include:

1. Typical cross-sections and proposed final finished grades of all roads, streets, and highways in the subdivision together with a profile showing the relation between finished grade and existing elevations,

2. Proposed length, size, slope and type of any drainage pipes and culverts or structures necessary for drainage, erosion control or to insure the public safety,

3. Elevations which shall be referenced to United States Geological, Survey or other method approved by the County Surveyor.

C. The subdivider shall submit four sets of improvement plans and one copy of all computation sheets to the County Surveyor for review. Upon completion of such review, one set of the preliminary plans with any required revisions indicated thereon, will be returned to the subdivider's engineer. After completing any required revisions, the subdivider's engineer shall transmit one set of the original improvement plans to the County Surveyor for signature. Upon finding that all required revisions have been made and that the plans conform to all applicable County ordinances, design review requirements and conditions of approval of the tentative map, the County Surveyor shall sign and date the plans. The original will be returned to the subdivider's engineer and notification of such approval shall be sent to the County Surveyor. Approval by the County Surveyor shall in no way relieve a subdivider or the subdivider's engineer for responsibility for the design of the improvements or for any deficiencies resulting from the design thereof or from any required conditions of approval for the tentative map.

D. Requests by the subdivider or engineer for revisions to the approved plans appearing necessary or desirable during construction shall be submitted in writing to the County Surveyor and shall be accompanied by two sets of revised drawings showing the proposed revision. If the revision is acceptable, the County Surveyor shall initial the revisions and return the original to the subdivider's engineer who shall submit two sets of the revised plans to the responsible department. Construction of any proposed revision will not be permitted to commence until the revised plans have been received and forwarded to the responsible department's inspection division and the subdivider engineer.

E. When revisions are deemed necessary by the responsible department to protect public health and safety or if undisclosed field conditions require, a request in writing shall be made to the subdivide the subdivider's engineer. The subdivider's engineer shall revise the plans and transmit the origin the County Surveyor for initialing within such time as specified. Upon receipt of the initialed original the subdivider's engineer shall immediately transmit two sets of revised drawings to the responsible department. Construction of all or any portion of the improvements may be stopped by the responsible department until the revised drawings have been submitted and approved. The subdivider may a revisions required by the County Surveyor by filing an appeal with the Subdivision Committee within four working days following receipt of the request to revise the plans.

F. If required, costs incurred by the County for the checking of plans or calculations or inspection as a result of the revisions to the approved plans shall be borne by the subdivider. A deposit, when required, shall be submitted with the revised prints and such deposit shall be applied toward the actual cost.

A. Improvements set forth as conditions of approval shall be installed or improvement security agreements entered into prior to acceptance of the final or parcel map by the Board of Supervisors for all subdivisions where it is found by the advisory agency that installation of the improvements is necessary for the orderly development of the area or for public health and safety.

B. Where remainders or phased developments are made part of a final or parcel map, the County may enter into an agreement with the subdivider that improvements be built at some future date prior to issuance of a permit or other grant of development approval. In absence of such agreement, fulfillment of construction requirements shall be required if the advisory agency finds that the improvements are necessary for the orderly development of the area or for public health and safety.

C. In the event improvements are not required to be installed prior to acceptance of the final or parcel map by the Board of Supervisors, required improvements shall be noticed by an improvement certificate either on the map, or by a recorded separate instrument and shall be recorded on, concurrently with or prior to the map being filed for record. Construction of improvements shall be required before a permit or other grant or approval for development may be issued.

A. All improvements are subject to inspection by a registered civil engineer. The civil engineer shall make such inspections as necessary to ensure that all construction is done in accordance with approved improvement plan. Inspections shall be staged to ensure adequate subgrade, base, foundation pourings, and other improvements. A certificate signed by a registered civil engineer certifying that the work of improvement has been constructed in accordance with the approved plans and specifications and will not adversely affect adjoining properties will be an acceptable substitution for the inspection.

