B. The approval criteria for approval of preliminary plats shall be as follows:

A. Preliminary plat approval shall be effective for a period of 60 months. Additional time for application for final plat approval may be granted as provided by SMC 14.215.085.

B. Preliminary approval shall be considered the basis upon which the applicant may proceed toward development of the subdivision and preparation of the final plat subject to all the conditions of the preliminary approval.

C. When a plat is developed in divisions or phases and complete applications for final plats for all divisions or phases are not submitted within the time limits provided in this section, preliminary subdivision approval for all incomplete divisions or phases shall become void.

D. When a preliminary plat, or division or phase thereof, becomes void due to expiration of approval, a new, complete application for preliminary plat approval shall be required. Such application shall conform to regulations applicable at the time of submittal. (Ord. 2184, 2010; Ord. 2353, 2018; Ord. 2529, 2025)

A. Revisions that result in any substantial changes as determined by the City Planner shall be treated as a new application for purposes of vesting and shall be reviewed in the same manner as the original submittal. For the purpose of this section, substantial change includes the creation of additional lots, the elimination of open space or changes to conditions of approval on an approved preliminary plat.

B. Approval of the following modifications by the Planning Director shall not be considered substantial changes:

A. Said improvements are more practically done later, such as the final lift of asphalt surfaces which might otherwise be marred by heavy equipment, or recreational equipment which might be vandalized if installed before the subdivision is populated, or street trees and other landscape and mitigation plantings which are better installed in a different season;

B. The applicant deposits a performance bond or cash surety, with the City as beneficiary, in an amount not less than 150 percent of the City Engineer’s cost estimate for the remaining improvements; and

C. Said bond or surety specifies a period within which to complete the improvements, which period shall not exceed two years from the date of final plat approval. (Ord. 2353, 2018; Ord. 2529, 2025)

A. The applicant shall deposit with the City a maintenance bond or similar surety that warrants the successful operation of all required plat improvements, and that warrants against defects in labor and material and any damage caused by construction activity.

B. The maintenance bond shall be valid for two years from City acceptance of all required improvements, which may or may not coincide with final plat approval as provided in SMC 14.215.060.

C. The bond or other surety shall be submitted with the final plat application and shall be 10 percent of the City Engineer estimated value of all required plat improvements.

D. The maintenance bond or other approved surety shall be in addition to any performance bond as provided in SMC 14.215.060.

E. The City Attorney shall approve the form, sufficiency, and manner of execution of the maintenance bond.

F. Upon the termination of the warranty period, and after any necessary restoration or repair of improvements, the City shall authorize the release of the maintenance bond; provided, that the City may withhold release of the bond up to one year from the date of any restoration or repairs to ensure adequacy. (Ord. 2353, 2018; Ord. 2529, 2025)

A. A request for an extension of time shall be submitted in writing to the Planning Director and shall:

B. Upon review and consideration of the request, the Planning Director may at his/her discretion authorize an initial, one year extension for submittal of a final plat (60 months plus 12 months for a total of 72 months).

C. Upon review and consideration of the request, the Planning Director may at his/her discretion authorize a second, one-year extension for submittal of a final plat (72 months plus 12 months for a total of 84 months). (Ord. 2184, 2010; Ord. 2353, 2018; Ord. 2529, 2025)

A. Plat map certified by a registered land surveyor, including everything required by RCW 58.17.160 and including signage blocks as required by the City;

B. Title certificate confirming that title vests in the stated owners and that any dedications, easements, or deeds being granted to the City are free of encumbrances;

C. Legal descriptions of the lands divided as they appear on the plat;

D. Closure calculation records for all lots, tracts, and boundaries within the plat;

E. A statement that a subdivision has been made with the free consent of the owners;

F. A dedication to the public of all streets and other public areas;

G. A performance bond, if appropriate, per SMC 14.215.060 and a maintenance bond per SMC 14.215.080; and

H. A fee deposit to cover costs of processing the final plat. (Ord. 2353, 2018; Ord. 2529, 2025)

A. Accuracy and mathematical closure of all lots and boundaries;

B. Conformance with the preliminary plat conditions of approval;

C. Conformance with City ordinances and public works standards; and

D. Conformance with State law.

A. Preliminary short plats are Type 3 permits under Chapter 14.20 SMC. Applications for preliminary short plats shall include, at a minimum, the following submittal requirements:

