Warson Woods City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 420
Subdivision Regulations
Section 420.010 Compliance With Regulations.
[R.O. 2012 §420.010; CC 1988 §420.010; Ord. No. 692, 2-16-1988]
The owners of any land or lots as defined in this Code who may desire to develop or subdivide the same for residential purposes, shall before undertaking such development or subdivision, comply fully with all of the following provisions.
Section 420.020 Definitions.
[R.O. 2012 §420.020; CC 1988 §420.020; Ord. No. 692, 2-16-1988]
For the purposes of this Chapter, certain terms and words are defined as follows:
A line on a plat between which line and street or private way no building or structures may be erected.
A map, drawing or chart on which the subdivider's plan of the subdivision is presented, and which he/she submits for approval and intends in final form to record as prepared by a bonded surveyor or an engineer licensed or qualified by registration in the State of Missouri or the City or County of St. Louis.
The division of a parcel of land into two (2) or more lots, or other divisions of land; it includes resubdivision and, when appropriate to the context, relates to the process of subdividing or to the land or territory subdivided.
Section 420.030 Approval and Acceptance.
[R.O. 2012 §420.030; CC 1988 §420.030; Ord. No. 692, 2-16-1988]
A.
Preliminary Approval By City Planning And Zoning Commission. Whenever the owner of any tract or parcel of land within the corporate limits of the City of Warson Woods wishes to make a subdivision of same, he/she shall cause to be prepared a preliminary plan of said subdivision and shall submit said preliminary plan and other information to the City Planning and Zoning Commission, sometimes hereinafter referred to as the Planning and Zoning Commission, for its preliminary study and approval. The preliminary plan shall contain such information and data as is outlined in Section 420.040.
The City Planning and Zoning Commission shall study such preliminary plat to see if it conforms with the minimum standards and requirements as outlined in this Chapter and shall approve or reject such plat within sixty (60) days after the date of submission thereof to the Planning and Zoning Commission. If the Plan Commission does not act within said period of sixty (60) days, the preliminary plat shall be deemed to be approved; provided however, that the subdivider may agree to an extension of the time for a period not to exceed sixty (60) days.
A certificate or statement shall accompany the preliminary and final plat or map, showing the compliance with the requirements under this Chapter.
The subdivider shall also submit to the City Planning and Zoning Commission, for its approval or rejection, a final plat of the subdivision which shall contain the data and information outlined in Section 420.040 of this Chapter. The final plat and plans relating to construction data, shall be prepared and shall bear the signature and seal of an engineer licensed to practice professional engineering in the State of Missouri, or a bonded surveyor in the City or County of St. Louis. If the Commission approves the plat, such approval and date thereof shall be noted on the plat over the signatures of both the Chairman and Secretary of the City Planning and Zoning Commission.
B.
Approval By The Board Of Aldermen. After approval of the subdivision by the City Planning and Zoning Commission, it shall be submitted to the Board of Aldermen for final approval or rejection, and for acceptance or rejection of streets, sidewalks, sewers, alleys, ways, easements, parks, or other areas preserved for or dedicated to the public.
If the City Planning and Zoning Commission does not approve the final plan of the subdivision, the Board of Aldermen may approve said plan and accept the public areas and easements thereon only by a majority vote of the entire membership of the Board. Two (2) copies of all final plans shall be filed with the City Clerk after approval by the Board.
Section 420.040 Information Required On Preliminary and Final Plats.
[R.O. 2012 §420.040; CC 1988 §420.040; Ord. No. 692, 2-16-1988]
A.
Each subdivider of land should confer with the City Planning and Zoning Commission or with the City Officials before preparing the preliminary plat in order to become thoroughly familiar with the proposed comprehensive plan or with regulations of the City affecting the territory in which the proposed subdivision lies.
1.
Preliminary plan. In seeking to subdivide land, the owner shall submit seven (7) copies of a preliminary sketched plan to the City Planning and Zoning Commission before submission of the final plat. The preliminary plan shall be drawn to scale and shall show the topography of the tract, the location of the proposed streets, lot lines, building lines and any parks or open spaces. The plan shall also show surrounding streets, lots, watercourses and sewers or water mains. The scale of such preliminary plans shall not be less than one (1) inch to one hundred (100) feet. The subdivider shall submit a statement of the type of character of the improvements that he/she proposes to install and an outline of the deed restrictions and covenants that will be placed upon the subdivision.
2.