B. Prior to commencing any construction, the subdivider shall give twenty-four (24) hours notice to the responsible department or civil engineer responsible for construction inspection. Upon completion of the subdivision improvement, or any part thereof, the subdividers engineer shall apply in writing to the responsible department for a preliminary final inspection. A deficiency list shall be comp during such inspection, noting all corrections or any additional work required. If the number of items is excessive or the subdivision appears incomplete, the preliminary final inspection may be halted and rescheduled on a date as determined by the appropriate department. When the preliminary final inspection has been completed, a copy of the deficiency list shall be transmitted to the subdivide corrections. Upon having completed all corrections or additional work as outlined by the deficiency list, the subdivider engineer shall certify in writing that all corrections have been completed satisfactorily and request final inspection. The responsible department shall then make a final inspection. The completion of corrections indicated on the deficiency list shall not relieve the subdivider from the responsibility of correcting any deficiency not shown on the list which may be subsequently discovered.

A. When all improvement deficiencies have been corrected and as-built improvement plans filed, those subdivision improvements which will be dedicated to the County may be considered for acceptance. Improvements of subdivisions for which a final map is required shall be accepted by the Board of Supervisors. The County Surveyor or authorized representative may accept improvements for other subdivisions. Acceptance of improvements shall imply only that the improvements have completed satisfactorily and that they have been accepted for public use.

B. When the improvements have been accepted by the County, the County Clerk shall file a Notice of Completion with the County Recorder.

A. Minimum lot size, lot width and depth and building setback lines shall conform to the standards established by County zoning regulations and other applicable laws and regulations.

B. In other than planned unit developments, lot width shall not be less than an average of sixty (60) feet, nor the depth of the lot less than necessary to provide the minimum lot size required. Moreover, the depth shall not be less than eight-five (85) feet nor greater than three times the width, exclusive of rights-of-way or easements necessary for road purposes. Where topographic features warrant or where the property is to be used for commercial or industrial purposes, the appropriate decision making may require a greater minimum width and depth requirement. Corner lots shall be increased in width to not less than an average of seventy (70) feet.

C. To the extent practicable, the side lines of lots shall run at right angles to any street upon which the lot faces.

D. Double frontage lots less than two hundred (200) feet in depth shall be avoided except where essential to provide separation of residential developments and traffic arterials or where requirements include unusual or topographical conditions. Where double frontage lots are permitted or required, vehicle access rights designated by the appropriate decision making body shall be dedicated to the County along that street. The subdivider may be required to construct walls or fences and install a planting strip adjacent thereto with approved landscaping.

E. A building setback line shall be established adjacent to natural-streams and waterways to protect riparian corridors, not to be less than a distance measured from the toe of the streambank outward slope of 1.5 to one, plus thirty (30) feet, or thirty (30) feet outward from the top of the bank, whichever is greater, or setbacks applicable as defined by other ordinances or General Plan requirements.

Pedestrian ways and bike paths may be required to connect dead end streets, or to provide access to stream, lake, bay or ocean frontage, or such park or playground areas as may be indicated.

The subdivision shall be consistent in concept, alignment and level of improvement with the circulation and transportation element of the General Plan, Area Plan, Coastal Land Use Plan, Master Plan and any applicable specific plan, as well as any Streets and Highways Master Plan. Where necessary to insure traffic safety and ease of circulation, off and on site traffic control devices such as signing and signalization shall be required. On site parking shall be required to meet zoning regulations. Whenever the subdivider is required to dedicate land for trails or bikeways, the advisory agency may require the same to be improved if necessary to comply with the General Plan, Area Plan, Coastal Land Use Plan Master Plan or Specific Plan or implementing ordinances.

Access to each parcel shall be provided either by fronting on a Publicly maintained road or by having approved legal access via a private road of adequate right-of-way width. Access shall meet the applicable road standards and be deemed adequate only if it will allow reasonable ingress and egress for emergency vehicles.

