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engineer and/or land surveyor’s responsibiliTies
A Civil Engineer or a Licensed Land Surveyor (hereinafter referred to as the engineer or project engineer) is retained by you, the developer, to analyze the project and to process the required subdivision maps and plans.
Note that the State Subdivision Map Act allows for either a Civil Engineer or Licensed Land Surveyor to file for recording a tract or parcel map. Upon request, your Chicago Title Sales Representative will be happy to provide you with names and phone numbers of such engineering firms or individual engineers for your consideration.
The following is a list of the services requiring an engineer:
• Tentative and Final Tract Map or Parcel Map • Boundary survey
• Street and/or off-site improvement plans
• Grading plan
• Utility plans, such as water and sewer
• Condominium Plan (if a condominium)
Prior to the tentative map approval
The engineer will discuss many things about the project with you prior to preparing and submitting the tentative map. Often times a planning consultant or expeditor is involved at this stage to assist with the feasibility analysis. Either way, the following is an overview of the items to be discussed and considered.
• The type of subdivision you desire, the number of units or lots that are planned, timing, etc.
• The engineer will then make a study of the existing zoning, expected street dedications or street widening requirements, community or general plan densities, parking requirements, demolition problems and environmental issues. An initial study which includes discussions with the City Planning Department can give advanced information about the conditions the City may impose and any possible neighborhood opposition. Once this information has been obtained, the developer will have a fairly accurate idea of the feasibility of the development.
• Due to parking requirements or, sometimes, excessive building setback requirements, it may not be physically possible to construct the maximum number of units or lots theoretically allowed for your development. Therefore, you should retain an architect or land planner to do a conceptual plan at this stage. Some cities require fairly complete building plans to be submitted with the tentative map and they may require a conditional use permit to be processed simultaneously with the subdivision map.
• In some cities, demolition of existing apartment units can trigger conditions of approval which provide for tenant relocation assistance.
• If the project is a conversion of an apartment to a condominium, a 60 day notice of your intent to file an application for condominium conversion must be given to all of the tenants in the building before you can file your application with the City. The local governing body (city or county) will have specific filing requirements for conversions which should be discussed at the initial study stage.
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