B. The criteria for approval of preliminary short plats shall be:

C. Land within a short plat shall not be subdivided within five years of final short plat approval.

D. Final Short Plat Criteria. The criteria for approval of a final plat shall be:

The signature on the face of the final short plat by the City Engineer and the City Planner shall serve as approval of the short plat. (Ord. 2252, 2013; Ord. 2353, 2018; Ord. 2529, 2025)

A. Purpose. The purpose of this section is to allow subdivision of certain housing types listed as allowed uses in Chapter 14.207 SMC where subdivision is not otherwise possible due to conflicts between characteristics of the development type and applicable dimensional standards in Chapter 14.210 SMC. In such cases, the unit lot subdivision process provides opportunities for fee simple ownership of land as an alternative to condominium ownership. Unit lot subdivision applies the dimensional standards in Chapter 14.210 SMC to the overall site, the “parent lot,” while allowing flexibility in the dimensional standards for the subordinate “unit lots.” This section is not intended to permit uses or densities that are not otherwise allowed in the land use designations in which a unit lot subdivision is proposed.

B. Applicability.

C. Deviation From Dimensional Standards. The overall development on the parent lot proposed for subdivision shall maintain consistency with the development standards applicable to the zoning district and the land use type at the time the application is vested, as specified by the applicable code provisions and this section. Subsequent additions or modification to the structure(s) shall not create any nonconformity of the parent lot. Deviation from setback, lot width, and lot area standards in Chapter 14.210 SMC may be approved for individual unit lots through a unit lot subdivision, subject to any limitations in this section. Structures on unit lots and structures divided by unit lots that conform to a recorded unit lot subdivision shall not be considered nonconforming under Chapter 14.80 SMC.

D. Subdivision of Cottage Housing and Detached Dwelling Developments on a Single Lot.

E. Mobile Home Parks. Mobile home parks shall be eligible for unit lot subdivision where consistent with the criteria and standards in Chapter 14.180 SMC, except that the unit lot subdivision and administrative development plan shall serve in lieu of the recorded development plan.

F. Approval Process. Unit lot subdivisions of four or fewer lots shall be processed in the same manner as short plats, as a Type 3 permit pursuant to Chapter 14.20 SMC. Unit lot subdivisions of five or more lots shall be processed as plats, as a Type 4 permit pursuant to Chapter 14.20 SMC. For subdivision of undeveloped land, the required site development plan process may be incorporated into the plat process.

G. Approval Criteria. In addition to any other standards and approval criteria applicable to a unit lot subdivision proposal, including but not limited to criteria in Chapters 14.65 and 14.210 SMC and this chapter, proposals shall be subject to the following:

A. This section sets forth procedures and criteria for the review and approval of minor adjustments to boundary lines of existing legal lots in order to rectify defects in legal descriptions, to allow the enlargement or merging of lots to improve or qualify as a building site, to achieve increased setbacks from property lines or sensitive areas, to correct situations wherein an established use is located across a lot line, or for other similar purposes.

B. Applications for boundary line adjustments shall be reviewed for consistency with the City of Snohomish Land Use Development Code, including shoreline management regulations, and critical area regulations, applicable Snohomish Health District regulations and the City’s fire and building code regulations.

C. The City shall not approve any proposed boundary line adjustment that would:

D. An application for a boundary line adjustment shall expire one year after a complete application has been filed with the City. An extension up to an additional year may be granted by the Planning Director upon a showing by the applicant of reasonable cause. (Ord. 2082, 2005; Ord. 2353, 2018; Ord. 2529, 2025)

A. Binding site plans are a Type 2 permit under Chapter 14.20 SMC. They are an alternative to the subdivision procedures set forth in this chapter for the following divisions of land:

B. Application and Approval Procedures.

C. Recording – Binding Effect.

D. Alteration or Vacation of Binding Site Plans.

E. Violation.