Minor Plats

A minor plat is considered to be an administrative subdivision whose purpose is to eliminate the requirement that all subdivision plats be approved by the City Council. This can occur if:

• The subdivision involves only a minor change in the configuration of land;
• The subdivision will not likely impact surrounding property in a manner significantly different than if the property had not been subdivided; and
• The subdivision otherwise conforms to all other applicable regulations.

A minor subdivision is a division of land into four or fewer lots:

• Which does not require the design or construction of any public improvements, provided that if improvements exist but do not meet current design standards, the City Engineer approves a waiver of the design standards;
• Which is in conformity with the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance of the City or County of Champaign, whichever is applicable;
• Which is otherwise in conformity with all applicable laws and regulations unless previously waived; and
• Which is located within the City or is otherwise under an annexation agreement requiring future annexation to the City of Champaign.

The Planning and Development Department has an application form which the applicant must complete that is included in this application package. It is often helpful to meet with City staff prior to the submission of the application or to schedule an appointment to review the application when it is formally submitted. Staff cannot provide the applicant with legal advice, nor is it required, but applicants are welcome to bring an attorney, architect, builder, or anyone else they believe will be helpful to any meetings.

The application asks for a variety of information including name and address of the applicant and subdivider; existing zoning classification; current and proposed land use; a legal description of the subject property; a minor plat; a review fee; and other relevant characteristics about the subject property.

Minor plats are submitted in this form and with the contents specified in Chapter 4 of the Manual of Practice. The Manual of Practice also specifies the number and size of plats and copies for review.

The applicant must submit a complete application for review of the minor plat to the Planning and Development Director. The Planning and Development Director will then distribute copies of the application and plat to various internal and external agencies.

Minor plat applications require review fees of $20 per lot.

The owner can designate in the application that he/she is seeking conditional approval of the minor subdivision, subject to the design and construction of required public improvements as specified by the owner. These improvements should be noted on the plat itself and included in the application as “planned for construction”. Construction plans for the improvements should be submitted along with the plat.

If the Planning and Development Director and City Engineer find that the minor subdivision plat meets required criteria except that required public improvements as noted on the application are not yet installed, they can conditionally approve the minor subdivision plat. This approval is conditioned on the design and construction of the required improvements within 90 days of the date of conditional approval.

If the owner submits satisfactory proof within this time frame and the City Engineer determines that the improvements now meet current design standards, then the Planning and Development Director, City Engineer, Mayor and City Clerk should approve the minor subdivision. If this proof is not submitted within 90 days, the conditional approval will lapse and the application for minor subdivision approval will be considered denied.

It is recommended that applicants meet with Current Planning staff prior to completing the formal application for a Minor Subdivision.

The same property may not be subdivided by use of the Minor Subdivision approval process more frequently than once in any five-year period.

If sidewalks do not exist within or adjacent to the proposed minor subdivision as required by current regulations, an administrative waiver from immediate sidewalk construction may be requested.

The decision to grant the sidewalk waiver will be made by the Planning and Development Director and City Engineer based on the following criteria:

• Lack of sidewalks in the immediate vicinity;
• The minor subdivision is located on a street which is in need of reconstruction; or
• Unique site conditions, such as uneven topography, vegetation, etc., make immediate sidewalk construction not feasible.

If granted, the sidewalk waiver will be conditioned on the owner’s recording a covenant, approved by the City Attorney, that states any current or future owners of the property will not object to any special assessment for sidewalk construction, if deemed necessary by the City in the future.

In order to record the Minor Plat, the following documents will need to be submitted at least ten days prior to recording:

• Owner’s Certificate
• Surveyor’s Certificate
• Tax Certificate
• Recording Agent Designation Letter
• School District Certificate

Although not required at the time of application submission, there may be delays in recording the minor plat if these documents are not submitted within ten days of expected recording.