STEP 1

First contact the Planning Office to determine if a preliminary consultation regarding the requirements of the Subdivision regulations is necessary. The preliminary consultation is intended to provide you with an opportunity to resolve problems in subdividing early in the proceedings.

Your consultation does not require a formal application fee or filing of a plat, but you need to develop a sketch plan to include the following information:

• A proposed layout of the streets, lots and other elements basic to the proposed use in relationship to site conditions; and
• A proposed method for sewage collection, storm drainage, water supply and other utilities.

You may want to contact a surveyor or engineer to assist you at this stage; however, it is not a requirement for a preliminary consultation.

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STEP 2

Plat Procedures

The staff of the Planning Office for the City serves as the administrative agency for processing all subdivision applications and submitting them to the Hagerstown Planning Commission for formal review and action. Most subdivisions will also require a FCP in compliance with the F.C. Ordinance

With the exception of simplified plats, all subdivision applications, Development Plans and Final Plats, and related data, submitted to the Planning Office.

The Plat should be drawn at a scale of one (1) inch equals fifty (50) feet or one (1) inch equals one hundred (100) feet and may be of one or more sheets as necessary. The Plat should strictly follow the drafting standards described in the Subdivision regulations and include existing information, as well as propose a layout of the subdivision. Details are described in the Subdivision regulations which is available at the Planning Office for a fee or on-line at.

The applicant submits the required number of copies of the Plat, along with a Subdivision Application, checklist, and filing fee.

The Planning Office compares the submission against the Checklist. If the submission is incomplete, the Department immediately returns the submission to the applicant indicating any deficiencies. If submission is complete, the Planning Office accepts the Plat, Subdivision Application, and filing fee.

Upon acceptance of a complete subdivision submission, the Planning Office immediately prepares a case file and assigns a case number. The Planning Office then distributes one copy of the Plat and application to all applicable review agencies for review and comment. Each department or agency shall be allowed a maximum of two weeks to reply to the Planning Office, and if a response is not received within the two-week period, the Planning Office will contact the review agency for comments or concurrence with the subdivision plat as submitted.

The Planning Commission shall proceed in the following manner with respect to all submissions appearing on its regular monthly meeting agenda:

• Formally receive and review the applicant's submission.
• Receive and review comments of the departments and agencies, including the recommendations of the Planning Office.
• Hear applicant's presentation (if present).
• Evaluate applicant's submission, presentation, the comments of the departments and agencies and the recommendation of the Planning Office.
• Determine whether the Plat complies with the Zoning Ordinance and meets the objectives of the Comprehensive Development Plan, and other relevant codes, regulations and ordinances.
• Act either to approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove the Plat within 60 days following formal receipt of the Plat by the Commission.

The Planning staff will sign 2 copies of the plan once any conditions of approval are met.

If the Commission disapproves the Plat, it shall set forth the reasons for disapproval in its records and provide the applicant with written notification of such reasons, along with one copy of the Plat.

The Planning Office notifies the applicant in writing of the Commission's decision including the reasons for disapproval and any conditions or modifications required by the Commission

Plat approval is valid for a maximum period of one year. Unless an acceptable Final Plat is submitted in the form specified in the Subdivision regulations and received by the Commission within one year from the date of Plat approval, the preliminary approval shall be void and the applicant will be required to resubmit a new Preliminary Plat and Subdivision Application form.

Where provision has been made for staged development in connection with Plat approval, including time limitations for each stage, one-year maximum period for Final Plat submission shall only apply to the portions of the subdivision agreed upon by the Commission within that time frame.

STEP 3

Final Plat Procedures

The applicant prepares the Final Plat on a reproducible linen or other acceptable transparency in accordance with the plat dimensions specified in the Subdivision regulations.

Where provision has been made for staged development in connection with Plat approval, the developer may submit a Final Plat for only the portion of the approved Plat which he proposes to record and develop at that time.

The Planning Commission will proceed in the following manner with respect to all Final Plat submissions appearing on its regular monthly meeting agenda:

Formally receive and review the applicant's submission.

Evaluate the applicant's submission, presentation, and the Planning Office's recommendation.

Determine whether the Final Plat complies with the Subdivision regulations, conditions and modifications imposed by the Planning Commission pursuant to Conditional Plat approval and other applicable regulations, codes and ordinances.

Act to approve the Final Plat, if all requirements of the Subdivision regulations have been complied with.

After the Final Plat is approved by the Commission, such approval is noted by the signing of the Certificate of Approval by the Chairman of the Commission on the Final Plat. The Final Plat and one copy of the print shall be returned to the applicant and one retained for the Commission's files.

The applicant, engineer, or surveyor immediately records the Final Plat with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Washington County. This is normally done by the applicant's surveyor or engineer.

The applicant, engineer, or surveyor then submits to the Office a reproducible Final Plat as signed by the Planning Commission Chairman with proof of recordation along with four black or blue line prints of the recorded plat and a digital copy of the recorded plat.

The Planning Office then compares the reproducible Final Plat as recorded with the Commission's file copy for any discrepancies and then submit the original reproducible Final Plat to the City Engineer for his permanent file.

If there are any additions, deletions or alterations in the original reproducible Final Plat, as recorded, when compared to the Planning Commission's file copy (except for markings incidental to recording), approval of the Final Plat shall be void. The applicant, City Engineer, City Attorney, Chief Code Official, and the Clerk of the Court shall be notified and requested to take appropriate action.

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STEP 4

Contact the Code Administration Office, Third Floor, City Hall, when you are ready to apply for a Building Permit.

Specific requirements for all of the plats are included in the Development Review Checklist, which is based on the Subdivision regulations.

The Planning Office Fee Schedule and Planning Office Fee Worksheet will help you to calculate the fees required for each plat

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For more information, please email planningr@hagerstownmd.org.

Simplified Plats and Minor Subdivisions

A simplified plat is a pplat used for purposes other than development, such as dividing a property with an existing duplex so each half can be on it's own lot.

A minor subdivision is the division of land for up to 5 new lots that does not involve public improvements (such as road construction.)

Now you should contact a surveyor or engineer licensed by the State of Maryland to prepare a plat of the property where you intend to build or subdivide. A plat is a map, plan, chart or drawing indicating the subdivision or resubdivision of land intended to be filed for record in the Land Records for Washington County.

If you are proposing to subdivide your land without the intention to develop, your surveyor or engineer will need to prepare a Simplified Plat instead of a Plat. Examples of subdivisions not for development purposes are as follows: acquisition of additional acreage solely for property enlargement; a conveyance for acquisition purposes only; readjustment of property and/or correction of deed discrepancies; and conveyance of an existing structure for residential purposes only.

You will find a list of surveyors and engineers in the Washington County Yellow Pages. Your surveyor or engineer should be quite familiar with the requirements of the subdivision regulations and will be in a position to act on your behalf on the various steps needed for the preliminary and then the final approval.

Your plat should be prepared to include all information required by the subdivision regulations so that both preliminary and final approval may be granted at one time.

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