Final plan. The final map on tracing cloth and two (2) prints thereof shall be submitted to the Planning and Zoning Commission. It shall show:
a.
The block, section, United States survey or part thereof, it purports to represent.
b.
The boundaries of the property; the lines of all proposed streets and alleys with their width and names; and any other areas intended to be dedicated to public use.
c.
The lines of adjoining streets and alleys, with their width and names.
d.
All lot lines, building lines and easements with figures showing their dimensions.
e.
All dimensions, both linear and angular, necessary for locating boundaries of the subdivided area or of the lots, streets, alleys, easements and building line set-backs, and any other similar public or private uses. The linear dimensions shall be expressed in feet and decimals of a foot.
f.
Radii, arcs and chords, points of tangency, central angles for all curvilinear streets, and radii for all rounded corners.
g.
All monuments together with their descriptions.
h.
Title and description of property subdivided, showing its location and extent, points of compass, scales of plans and name of subdivider and of engineer staking the lots.
i.
Plan and profile of all streets, storm and sanitary sewers, water lines and drainage structures together with their drainage area, cross sections of street and sidewalk gradients and proposed construction.
j.
Any private restrictions and trusteeships of expiration or reference made to them on the plat; the plat shall contain proper acknowledgements of owners and mortgagees accepting said plat and restrictions.
k.
A certificate shall accompany the final plat showing that all taxes due shall have been previously paid.
Section 420.045 Plat To Be Acknowledged and Recorded - Acceptance By City.
[R.O. 2012 §420.045]
Such map or plat shall be acknowledged by the proprietor before some official authorized by law to take acknowledgments of conveyances of real estate, and recorded in the office of the Recorder of Deeds of St. Louis County provided however, that if such map or plat be of land situated within the corporate limits of the City, it shall not be placed of record until it shall have been submitted to and approved by the Board of Aldermen of the City, by ordinance, duly passed and approved by the Mayor, and such approval endorsed upon such map or plat under the hand of the Clerk and the Seal of such City, nor until all taxes against the same shall have been paid; and before approving such plat, the Board of Aldermen may, in its discretion, require such changes or alterations thereon as may be found necessary to make such map or plat conform to any zoning or street development plan which may have been adopted or appear desirable, and to the requirements of the duly enacted ordinances of the City, appertaining to the laying out and platting of subdivisions of land within their corporate limits.
Section 420.050 Minimum Standards of Design and of Development.
[R.O. 2012 §420.050; CC 1988 §420.050; Ord. No. 692, 2-16-1988]
A.
No subdivision plat shall be approved by either the Planning and Zoning Commission or by the Board of Aldermen unless it conforms to the following minimum standards and requirements:
1.
Relation to adjoining street system. The arrangement of streets in new subdivisions shall make provisions for the proper location and width of major streets. The subdivider may be required to continue certain adjoining streets through the area that is being subdivided, whenever same is necessary to provide for local movements of vehicles or to enable adjoining property to be properly subdivided.
2.
Streets and alley widths.
a.
All major streets shall be fifty (50) feet in width and have a minimum paved width of thirty (30) feet.
b.
All minor streets shall have a fifty (50) foot right-of-way with a minimum paved width of twenty-six (26) feet.
c.
Alleys should not be provided in residential districts. Alleys will, however, be required in the rear of all business lots and shall be at least twenty (20) feet wide.
d.
Where it is desirable to subdivide a tract of land, which because of its size or location, does not permit a normal street arrangement, there may be established one or more "places". Such a place may be in the form of a court, a Cul de Sac, or other arrangement, except that it shall not end in a dead-end street. All "places" or Cul de Sacs shall have a circle at the end with a minimum of fifty (50) feet turning radius.
e.
Adequate provision shall be made adjacent to commercial buildings for public street parking areas in accordance with minimum standards and requirements in conformity with other laws of the City of Warson Woods.
3.
Easements.
a.
Where alleys are not provided, easements of not less than five (5) feet in width shall be provided on each side of all rear lot lines, and side lines where necessary, for poles, wires, conduits, storm and sanitary sewers, gas, water and heat mains. Easements of greater width may be required along lines or across lots where necessary for the extension of main sewers and similar utilities.
b.
Whenever any creek, stream or important surface watercourse is located in an area that is being subdivided, the subdivider shall, at his/her own expense, make adequate provisions for straightening or widening the channel so that it will properly carry the surface water and shall stabilize and secure the creek banks so that the same will be free from erosion; and he/she shall also provide and dedicate to the City an adequate easement along each side of the watercourse, which easement shall be for the purpose of widening, improving or protecting the same and for recreational uses.
