Minor Plat Process

Overview

A Minor Plat is a streamlined, one-step process for the division of land into no more than 10 lots, tracts, or parcels. 

The main steps in the process are:

Step 1: Pre-Submittal Conference

A Pre-Submittal application is required prior to filing an application for a Minor Plat. Pre-Submittal applications are due each Monday by 12:00 pm. and must be submitted via the DIMES portal.

Staff will review the Pre-Submittal application for compliance with all appropriate Mesa standards, codes, specifications, and requirements and provide written review comments within 8 Mesa working days.

Applicants will have the option to attend a Pre-Submittal Conference to discuss the provided comments. Pre-Submittal Conferences are typically a half hour and held each Tuesday morning. Conferences may be requested to be held in person or electronically.

Please note that a Pre-Submittal does not constitute a complete review or guarantee that all issues are identified.

Required Documents: 

• Application - submitted through the DIMES portal
• Project Narrative - describing the proposed Land Division, including a description of any proposed phasing of improvements and utility installation
• Sketch Plan

Desired Documents:

• Conceptual Minor Plat
  • Clearly identify boundary of parcel(s) to be divided
  • Vicinity map and location of Minor Plat
  • North arrow and scale
  • Street names and right-of-way dimensions, existing and proposed
  • Identification of all water and drainage features, existing and proposed
  • Name, address, phone, and email for property owner, developer, and engineer/surveyor
  • Site Summary Table with size (gross, net), number of tracts and lots, density, zoning district, Tax assessor parcel numbers, total area of open space
  • Notes section indicating project description, school district, utility service, maintenance responsibilities etc.
  • Lot table (lot numbers, area, width, total square footage)
  • Tract table (tract identification and usage)
• Conceptual Utility Plans
  • Dimensions and locations of all existing and proposed easements, including recording information for all existing easements.
  • Size of existing and proposed water and sewer lines.
  • Location of existing and proposed fire hydrants and water meter pits.
  • Location of all proposed improvements within the public right-of-way.
• Conceptual Grading – existing and proposed contours extending 25 feet beyond the perimeter of the site. 

Step 2: Application Submittal

Application for a Minor Plat may be submitted at any point after a Pre-Submittal Conference has been completed.

Complete applications and fees must be submitted electronically via the DIMES portal. Applications are due each Monday by the end of the business day.

The applicant is responsible for the accuracy and completeness of all information submitted. Incomplete applications will NOT be accepted.

Required Documents:

• Application - submitted through the DIMES portal
  • Planning Application: Subdivision
  • Application Type: Minor Plat
• Property Owner Authorization(PDF, 162KB)
• Title Report - along with all recorded documents showing proof of ownership.
• Project Narrative - describing the proposed Land Division, including a description of any proposed phasing of improvements and utility installation. 

• Minor Plat consisting of the following:

