Aplat is a legal map of property. It’s been required in Texas since the early 1900s for any land division. If you’ve ever read a survey with how it describes property, (beginning at some point, and then proceeding some measurement noted in degrees, minutes and seconds) which average citizens can’t decipher, you know how important a plat is with its resulting easy description of Lot 1, Block A of the Best Town Subdivision. It makes property transfers much, much easier.
Having a simple plat prepared means calling a surveyor and having him or her stake out the property on the ground and prepare a drawing of it. Lands within the city limits or within one mile of our city limits (area known as the Extra Territorial Jurisdiction) will need to be submitted to the city for review and approval. In Rockdale, both the Planning Commission and the City Council are involved in the ultimate review and approval of a plat. Staff provides the technical analysis if the plat meets all local ordinances, and then presents the plat to the Commission and Council.
For major developments like Cornerstone, the process is a bit more complicated. Because there will be roads and drainage installed, along with water, sewer, electricity, cable and gas, the process generally starts with a civil engineer. In that case, an initial, or preliminary plat is prepared. The state allows the staff 30 days to review a plat and get it on an agenda. That’s the same process for a minor plat, or something much larger, like Cornerstone.
After the preliminary plat, the developer prepares a final plat, normally in phases rather than all at once, as in “eat the elephant one bite at a time.” Once the final plat drawing is approved, they submit their construction plans for all of the utility and road work to be done. Those plans are reviewed both by the professional planning staff and consulting engineers hired by the city. Once those are approved, land development actually starts. This is what you’re seeing on north FM 487 with the Cornerstone development. Phase I is underway.
Why all this fuss, particularly for small plats? Well, it’s to ensure everything is in order with the land sale or division. Trained professionals check each plat against state and local law and make sure that it complies with all the standards for water, sewer or septic, utilities and access. For instance, if your plat shows utility poles but no utility easement, we’ll ask you to demonstrate the utility provider has an easement, or you’ll need to create one. If you’re dividing property in half lengthwise, we need to ensure there is access to the back lot.
Finally, once the plat has been reviewed and approved, how does it get recorded in the public records? The landowner will need to provide two copies of a signed plat along with the filing fee for Milam County (currently $55 for plats), and staff will get the plat recorded. We keep a record for our files and return a copy to the owner.
—Rockdale City Manager Barbara Holly
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