A. Storm water runoff from the subdivision shall be collected and conveyed by an approved storm drainage system. The storm drainage system shall be designed by a registered civil engineer for ultimate development of the watershed and shall provide for the protection of abutting and off site properties that may be adversely affected by any increase in runoff attributed to the development; offsite storm drain improvements may be required to satisfy this requirement. In addition detention ponds, drainage swales and/or check dams may be required to reduce offsite peak storm flow generated by projects. The maintenance of the on-site drainage facilities, including detention ponds, shall be the responsibility of a homeowners association or other similar entity, where applicable, and provisions for annual inspection and maintenance shall be included in the conditions, covenants and restrictions.

B. Improvements shall be designed to meet Monterey County Resources Agency Design Criteria and improvement plans shall be submitted to the Monterey County Water Resources Agency for review and approval. Drainage improvements for runoff from impervious surfaces shall be engineered to minimize erosion through the use of rocked culvert inlets and outfalls, energy reducers and location of culverts. Design features shall include reseeding exposed slopes as well as minimizing the use of artificial slopes. Improvements shall be constructed in accordance with the approved plans. Fees to ensure County provided inspection shall be paid before approval of the final or parcel map. The subdivider shall also provide written assurance in a form satisfactory to the County from a registered civil engineer that the improvements have in fact been constructed in accordance with County plans and specifications.

C. The subdivider shall provide sufficient easements for open channel or closed conduit drainage system to ensure reasonable stability and adequate access for maintenance. Drainage easements shall offered for dedication to the County or another public entity. The County will accept improve which drain a public right of way and are comprised of either a closed permanent system or open channel which drains a public right-of-way or an open channel; provided the Monterey County Water Resources Agency accepts open channels as meeting Monterey County Water Resources Agency criteria. In the event a public safety entity will not accept the drainage facilities, subdivider shall provide for future private maintenance of the drainage system in a form satisfactory to County Counsel.

A. The appropriate decision making body shall not approve either the tentative map or tentative parcel map of any subdivision fronting upon ocean coastline or bay shoreline, in which the subdivision does not provide or have available reasonable public access by fee or easement from public highways to land below the ordinary highwater mark on any ocean coastline or bay shoreline within, or at a reasonable distance from the subdivision. Any public access route(s) provided by the subdivider shall be designated on the final or parcel map and shall expressly designate the government entity to which such access route(s) are dedicated.

B. In making the determination of what shall be reasonable public access, the appropriate decision making body shall consider:

1. That access may be by highway, foot trail, bike trail, horse trial, or any other means of travel.

2. The size of the subdivision.

3. The type of coastline or shoreline and the various appropriate recreational, educational, and scientific uses, including, but not limited to, diving, sunbathing, surfing, walking, swimming, fishing, beachcombing, taking of shellfish and scientific exploration.

4. The likelihood of trespass on private property and reasonable means of avoiding such trespasses.

C. In the Coastal Zone, access shall be in accordance with the Public Access Development Standards of the Coastal Implementation Plan, as from time to time may be amended.

A. The County shall not approve a tentative parcel map of any division of land fronting upon any lake, reservoir, river or stream which is owned in part or entirely by any public agency including the State, which subdivision does not provide or have reasonable access by fee or easement from the public highways to any water of the lake or reservoir upon which the subdivision borders either within the subdivision or a reasonable distance from the subdivision. Such public access route or routes pro by the subdivision shall be expressly designated on the final or parcel map and such map shall expressly designate the governmental entity to which such route(s) are dedicated and acceptance of such dedication.

B. In making the determination of what shall be reasonable, public access the appropriate decision making body shall consider:

1. That access may be by highway, foot trail, bike trail, horse trails, or any other means of travel;

2. The size of the subdivision;

3. The type of riverbank and the various appropriate recreational, educational, and scientific uses including, but not limited to, swimming, diving, boating, fishing, water skiing, scientific collection and teaching;

4. The likelihood of trespass on private property and reasonable means of avoiding such trespass.

5. For the purposes of this Subsection public waterway, river or stream means those waterways, rivers and streams defined in Section 100 through 106 of the Harbors and Navigation Code; any stream declared to be a public highway for fishing pursuant to Section 25660 through 25662 of the Government Code; the rivers listed in Section 1505 of the Fish and Game Code as spawning areas; all waterways, rivers and streams downstream from any State or Federal salmon or steelhead fish hatchery.

