SB-0919, As Passed Senate, December 2, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE BILL No. 919

 

 

October 20, 2009, Introduced by Senator McMANUS and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1967 PA 288, entitled

 

"Land division act,"

 

by amending sections 102, 105, 116, and 117 (MCL 560.102, 560.105,

 

560.116, and 560.117), section 102 as amended by 1996 PA 591,

 

section 105 as amended by 1997 PA 87, and sections 116 and 117 as

 

amended by 2004 PA 525.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 102. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Plat" means a map or chart of a subdivision of land.

 

     (b) "Land" means all land areas occupied by real property.

 

     (c) "Preliminary plat" means a map showing the salient

 

features of a proposed subdivision submitted to an approving


 

authority for purposes of preliminary consideration.

 

     (d) "Division" means the partitioning or splitting of a parcel

 

or tract of land by the proprietor thereof or by his or her heirs,

 

executors, administrators, legal representatives, successors, or

 

assigns for the purpose of sale, or lease of more than 1 year, or

 

of building development that results in 1 or more parcels of less

 

than 40 acres or the equivalent, and that satisfies the

 

requirements of sections 108 and 109. Division does not include a

 

property transfer between 2 or more adjacent parcels, if the

 

property taken from 1 parcel is added to an adjacent parcel; and

 

any resulting parcel shall not be considered a building site unless

 

the parcel conforms to the requirements of this act or the

 

requirements of an applicable local ordinance.

 

     (e) "Exempt split" means the partitioning or splitting of a

 

parcel or tract of land by the proprietor thereof or by his or her

 

heirs, executors, administrators, legal representatives,

 

successors, or assigns that does not result in 1 or more parcels of

 

less than 40 acres or the equivalent. For a property transfer

 

between 2 or more adjacent parcels, if the property taken from 1

 

parcel is added to an adjacent parcel, any resulting parcel shall

 

not be considered a building site unless the parcel conforms to the

 

requirements of this act or the requirements of an applicable local

 

ordinance.

 

     (f) "Subdivide" or "subdivision" means the partitioning or

 

splitting of a parcel or tract of land by the proprietor thereof or

 

by his or her heirs, executors, administrators, legal

 

representatives, successors, or assigns for the purpose of sale, or


 

lease of more than 1 year, or of building development that results

 

in 1 or more parcels of less than 40 acres or the equivalent, and

 

that is not exempted from the platting requirements of this act by

 

sections 108 and 109. "Subdivide" or "subdivision" does not include

 

a property transfer between 2 or more adjacent parcels, if the

 

property taken from 1 parcel is added to an adjacent parcel; and

 

any resulting parcel shall not be considered a building site unless

 

the parcel conforms to the requirements of this act or the

 

requirements of an applicable local ordinance.

 

     (g) "Parcel" means a continuous area or acreage of land which

 

can be described as provided for in this act.

 

     (h) "Tract" means 2 or more parcels that share a common

 

property line and are under the same ownership.

 

     (i) "Parent parcel" or "parent tract" means a parcel or tract,

 

respectively, lawfully in existence on the effective date of the

 

amendatory act that added this subdivision March 31, 1997.

 

     (j) "Accessible", in reference to a parcel, means that the

 

parcel meets 1 or both of the following requirements:

 

     (i) Has an area where a driveway provides vehicular access to

 

an existing road or street and meets all applicable location

 

standards of the state transportation department or county road

 

commission under Act No. 200 of the Public Acts of 1969, being

 

sections 247.321 to 247.329 of the Michigan Compiled Laws 1969 PA

 

200, MCL 247.321 to 247.329, and of the city or village, or has an

 

area where a driveway can provide vehicular access to an existing

 

road or street and meet all such applicable location standards.

 

     (ii) Is served by an existing easement that provides vehicular


 

access to an existing road or street and that meets all applicable

 

location standards of the state transportation department or county

 

road commission under Act No. 200 of the Public Acts of 1969 1969

 

PA 200, MCL 247.321 to 247.329, and of the city or village, or can

 

be served by a proposed easement that will provide vehicular access

 

to an existing road or street and that will meet all such

 

applicable location standards.

 

     (k) "Development site" means any parcel or lot on which exists

 

or which is intended for building development other than the

 

following:

 

     (i) Agricultural use involving the production of plants and

 

animals useful to humans, including forages and sod crops; grains,

 

feed crops, and field crops; dairy animals and dairy products;

 

poultry and poultry products; livestock, including breeding and

 

grazing of cattle, swine, and similar animals; berries; herbs;

 

flowers; seeds; grasses; nursery stock; fruits; vegetables;

 

Christmas trees; and other similar uses and activities.