4.
Lots. The minimum area of any lot in a subdivision shall not be less than the minimum lot area requirements of the zoning districts in which the area is located.
5.
Building lines. Building lines shall be shown on all lots intended for residential use of any character, and on commercial lots immediately adjoining residential areas. Such building lines shall not be less than required by the General Zoning Ordinance of the City
6.
Improvements. Before the final plat of any subdivided area shall be approved and recorded, the subdivider shall make and install the improvements described in this Subsection. In lieu of final completion of the minimum improvements before the plat is finally approved, the subdivider will post a surety bond, which bond will insure to the City that the improvements will be completed by the subdivider within two (2) years after the final approval of the plan. The amount of the bond shall not be less than the estimated cost of improvements, and the amount of the estimate must be approved by the Board of Aldermen. If the improvements are not completed within the specified time, the Board of Aldermen may use the bond or any necessary portion thereof to complete the same.
The minimum improvements installed in any subdivision before the plat can be finally approved shall be in accordance with the following Subsections:
a.
The subdivider shall grade and improve all new streets and alleys (if any) within the subdivided area. All such streets and alleys shall conform to the minimum structural standards as established by St. Louis County. The paving on all new major streets shall be concrete having a minimum width of thirty (30) feet and the paving on all new minor streets shall be concrete or bituminous macadam having a minimum width of twenty-six (26) feet. The paved width shall be measured from back to back of curbs and gutters. Curbs and gutters shall be of concrete and conform to the minimum requirements and standards as established by St. Louis County.
b.
The subdivider shall pay the cost of all labor, materials, and incidental expense required for the installation of water mains and fire hydrants in the subdivided area. Refund of monies for the installation shall be made in accordance with the contract entered into with the Missouri American Water Company to the subdivider by said Water Company. Such installation of the water mains and fire hydrants aforesaid shall be done by the Missouri American Water Company in accordance with their standards and specifications as approved by the Board of Aldermen of Warson Woods. The water mains and hydrants, when installed, shall become at once the property of the Missouri American Water Company and said Company shall have exclusive control and use thereof, subject to the right of the residents of the subdivided area to be connected therewith, under the rules and regulations of the Missouri American Water Company.
c.
The subdivider shall install sanitary sewers in conformance with the minimum requirements of the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District and provide a connection with each lot. Before the improvement is started, the plan therefor shall be approved by the Board of Aldermen of Warson Woods.
d.
The subdivider shall, when necessary, install storm sewers to provide drainage of the development in conformance with minimum requirements of the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District. Before the improvement is started, the plan therefor shall be approved by the Board of Aldermen of Warson Woods.
7.
Inspection. The City of Warson Woods shall require the payment to the City of the sum of two hundred dollars ($200.00) per inspection during construction.
[Ord. No. 1675, 1-17-2023]
8.
Street names. Streets that are obviously in alignment with others already existing and named shall bear the names of the existing streets.
Before the final plan for the subdivision shall be approved, the subdivider shall submit to the Board of Aldermen a statement from the local Postmaster approving the name of the proposed streets and of the proposed system of postal addresses along such streets.
Section 420.060 Variations and Exceptions.
[R.O. 2012 §420.060; CC 1988 §420.060; Ord. No. 692, 2-16-1988]
Whenever the strict enforcement of these regulations would entail unusual difficulties or hardships, the Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Aldermen of Warson Woods may vary or modify them in such a way that the subdivider be allowed to plan and develop his/her property and record a plat of same; provided however, that the public welfare and interests of the City be fully protected and the general intent and spirit of the regulations preserved.
Section 420.070 Enforcement.
[R.O. 2012 §420.070; CC 1988 §420.070; Ord. No. 692, 2-16-1988]
A.
No plat of any subdivision shall be entitled to record in the County Recorder's Office or have any validity until it shall have been approved in the manner prescribed herein.
B.
The Board of Aldermen of the City of Warson Woods shall not permit any public improvements over which it has any control to be made or any money expended for improvements in any area that has been subdivided or upon any street that was platted after the date of the adoption of this Code unless such subdivision or street has been approved in accordance with the provisions contained herein.
C.
Any person who deems himself/herself aggrieved by any final action of the Board of Aldermen in refusing to approve a plan for the design or development of new subdivisions, as herein provided for, may appeal to the Circuit Court of St. Louis County, from such final order or decision of the Board of Aldermen.