A. Grading plans shall be required for all subdivisions if appropriate. When necessary, the plan shall provide for both on and off site grading and shall be submitted as part of the subdivision's improvement plan. No grading shall commence until the improvement plan has been approved by the County. The issuance of building permits or release of security for improvement agreements may be conditioned upon receipt of approved written assurance by a registered civil engineer that the lot grading has been done in conformance with the approved plan.

B. In areas of eroding slopes and near drainageways, development (building pads, leachfield a driveways) shall maximize retention of natural land forms such as rolling hills, ridgetops, areas of extensive vegetation and water courses. Grading shall not produce large flat planes or sharp angles or intersection with the natural terrain. Slopes shall be rounded to blend with existing terrain. Extensive terracing shall be prohibited.

A. All roads to be dedicated to the public for all subdivisions shall be designed and construct meet those relevant standards set forth in the County Road Standards including without limitation those standards regarding County road grade, alignments, width, surfacing standards, etc. The size of the right-of-way to be dedicated shall also meet the standards set forth in the County Road Standards are incorporated herein by reference. Copies of such documents are on file in the Office of the County Surveyor where they are available for public inspection.

B. Sidewalks, curbs and gutters shall also be required for subdivisions in those areas where the Board of Supervisors, by resolution or an adopted specific plan, calls for urban-level services. Curb and gutter may be required if the subdivision fronts on a public street.

C. Reserve strips controlling access to public ways shall not be permitted unless it is first demonstrated that the same is necessary for the protection of the public safety or welfare or substantial property rights. Where allowed, the control or disposal of the land comprising such streets shall be placed within the jurisdiction of the County under conditions approved by appropriate decision making body.

D. All streets shall, as far as practicable, be in alignment with existing and adjacent streets by continuation of centerlines, or by adjustment by curves, and shall be in general conformity with the plans made for the most advantageous development of the area in which the subdivision lies. Streets shall be required to intersect one another at an angle as near to a right angle as a practicable in each specific case.

E. All streets shall be named in accordance with existing standards. Duplication of existing names shall not be allowed.

F. Drainage plans shall be prepared by a registered civil engineer for County approval for all roads which will be dedicated to the County and for associated driveways.

A. General Requirements: All private roads shall meet the following minimum requirements:

1. Rights-of-way and improvements shall meet the County Road Standards which are incorporated herein by reference. Copies of such documents are on file in the office of the County Surveyor, they are available for public inspection.

2. Mitigation measures such as approved traffic control devices, road design, etc., shall be utilized whenever speed is a concern.

3. Drainage and improvement plans for all roads and driveways shall be prepared by a registered civil engineer for County approval.

4. Bridges on private roads shall meet the requirements of all State, local and Federal agencies having jurisdiction.

5. Road grades shall not exceed fifteen (15) percent unless approved by the County Fire Warden, County Surveyor and the Chief of the local fire district.

6. Driveways and private roads serving four lots or less shall meet County grade and alignment standards for private roads. Improvement of driveways may be varied depending upon factors such as terrain and grade lengths.

7. Additional or higher standards may be required after consultation with the California Department of Forestry or the local fire protection district in order to insure adequate emergency vehicle access.

8. In no case shall the right of way serving a minor subdivision be less than thirty (30) feet in width. The right of way width in a major subdivision can vary from thirty (30) feet in width to sixty (60) feet in width.

A. Provision shall be made for such domestic water supply as may be necessary to protect public health, safety, or welfare. Such water supply may be:

1. By connection to a public utility, in which case a letter from the public utility shall be submitted showing its ability to serve the proposed subdivision and evidence indicating that a satisfactory agreement has been entered into for such services.

2. By the establishment of a two or more connection approved water system or by connection to an existing approved water system with the provision of service to each lot.

