Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code Ch. 16.04 General Provisions

The purpose of this title is to regulate and control the design and improvement of subdivisions and to coordinate subdivision planning with the city's general and specific plans.

A. This title is adopted to supplement the Subdivision Map Act, Government Code § 66410 et seq., and imposes requirements in addition to those set forth in the Subdivision Map Act. The provisions of the Subdivision Map Act shall govern the processing of subdivision applications, except as otherwise provided in this title.

B. Any reference in this title to the Subdivision Map Act, or a specific section thereof, shall refer to the Subdivision Map Act as most currently amended. In the event that a cited section has been renumbered, or combined with another section, the reference shall be to the most recent equivalent of the cited section.

(Code 1981, § 16.04.010; Ord. No. 78, 1975; Ord. No. 126, § 1, 1980; Ord. No. 320, § 7, 1997)

A. This title may be cited as the "subdivision ordinance of the city."

B. It is unlawful for any person, as a principal, agent or otherwise, to sell, lease, finance or transfer title to any portion of any subdivision or parcel of land in the city, or to offer to do so, for which a tentative or final tract or parcel map or waiver certificate is required, pursuant to the Subdivision Map Act (Government Code § 66410 et seq.) or this title, unless the required map, in full compliance with the Subdivision Map Act and this title, has been filed for record with the county recorder.

C. Every person submitting a tentative or final tract or parcel map, application for a certificate of waiver, application for a certificate of compliance, application for a lot line adjustment or petition for reversion to acreage shall pay a processing fee in the amount established by resolution of the city council.

(Code 1981, § 16.04.020; Ord. No. 78, 1975; Ord. No. 126, § 1, 1980; Ord. No. 320, § 7, 1997)

A. A tentative and final tract map shall be required for any subdivision, including a condominium project, stock cooperative project or community apartment project, for which a tentative and final map is required by the Subdivision Map Act.

B. A tentative and final parcel map shall be required for any subdivision, including a condominium project, stock cooperative project, or community apartment project, for which a tentative and final map is not required by the Subdivision Map Act (Government Code § 66410 et seq.), except when the Subdivision Map Act specifically provides that no parcel map shall be required for a particular type of project. No final parcel map shall be required when the requirement of a final parcel map has been waived pursuant to chapter 16.12 (Parcel Maps) of this title.

C. No tract or parcel map shall be required for lot line adjustments.

(Code 1981, § 16.04.030; Ord. No. 78, 1975; Ord. No. 126, § 1, 1980; Ord. No. 157, § 1, 1982; Ord. No. 194, § 2, 1985; Ord. No. 320, § 7, 1997)

A. No tentative tract or parcel map application shall be considered as filed or complete until all required documents, supplemental information and materials have been submitted to the director, including, without limitation, geotechnical and/or soils reports, as described in section 16.20.120 (Soils/geology report), which have been approved by the city's geotechnical staff; and a conceptual grading plan which describes the grading required for development of, and access to, the subdivided lots. If after approval of a map, new geotechnical reports or information is submitted to the city which make any of the conditions of the map no longer appropriate, or necessary, an amendment to the approved tentative map may be requested by the applicant pursuant to the procedures described in section 16.28.010(G) of this title.

B. Tentative and final tract and parcel maps for initial construction or conversion of existing structures for residential occupancy shall conform to the criteria and standards of title 17 (Zoning) of the city's municipal code for the base zoning district in which it is located.

C. All maps shall specifically provide for proper grading and erosion control, including the prevention of sedimentation or damage to off-site property.

D. Each lot created by a map shall include a minimum contiguous lot area of 3,000 square feet or 33 percent of the minimum lot area required by the appropriate residential base zoning district standards, whichever is greater. For purposes of this section, setback areas required by the appropriate residential base zoning district standards and areas with a slope of 35 percent or greater, shall not be included in the computation of lot area for purposes of this subsection. A map creating lots which do not include the minimum lot area described above may be approved, if the map is filed in conjunction with a residential planned development permit, as described in chapter 17.74 (Residential Planned Development Permit), and if the substandard lots will be owned in common by the owners of the residential planned development.

E. No map shall be approved unless it complies with the Subdivision Map Act, this title and any other title of this Code, other applicable laws and all conditions or requirements imposed pursuant to the requirements thereof; except, that when the failure of a map to so comply is the result of a technical or inadvertent error which, in the determination of the planning commission, does not materially affect the validity of the map, this provision may be waived.

(Code 1981, § 16.04.040; Ord. No. 320, § 7, 1997)

Subdivision approvals under this chapter shall be consistent with the portions of the county hazardous waste management plan (approved November 30, 1989), and any applicable amendments thereto, relating to siting and siting criteria for hazardous waste facilities. Nothing in this section shall limit either the authority of the city to attach appropriate conditions to any subdivision approval or the authority of the city to establish more stringent planning requirements or siting criteria than those specified in the county hazardous waste management plan.

(Code 1981, § 16.04.050; Ord. No. 259, § 1, 1990; Ord. No. 320, § 7, 1997)

Any person owning real property or a vendee of that person pursuant to a contract of sale of the real property may request a certificate of compliance to determine whether the real property complies with the provisions of the Subdivision Map Act (Government Code § 66410 et seq.) and this title. Such certificate shall be issued and recorded pursuant to Government Code § 66499.35.

(Code 1981, § 16.04.060; Ord. No. 320, § 7, 1997)

The director of planning, building and code enforcement shall consult with the floodplain administrator (director of public works) to determine whether an application proposes new construction or other development within a floodprone area, as defined in chapter 15.42 (Floodplain Management) of this title.

(Code 1981, § 16.04.070; Ord. No. 441, § 3, 2006)