• Identification Data
  • Drawn to a standard engineering scale at no more than one hundred (100) feet to one (1) inch. Use more than one sheet if necessary.
  • Proposed name of Land Division, legal description, and acreage.
  • Name and address of subdivider, engineer, surveyor, and owners of subject property.
  • Date of preparation and all subsequent revisions, scale, and north arrow.
• Survey Data
  • Boundary lines of Land Division, rights-of-way lines and dimensions of existing and proposed streets, easements (including recording information for all existing easements), alleys and other rights-of-ways, block and lot lines or building envelopes with accurate bearings and distances.
  • Name, book, and page number of any recorded Land Division adjacent to or having common boundaries with the subject property
  • Location of all driveways, streets, and median openings on the opposite side of the perimeter streets within 325 feet of any proposed driveway or intersection.
• Descriptive Data
  • Name, right-of-way lines, courses, lengths, and width of all public streets, alleys, pedestrian ways, and utility easements; radii, points of tangency, curve lengths, and central angles of all curvilinear streets, alleys, and intersection corners.
  • All drainageways, earth fissures, or other natural features shall be shown on the plat. The rights-of-way of all major drainageways shall be dedicated drainage easements or rights-of-way as determined by the Engineering Department.
  • All easements for right-of-way provided for public services or utilities and any limitations of the easements. The following notations shall be placed on all  plats: "Construction within easements, except by public agencies and utility companies, shall be limited to utilities and wood, wire, or removable section-type fencing."
  • Location, dimensions, and square footage of all lots.
    • All residential lots shall be numbered by consecutive numbers throughout the plat. "Exceptions," "tracts," and "common open space" shall be so designated, lettered, or named and clearly dimensioned. Ownership and maintenance responsibility for common open space areas shall be indicated on the plat.
    • Location, dimensions, bearings, radii, arcs, and central angles of all sites to be dedicated to the City with the use clearly indicated.
    • Location of all adjoining subdivisions with date, book, and page number of recordation noted, or if unrecorded or unsubdivided, so noted.
    • Any deed restrictions or restrictive covenants required or to be imposed upon the plat or any part or parts thereof pertaining to the intended use of the land shall be submitted as a part of the total recording submittal.
  • Tract Table – Identification of all tracts, their purpose, and acreages.
  • Lot Table – Identify all lot numbers, width & depth, area, lot disturbance area (*for Desert Upland only), and acreage of overall site.
• Dedication and Acknowledgment
  • Statement of dedication of all streets, alleys, drainage retention basins and drainage ways, pedestrian/bicycle ways, and easements for public use, including sanitation, fire, and other emergency-related vehicles, executed by the person holding title of record, by persons holding titles as vendees under land contract, by spouse of said parties, lienholders, and all other parties having an interest in the property. If lands dedicated are mortgaged, the mortgagee shall also sign the plat.
  • Dedication shall include a written location by section, township, and range of the tract. If the plat contains private streets, the public easement which shall be reserved shall include the right to install and maintain utilities in the private street, including refuse collections, fire, and other emergency services.
  • Acknowledgment of Dedication. Execution of dedication acknowledged and certified by a notary public.
  • Required Standard Notes and Dedication Language(PDF, 204KB) .
• Required Certifications and Proofs
  • Certification by the registered land surveyor preparing the plat that the plat is correct and accurate and that the monuments described in it have either been set or located as described. All maps shall contain the seal of a registered land surveyor, as per Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS).
  • Certification by the City Engineer that all engineering conditions and requirements have been complied with.
  • For properties located within the City’s designated water service area, a written commitment of water service from the City for the proposed Land Division. In cases of properties located within the service area of a private water company, the property owner must provide proof that a certificate of assured water supply has been obtained from the Arizona Department of Water Resources covering the subject land.

Step 3: Staff Review

Staff will review the Preliminary Plat for compliance with all appropriate standards, codes, specifications, and requirements and provide written comments within 8 working days of the application acceptance.

This comment letter will identify requirements that need to be resolved before obtaining approval.

The applicant will revise pertinent documents to address review comments and provide a written comment response letter stating how each review comment was addressed.

This process repeats until all requirements are met. 

Step 4: Recording

Once all applicable Mesa standards, codes, specifications, and requirements have been met, the applicant will prepare the Minor Plat for approval and recordation and submit the following documents to the Planning Division. All documents will be uploaded to the case file in the DIMES system except for the mylar of the Minor Plat which must be delivered to the Planning Division. 

Required Documents

• Minor Plat on white photo mylar, or direct electronic plot on 4 mil mylar or bond paper
  • Must contain original signatures and be properly executed by a title company or notary public
  • Must be signed and stamped with indelible black ink
  • Do not fold mylars or bond paper
• A pdf with approved addresses for the Mesa Engineering Department Records.
• A Will Serve Letter from the Mesa Utilities Department. Per Section 9-6-2(A)(6)(b) of the Land Division Regulations, the City Engineer must certify on each plat that there is an assured water supply prior to recording.  A Will Serve letter from the Mesa Utilities Division is the mechanism required for the City Engineer to sign a plat. Will Serve Letter Request form 
• Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&Rs)
• Recording Fees
• A digital (CAD) file of the Minor Plat and a pdf without addresses
• Title Report along with one copy of all recorded documents identified on Schedule B, or provide documentation from a Title Company verifying current ownership.

The Minor Plat will be routed to the Planning Director and City Engineer for signature and attesting.

Planning staff will verify with the Development Services staff that the Land Division improvement plans have been approved prior to the Minor Plat being sent to the Real Estate Services Division for recordation. Once recorded, the Minor Plat will be returned to the engineer of record.