3. From a single connection water source on each parcel.

B. In the event the subdivider proposes establishment of a water system, the subdivider shall submit evidence to the Director of Environmental Health that the source of supply is adequate and potable. In order to demonstrate adequacy, the supply must comply with title 15.04 of the Monterey County Codes or Title 22 of the California Administrative Code. Unless waived, the subdivider shall submit a design plan of the system for review by the Director of Environmental Health. The design plan shall meet Residential Subdivision Water Supply Standards. Any proposal to share a water source with five or more connections requires compliance with the State Domestic Water Act set forth in Health and Safety Code Section 4010 et seq. A water source with two to four connections must comply with Title 15 of the Monterey County Code.

For all Domestic Water Sources:

1. Chemical testing shall be performed with the results meeting recognized standards of potability. Organic chemical and radiological testing is required for water sources with fifteen (15) or more connections.

2. The water well must meet the setback requirements as specified under the Monterey County Code.

3. The water well shall have an adequate sanitary seal and an adequate annular seal (as determined from the well log).

C. The appropriate approving authority, upon reason to believe the existence of salt, bacteriological, mineral or other contamination, may require a water quality test for such wells to be conducted by a State Department of Health Services certified laboratory. Test results shall be submitted to the Environmental Health Division for approval or disapproval.

D. Springs may be used as the primary domestic water source. In such case, yields from springs and the required storage capacity shall be the same minimum requirements as for wells. Springs shall be perennial. The water collection facilities from the springs shall be designed to the satisfaction of the Director of Environmental Health and in any case shall be designed in such a manner as to exclude entrance of surface water, animals and insects.

E. All required improvements shall conform to good civil engineering practice, and in particular, shall comply with the specific requirements in effect at the time of approval of the tentative map as contained in the Residential Subdivision Water Supply Standards (1984 revision) which incorporated herein by reference. Copies of such documents are on file in the office of the Monterey County Health Department and the County Surveyor, where they are available for public inspection.

F. Conditions necessary to insure compliance with water system regulations prior to filing the final or parcel map may be imposed by the advisory agency.

G. Except for subdivisions proposed within the Rancho San Juan Area of Development Concentration (ADC) for which ADC a specific plan has been adopted, water supply to serve a minor, standard or vesting subdivision may not be established through the reduction or elimination of water use on a parcel other than the parcel which is the subject of the subdivision. This subsection shall not be interpreted as to prohibit the subdivision of property in agricultural use.

(Ord. 4251 § 1, 2004; Ord. 4037, 1999).

A. Provision shall be made for adequate sewage disposal by:

1. Connection to a sanitary sewer where available, in which case a letter shall be submitted to the Director of Environmental Health from the governing board of the sewer system showing the ability of the system to handle sewage from the proposed subdivision and evidence that a satisfactory agreement had been entered into for connection to the system and required fees paid. Unless waived, the subdivider shall provide proper installation of service laterals to the property line of each lot.

2. Connection to an on-site sewage disposal system.

a. Parcels must be of sufficient size to accommodate the private sewage disposal system typical three-bedroom house plus unencumbered area to expand or replace the system by two hundred (200) percent.

b. The minimum lot size shall be two and one-half gross acres when single connection wells are the source of domestic water.

c. Parcels or lots less than two and one-half gross acres must have water supplied by either a public utility or shared water system operating under a valid permit from the State of California or the County of Monterey Division of Environmental Health.

d. Evidence shall be provided of suitable soil percolation characteristics on each lot to meet the current criteria of the Monterey County Health Code (Title 15) and the Basin Plan of the appropriate Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Coast Basin.

B. Common sewage disposal systems for standard subdivisions may be approved if:

1. A public or private entity discharger is empowered to conduct a program of regular sewage system monitoring, maintenance and repairs is created;

2. Easements are contained only within the common lands of the subdivisions and such common lands are owned and controlled by the entity created;

3. The easement for each lot is entirely separate and distinct from the easement for any other lot;

4. The use of easements is not used as a basis to allow lot sizes smaller than those specified in this Chapter for lots with private sewage disposal systems.

