Processing Tract Maps

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The Public Works Department Engineering Division is involved with your project from the outset. To help make sure your project stays on schedule, we will review your proposal at the same time as other City departments. The following information may be helpful to you in planning your project schedule:

The Review Process

Once the review is completed, you will need to hire a Land Surveyor or a Registered Civil Engineer licensed to survey in California to prepare a tentative map. Engineering along with other City departments will prepare a written report on the map, listing conditions of approval. That map and report will then be submitted to the Planning Commission for final approval. Engineering conditions will include comments on required street layouts, sewer and water systems, storm drains, etc. You may be required to construct some or all of these facilities as part of your development.

Once Engineering has completed its review, the map will be submitted to the Planning Commission for final approval. Once the Commission has approved your project, you are ready to submit a final map, reports, and plans for review.

Final Maps Plans And Deposits

All reports, maps, and plans must be completed by a Registered Civil Engineer in the State of California.

Submit three (3) sets of the final tract map, along with calculations, closures and a title report. The City normally takes up to four weeks to check the first tract map submittal. Allow up to three weeks for subsequent submissions.

Submit two (2) copies of any required studies and calculations (hydrology, hydraulic, water, etc.). Allow up to three weeks for staff review.

Submit three (3) sets of improvement plans (street, sewer, water, storm drain and streetlight) on official City plan and/or plan and profile sheets. The blank sheets may be purchased at the Engineering counter, or, if you prefer, a computer disk with City formatting may be obtained. Allow up to three weeks for the first plan check, and up to two weeks for subsequent plan checks of the improvement plans.

An initial deposit/fee to cover the Public Works Department Engineering Division's costs for processing and checking your plans will be required at the time of the first map or plan submittal. Additional deposits may be required during future submittals if the initial deposit does not fully cover the City's costs.

Once the final tract map and improvement plans are approved, you will be asked to submit Mylar originals for the Director of Public Works' signature. Upon signature by the Director, the Mylar originals become the property of the City.

Note: Grading plans are submitted directly to the Development Services Department. Development Services will charge a separate fee for checking and processing the grading plans.

Bonds and Agreements

The City of Fullerton is required by the Subdivision Map Act to collect several bonds to ensure your proposed development is completed and built according to City standards.

Your engineer will be required to submit a bond estimate for the public improvements in your development. This estimate must be prepared on an estimating form supplied by the City. This estimate is used to establish the bond amount.

The second page of the estimating form includes cash fees and deposits, as well as a space your engineer needs to sign and state the amount required for the cash monument bond.

Prior to construction you are required to submit the following bonds and agreements on City forms (at the end of this page):

  • 100% Faithful Performance Bond
  • 50% Labor and Materials Bond
  • Subdivision Agreement
  • Monument Bond
  • Bond estimating form signed by your engineer (stamped but not notarized)

PLEASE NOTE: All signatures except the engineer's must be notarized. Also, the above bonds and documents must be accompanied with the required cash fees and deposits as noted in the second page of the bond estimate form.

City Council Approval

Upon completion of Steps 2 and 3, the Tract Map is ready to submit to the City Council for final approval. The Fullerton City Council meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month, and there is a two-week lead time to get an item placed on the City Council agenda.

Once the Tract Map is approved by the City Council the map will be signed by the City Engineer, Mayor and City Clerk. Allow staff five working days after the Council meeting to obtain all signatures. After the Tract Map is signed, staff will call your Title Company to pick up the final map for recordation. At this point the City considers the map recorded and building permits may be signed off by the Public Works Department Engineering Division. Other department approvals may still be required.

Construction

Your project is now ready for construction! The standard subdivision agreement normally allows one year for completion of the bonded improvements. The Director of Public Works may grant additional time on a case-by-case basis.

The same deposit account used for map and plan checking will be used for inspection of the public improvements in your project. Your contractor will be required to obtain permits for each phase of construction. Since the inspection fees have already been collected, your contractor will only be charged a nominal issuance fee for each permit. The only exceptions to this will be if your contractor will be working in an arterial street or will have a hauling operation into or out of the site. In these instances your contractor will be required to obtain a special permit which may require an additional refundable cash bond to guarantee clean up and compliance with allowed working hours and traffic control.

Once the public improvements are constructed you must request in writing a final inspection. As part of the final inspection for the tract your engineer will be required to submit:

  • All required centerline ties
  • As-built improvement plans
  • A brown line of the as-built grading plan.
  • A letter releasing the cash monument bond.

Final Accounting

A final accounting will be performed on the deposit account and you will be required to pay any outstanding charges. Unused balances will be refunded. Normally bonds are not reduced as work progresses, but are only released upon final acceptance of all public improvements. Exceptions may be made for large phased developments; however, a reduction of the bond does not indicate final acceptance of the improvements by the City. Any and all of the improvements must be reviewed and repairs, if required, must be completed before the City Engineer will approve the final release of the bonds.

Tract Maps