 

     (ii) Forestry use involving the planting, management, or

 

harvesting of timber.

 

     (l) "Forty acres or the equivalent" means 40 acres, a quarter-

 

quarter section containing not less than 30 acres, or a government

 

lot containing not less than 30 acres.

 

     (m) "Lot" means a measured portion of a parcel or tract of

 

land, which is described and fixed in a recorded plat.

 

     (n) "Outlot", when included within the boundary of a recorded

 

plat, means a lot set aside for purposes other than a development

 

site, park, or other land dedicated to public use or reserved to


 

private use.

 

     (o) "Proprietor" means a natural person, firm, association,

 

partnership, corporation, or combination of any of them that holds

 

an ownership interest in land whether recorded or not.

 

     (p) "Governing body" means the legislative body of a city or

 

village or the township board of a township.

 

     (q) "Municipality" means a township, city, or village.

 

     (r) "County plat board" means the register of deeds, who shall

 

act as chairperson, the county clerk, who shall act as secretary,

 

and the county treasurer. If the offices of county clerk and

 

register of deeds have been combined, the chairperson of the county

 

board of supervisors commissioners shall be a member of the plat

 

board and shall act as chairperson. In a county where a board of

 

auditors is authorized by law, such board may elect to serve on the

 

county plat board by adopting a resolution so ordering. A copy of

 

the recorded resolution shall be sent to the state treasurer.

 

     (s) "Public utility" means all persons, firms, corporations,

 

copartnerships, or municipal or other public authority providing

 

gas, electricity, water, steam, telephone, sewer, or other services

 

of a similar nature.

 

     (t) "Caption" means the name by which the plat is legally and

 

commonly known.

 

     (u) "Replat" means the process of changing, or the map or plat

 

which changes, the boundaries of a recorded subdivision plat or

 

part thereof. The legal dividing of an outlot within a recorded

 

subdivision plat without changing the exterior boundaries of the

 

outlot is not a replat.


 

     (v) "Surveyor" means a professional surveyor licensed under

 

article 20 of the occupational code, Act No. 299 of the Public Acts

 

of 1980, being sections 339.2001 to 339.2014 of the Michigan

 

Compiled Laws 1980 PA 299, MCL 339.2001 to 339.2014.

 

     (w) "Engineer" means a civil engineer who is a professional

 

engineer licensed under article 20 of the occupational code, Act

 

No. 299 of the Public Acts of 1980, being sections 339.2001 to

 

339.2014 of the Michigan Compiled Laws 1980 PA 299, MCL 339.2001 to

 

339.2014.

 

     (x) "Government survey" means the land surveyed, subdivided

 

and monumented by the United States public land survey.

 

     (y) "Michigan coordinate system" means the system defined in

 

Act No. 9 of the Public Acts of 1964, being sections 54.231 to

 

54.239 of the Michigan Compiled Laws 1964 PA 9, MCL 54.231 to

 

54.239.

 

     (z) "Alley" means a public or private right of way shown on a

 

plat which provides secondary access to a lot, block, or parcel of

 

land.

 

     (aa) "Health department" means the department of environmental

 

quality natural resources, a city health department, a county

 

health department, or a district health department, whichever has

 

jurisdiction.

 

     (bb) "Public sewer" means a sewerage system as defined in

 

section 4101 of part 41 (sewerage systems) of the natural resources

 

and environmental protection act, Act No. 451 of the Public Acts of

 

1994, being section 324.4101 of the Michigan Compiled Laws 1994 PA

 

451, MCL 324.4101.


 

     (cc) "Public water" means a system of pipes and structures

 

through which water is obtained and distributed to the public,

 

including wells and well structures, intakes, and cribs, pumping

 

stations, treatment plants, reservoirs, storage tanks and

 

appurtenances, collectively or severally, actually used or intended

 

for use for the purpose of furnishing water to the public for

 

household or drinking purposes.

 

     (dd) "Topographical map" means a map showing existing physical

 

characteristics, with contour lines at sufficient intervals to

 

permit determination of proposed grades and drainage.

 

     (ee) "Flood plain" means that area of land adjoining the

 

channel of a river, stream, water course, lake, or other similar

 

body of water which will be inundated by a flood which can

 

reasonably be expected for that region.

