Chapter 12

Legal Descriptions and Site Plan Requirements

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Links for Chapter 12

Legal Descriptions

Site Plan Requirements

Site Plans

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Legal Descriptions• Legal descriptions are:

– Unique to every property– Filed with local jurisdictions– Public records

• A site is generally referred to as a plot or lot• A plat is a map that shows various plots and

lots

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Legal Descriptions

• Types of legal descriptions:– Metes and Bounds

– Rectangular Survey System

– Lot and Block

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Metes and Bounds

• Metes is referred to as measurements– Measured in feet, yards, rods, or surveyor’s

chain

• Bounds is referred to as boundaries– Boundaries refer to fences, tree lines, or river

– Established by bearings

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Metes and Bounds• Begins with a

monument known as point-of-bearing such as a rock, tree, or iron rod

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Rectangular Survey System

• Uses lines of latitude (parallels) and longitude (meridians) to establish boundaries

• Latitude - referred to as baselines

• Longitude - referred to as principal meridians

• Great land surveys established the boundaries for Ohio and the states eastward

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Rectangular Survey System

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Rectangular Survey System

• Great land surveys were broken into townships measuring 6 square miles

• Ranges were used to measure townships– T.7.S means Township #7 South

– R.2.E means Range #2 East

– This is the location for a township 36 square miles

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Rectangular Survey System

• Townships were further divided into 1 square mile areas known as a section– Each section is numbered from 1 to 36

• Sections are divided into 640 acres each measuring 43,560 sq. ft.

• Sections can also be divided into quarters that contain 160 acres

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Rectangular SurveySystem

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Lot and Block System

• Each portion of land is divided into building lots– Lots vary in size depending on the property

and owner

– A subdivision contains many block that are further divided into lots

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Site Plan Requirements• Topography - A physical description of the

land showing elevations and other physical features

• Contour lines are used to show terrain– Close lines indicate a steep grade– Farther lines indicate a gentle grade– The contour interval is the vertical distance

between contour lines

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Site Plan Requirements

EL. 100'EL. 100'

EL. 111.2'EL. 118'

R=25.00' L=39. 27'

ELEVATIONS AT CO RNERS

INDEXCONTOUR LINE

INTERMEDIATECONTOUR LINES

CONTO UR IN TERVA L

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Site Plans

• A site plan gives a:– legal description of the land

– Property line bearings, directions, and north

– Scale of the plan

– Existing and proposed structures and physical features with utilities

– Setbacks and topography

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Grading Plan

• Grading Plans show changes to the topography

• A profile is shown as a cross section

20'

10'

19'16'

S. TWAIN DRIVE

EXISTING CURB

EXISTING SIDEWALK

104.52'

GARAGE 93.0

LOWER FLOOR 90.5MAIN FLOOR 99.5

95.0

90.0

85.0

80.0

75.0

70.0

70.0

75.0

80.0

85.0

90.0

95.0

100.0

TW 100.0BW 99.0

TW 98.0BW 87.0

90.0

99.0 99.0

99.099.0

90.0

CLSCALE: 1" = 30'-0"

PROJECT SITE

S. TWAIN DRIVE

VICINITY MAPNO SCALE

LEGENDEXISTING CONTOUR LINES

FINISH CONTOUR LINES

FINISH ELEVATION

DRAINAGE SWALE (1% MIN.)

FINISHED SLOPE (11/2:1 MAX)

RETAINING WALL

TOP OF WALL/BASE OF WALL

PROPERTY LINE

100

100

100

TW 100BW 97

LOT 85, BLOCK 4, ANTHRACITE ESTATES,

LEGAL DISCRIPTION

LAWRENCE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA100.0

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Site Analysis Plan

• Site analysis plan shows the relationship of the proposed site to adjacent sites including:– A vicinity map with scale and north direction– Site features with boundaries– Traffic and pedestrian patterns– Contour lines– Solar orientation and prevailing winds

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Site AnalysisPlan

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Subdivision Plans

• These plans show a variety of information about how plots will be divided

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3

4

5 67

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SANDY ESTATESCITY OF HOUSTON, COUNTY OF HARRISSTATE OF TEXAS

1/2 IRON ROD ENDIN CONC.

10' 20' 30'

30'20'

R=10.00' L=15.17' =89 N 129'48" E

10'

15'

S 3302'56" E

15'

15'15'

R=10.00'

=89 L=13.70'

R=25.00'

=16 L=7.17'

R=25.00'

=75 L=32.10'

=55 L=48.39'

R=50.00'

=28 L=22.78'

R=25.00'

=71 L=30.77'

=79 L=68.92'

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Planned Unit Development

• A vicinity map is used to show large areas and the location of the development