C. Each proposed leachfield shall meet the applicable standards of the Monterey County Health Department and Basin Plan of the appropriate Regional Water Quality Control Board including without limitation the following:

1. Leachfields shall not be on slopes of greater than thirty (30) percent;

2. Leachfield areas must be located a minimum of one hundred (100) feet from a perennial waterway or one hundred (100) feet from the top of the bank waterway or drainage courses.

3. Leachfields shall be located according to the minimum setbacks given in Monterey County Code, Title 15, and the Basin Plan of the regional Water Quality Control Basin, Central Coast Basin.

4. On parcels where drainage may adversely affect leachfield function, an approval by a registered civil engineer and/or provision of drainage easements may be required;

5. Leachfields shall be located to avoid areas of land slippage or instability and shall not be placed in areas where land slippage or instability could be induced or accelerated by leachfield discharge. In areas designated potentially unstable, an analysis by a registered geologist or certified engineering geologist will be required.

D. All improvements shall conform to good civil engineering practice and, in particular, shall comply with the specific requirements in effect at the time of approval of the tentative map as determined complete.

A. The design of a subdivision shall provide, to the extent feasible, for future passive or natural heating or cooling opportunities in the subdivision. Examples of passive or natural heating opportunities in subdivision design, include design of lot size and configuration to permit orientation of a structure in east-west alignment for southern exposure. Examples of passive or natural cooling opportunities in subdivision design include design of lot size and configuration to permit orientation of a structure to take advantage of shade or prevailing breezes. In providing for future passive or natural heating and cooling opportunities in the design of a subdivision, consideration shall be given to local climate, to contour, to configuration of the parcel to be divided, and to other design improvement requirements. The requirements of this Section do not apply to condominium projects which consist of the subdivision of air space in an existing building where no new structures are added. For the purpose of this Section, "feasible" means capable of being accomplished in a successful manner wit reasonable period of time, taking into account economics, environmental, social and technological factors.

A. At the time of making the survey for the final or parcel map, the engineer or surveyor shall set sufficient durable monuments to conform to the standards described in Section 8771 of the Business and Professions Code so that another engineer or surveyor may readily retrace the survey. Specifically, such durable monuments shall be iron pipes, or iron pins or iron tees not less substantial than three-fourths inch by eighteen (18) inches and shall be placed at the beginning and end of all curves, at all angle points, in block lines, and at all block corners. In cases where the subdivision boundary or lot lines are railroad rights of way (fee title) the intermediate points within the tapers need not be monumented; however, the beginning and end of the taper as well as any lot, corner, or boundary angles within the taper shall be monumented. All monuments shall be permanently and visibly marked or tagged with the registration number of the surveyor or engineer.

B. When making a survey for a subdivision for which a final map is required, an engineer or surveyor shall set two permanent monuments within sight of each other in each block and with a distance between them which will enable an accurate resurvey of the block. Concrete monuments pairs shall be placed near enough to all lot corners so that they may be readily re-established; the maximum distance shall be three thousand (3,000) feet. Permanent monuments shall not be less substantial than six inches in diameter by thirty-six (36) inches in length reinforced concrete posts with the exact point permanently marked on the middle pin or disk. With the approval of the County Surveyor, permanent monuments may be set within the right-of-way of streets and roads in accordance with the following conditions:

1. The monuments shall meet all requirements of this Section except for the requirement of two monuments in each block;

2. The monuments shall be readily accessible from the street area;

3. The monuments shall be set in locations where they are least likely to be disturbed by operations in connection with the construction, maintenance or repair of streets or roads and of underground facilities;

4. When the monuments are to be set within the traveled way or within the sidewalk area, they shall conform to the Department of Public Works Subdivision Survey Monument (drawing Plate No. 27).

C. A benchmark shall be established for all subdivisions for which a final map is required on the improvement plans at least one permanent monument and its elevation, by reference to mean sea United States Geological Survey datum, shall be shown on the improvement plan together with a description of the object and its relation to a lot and block in a subdivision.