 

     Sec. 105. Approval of a preliminary plat, or final plat shall

 

be conditioned upon compliance with all of the following:

 

     (a) The provisions of this act.

 

     (b) Any ordinance or published rules of a municipality or

 

county adopted to carry out the provisions of this act.

 

     (c) Any published rules of a county drain commissioner, county

 

road commission, or county plat board adopted to carry out the

 

provisions of this act.

 

     (d) The rules of the state transportation department relating

 

to provisions for the safety of entrance upon and departure from

 

the abutting state trunk line highways or connecting streets and

 

relating to the provisions of drainage as required by the

 

department's then currently published standards and specifications.


 

     (e) The rules of the department of consumer and industry

 

services energy, labor, and economic growth for the approval of

 

plats, including forms, certificates of approval, and other

 

required certificates, captioning of plats, and numbering of lots.

 

     (f) The rules of the department of environmental quality

 

natural resources for the determination and establishment of

 

floodplain areas of rivers, streams, creeks, or lakes, as provided

 

in this act, as published in the state administrative code.

 

     (g) The rules of the department of environmental quality

 

natural resources relating to suitability of groundwater for on-

 

site water supply for subdivisions not served by public water or to

 

suitability of soils for subdivisions not served by public sewers.

 

The department of environmental quality natural resources may

 

authorize a city, county, or district health department to carry

 

out the provisions of this act and rules promulgated under this act

 

relating to suitability of groundwater for subdivisions not served

 

by public water or relating to suitability of soils for

 

subdivisions not served by public sewers. The department of

 

environmental quality natural resources may require percolation

 

tests and boring tests to determine suitability of soils. When such

 

tests are required, they shall be conducted under the supervision

 

of a registered engineer, registered land surveyor, or registered

 

sanitarian in accordance with uniform procedures established by the

 

department of environmental quality natural resources.

 

     Sec. 116. (1) The proprietor shall submit 2 copies of the

 

preliminary plat to the department of environmental quality natural

 

resources for information purposes, if the land proposed to be


 

subdivided abuts a lake or stream or abuts an existing or proposed

 

channel or lagoon affording access to a lake or stream where public

 

rights may be affected.

 

     (2) The department, within 30 days after receipt of the

 

preliminary plat, shall place the proprietor, the governing body of

 

the municipality, and the county plat board on notice in writing if

 

it has any objections or may furnish such information to each as

 

may be helpful or necessary in its opinion to adequately plan the

 

development and secure approval of the final plat.

 

     (3) Copies of the letters required under subsection (2) shall

 

be sent to the department of energy, labor, and economic growth.

 

     Sec. 117. (1) The proprietor shall submit 2 copies of the

 

preliminary plat to the department of environmental quality natural

 

resources, if any of the subdivision lies wholly or in part within

 

the floodplain of a river, stream, creek, or lake. The department

 

of environmental quality natural resources, within 30 days after

 

receipt of the preliminary plat, shall approve it, approve it

 

subject to conditions, or reject it. If the preliminary plat is

 

approved, the department of environmental quality natural resources

 

shall note its approval on the copy to be returned to the

 

proprietor. If the department of environmental quality natural

 

resources approves the preliminary plat subject to conditions or

 

rejects the preliminary plat, the department shall give the reasons

 

for rejection and requirements for approval in writing to the

 

proprietor and to each of the other officers and agencies to which

 

the proprietor was required to submit the preliminary plat under

 

sections 113 to 115 and 117 to 119. The determination of a


 

floodplain area shall be based on rules specified in section

 

105(f).

 

     (2) The preliminary plat submittal to the department of

 

environmental quality natural resources under subsection (1) shall

 

be accompanied by a fee of $500.00 to cover the administrative cost

 

of the department's preliminary plat review. If the department of

 

environmental quality natural resources determines that engineering

 

computations are required to establish the limits of the floodplain

 

on a preliminary plat, the department shall assess an additional

 

fee of $1,500.00 to cover the department's cost of establishing

 

those limits.

 

     (3) The department of environmental quality natural resources

 

shall forward fees collected under this section to the state

 

treasurer for deposit in the land and water management permit fee

 

fund created in section 30113 of the natural resources and

 

environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.30113.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect

 

unless Senate Bill No. 807                                    

 

          of the 95th Legislature is enacted into law.