D. As to those monuments marking the exterior boundaries of a subdivision that may fall in streams or other inaccessible positions or within the construction limits of the requirement improvement a substantial reference point may be set with approval of the County Surveyor. Upon completion of the construction, the point on the exterior boundary shall be set from the reference. If it is physically impractical to set a final monument marking a point on the exterior boundaries, the County Surveyor may approve a setting of a final reference monument or monuments. Such monuments marking the exterior boundaries as described above may be set after the filing of the final or parcel map subject to the terms and conditions prescribed for the setting of other monuments.

E. All monuments shall be set in the field as calculated and shown on the map.

F. All monuments and benchmarks shall be subject to inspection and approval by the County Surveyor. Interior monuments for a final map required by this Title or any other provisions of Monterey County Code may be set after the recording of the final map if the subdivider's engineer or surveyor certifies on the map that such monuments will be set on or before a specified date and if the subdivider furnishes to the County security guaranteeing the payment of the cost of setting the monuments. A time of making the survey for the final map or parcel map unless the survey is not required pursuant to Section 66448, the engineer or surveyor shall set sufficient durable monuments to conform with the standards described in Section 8771 of the Business and Professions Code so that another engineer or surveyor may readily retrace the survey. At least one exterior boundary line of the land being subdivided shall be adequately monumented or referenced before the map is recorded.

G. After completion of exterior and/or interior monumentings for subdivisions for which a parcel or final map is required, the subdivider's engineer or surveyor shall notify in writing the County Surveyor of such completion at least two weeks prior to any requested inspection and approval.

H. Within five days after completion of the final setting of all monuments, the subdivider's engineer or surveyor shall give written notice of such to the subdivider and the County Surveyor.

I. In the event of the death, disability or retirement from practice of the engineer or surveyor, charge for the responsibility for setting monuments, or in the event of his or her refusal to set monuments, the Board of Supervisors may direct the County Surveyor or such registered civil engineer or licensed surveyor as it may select to set such monuments. If the original engineer or surveyor is replaced by another, the former may, by letter to the County Surveyor, release his or her obligations to set the final monument to the surveyor or engineer who replaced him or her. When the monuments are so set, the substitute engineer or surveyor shall amend any map filed pursuant to the provisions of Government Code Section 66469-66472 of this Chapter.

J. The County Surveyor may waive monumentation requirements of this Chapter upon determining that such requirement(s) would place an undue hardship on the subdivider and that the remaining monumentation will satisfy the requirements of the Subdivision Map Act and the requirements of the Monterey County Subdivision Ordinance.

A. A design for an adequate turnaround area at the building site shall be required to insure adequate emergency vehicle circulation.

B. Access for fire protection purposes shall be provided. At the discretion of the governing body, additional emergency access may be required. The extent and improvement of such emergency access shall depend upon the circumstances of each case as deemed necessary by the local fire district and/or California Department of Forestry.

C. In all cases all subdivisions shall conform to the Fire Hazards Policy (17.3.5) and Table 2 (pg. 62) of the Monterey County General Plan and any amendments to the plan.

All utility distribution facilities (including but not limited to electric, communication and cable television lines) installed in and for the purpose of supplying service to any subdivision or minor subdivision shall be placed underground, except as follows:

A. Equipment appurtenant to underground facilities, such as surface-mounted transformers, pedestal-mounted terminal boxes and meter cabinets, and concealed ducts, or such equipment when concealed by shrubbery landscaping or other screening and approved by the Director of Planning.

B. The appropriate decision making body may waive the requirements of this Subsection for topographical, soil or other physical conditions make underground installations of said facilities unreasonable or impractical. The decision making body may require underground services to be installed in subdivisions where underground utilities are not otherwise required, or where the overhead distribution lines presently exist to serve the lots and underground services are not otherwise required. The appropriate decision making body may require separate approval of the location and extent to any proposed overhead system to achieve minimum visual effect.

(Ord. No. 5135, § 84, 7-7-2009)

Provision shall be made for any and all railroad crossings necessary to provide access to or circulation within the proposed subdivision, including the preparation of all documents necessary for application to the State Public Utilities Commission for the establishment of a public crossing. costs necessitated by the establishment and improvement of such crossings shall be assumed by the subdivider.