Arizona Revised Statutes
Title 9 - Cities and Towns
§ 9-463.01 - Authority

9-463.01. Authority
A. Pursuant to this article, the legislative body of every municipality shall regulate the subdivision of all lands within its corporate limits.
B. The legislative body of a municipality shall exercise the authority granted in subsection A of this section by ordinance prescribing:
1. Procedures to be followed in the preparation, submission, review and approval or rejection of all final plats.
2. Standards governing the design of subdivision plats.
3. Minimum requirements and standards for the installation of subdivision streets, sewer and water utilities and improvements as a condition of final plat approval.
C. By ordinance, the legislative body of any municipality shall:
1. Require the preparation, submission and approval of a preliminary plat as a condition precedent to submission of a final plat.
2. Establish the procedures to be followed in the preparation, submission, review and approval of preliminary plats.
3. Make requirements as to the form and content of preliminary plats.
4. Either determine that certain lands may not be subdivided, by reason of adverse topography, periodic inundation, adverse soils, subsidence of the earth's surface, high water table, lack of water or other natural or man-made hazard to life or property, or control the lot size, establish special grading and drainage requirements and impose other regulations deemed reasonable and necessary for the public health, safety or general welfare on any lands to be subdivided affected by such characteristics.
5. Require payment of a proper and reasonable fee by the subdivider based upon the number of lots or parcels on the surface of the land to defray municipal costs of plat review and site inspection.
6. Require the dedication of public streets, sewer and water utility easements or rights-of-way, within the proposed subdivision.
7. Require the preparation and submission of acceptable engineering plans and specifications for the installation of required street, sewer, electric and water utilities, drainage, flood control, adequacy of water and improvements as a condition precedent to recordation of an approved final plat.
8. Require the posting of performance bonds, assurances or such other security as may be appropriate and necessary to assure the installation of required street, sewer, electric and water utilities, drainage, flood control and improvements meeting established minimum standards of design and construction.
D. The legislative body of any municipality may require by ordinance that land areas within a subdivision be reserved for parks, recreational facilities, school sites and fire stations subject to the following conditions:
1. The requirement may only be made upon preliminary plats filed at least thirty days after the adoption of a general or specific plan affecting the land area to be reserved.
2. The required reservations are in accordance with definite principles and standards adopted by the legislative body.
3. The land area reserved shall be of such a size and shape as to permit the remainder of the land area of the subdivision within which the reservation is located to develop in an orderly and efficient manner.
4. The land area reserved shall be in such multiples of streets and parcels as to permit an efficient division of the reserved area in the event that it is not acquired within the prescribed period.
E. The public agency for whose benefit an area has been reserved shall have a period of one year after recording the final subdivision plat to enter into an agreement to acquire such reserved land area. The purchase price shall be the fair market value of the reserved land area at the time of the filing of the preliminary subdivision plat plus the taxes against such reserved area from the date of the reservation and any other costs incurred by the subdivider in the maintenance of such reserved area, including the interest cost incurred on any loan covering such reserved area.
F. If the public agency for whose benefit an area has been reserved does not exercise the reservation agreement set forth in subsection E of this section within such one year period or such extended period as may be mutually agreed upon by such public agency and the subdivider, the reservation of such area shall terminate.
G. The legislative body of every municipality shall comply with this article and applicable state statutes pertaining to the hearing, approval or rejection, and recordation of:
1. Final subdivision plats.
2. Plats filed for the purpose of reverting to acreage of land previously subdivided.
3. Plats filed for the purpose of vacating streets or easements previously dedicated to the public.
4. Plats filed for the purpose of vacating or redescribing lot or parcel boundaries previously recorded.
H. Approval of every preliminary and final plat by a legislative body is conditioned upon compliance by the subdivider with:
1. Rules as may be established by the department of transportation relating to provisions for the safety of entrance upon and departure from abutting state primary highways.
2. Rules as may be established by a county flood control district relating to the construction or prevention of construction of streets in land established as being subject to periodic inundation.
3. Rules as may be established by the department of health services or a county health department relating to the provision of domestic water supply and sanitary sewage disposal.
I. If the subdivision is comprised of subdivided lands, as defined in section 32-2101, and is within an active management area, as defined in section 45-402, the final plat shall not be approved unless it is accompanied by a certificate of assured water supply issued by the director of water resources, or unless the subdivider has obtained a written commitment of water service for the subdivision from a city, town or private water company designated as having an assured water supply by the director of water resources pursuant to section 45-576 or is exempt from the requirement pursuant to section 45-576. The legislative body of the municipality shall note on the face of the final plat that a certificate of assured water supply has been submitted with the plat or that the subdivider has obtained a written commitment of water service for the proposed subdivision from a city, town or private water company designated as having an assured water supply, pursuant to section 45-576, or is exempt from the requirement pursuant to section 45-576.
J. Except as provided in subsections K and P of this section, if the subdivision is composed of subdivided lands as defined in section 32-2101 outside of an active management area and the director of water resources has given written notice to the municipality pursuant to section 45-108, subsection H, the final plat shall not be approved unless one of the following applies:
1. The director of water resources has determined that there is an adequate water supply for the subdivision pursuant to section 45-108 and the subdivider has included the report with the plat.
2. The subdivider has obtained a written commitment of water service for the subdivision from a city, town or private water company designated as having an adequate water supply by the director of water resources pursuant to section 45-108.
K. The legislative body of a municipality that has received written notice from the director of water resources pursuant to section 45-108, subsection H or that has adopted an ordinance pursuant to subsection O of this section may provide by ordinance an exemption from the requirement in subsection J or O of this section for a subdivision that the director of water resources has determined will have an inadequate water supply because the water supply will be transported to the subdivision by motor vehicle or train if all of the following apply:
1. The legislative body determines that there is no feasible alternative water supply for the subdivision and that the transportation of water to the subdivision will not constitute a significant risk to the health and safety of the residents of the subdivision.
2. If the water to be transported to the subdivision will be withdrawn or diverted in the service area of a municipal provider as defined in section 45-561, the municipal provider has consented to the withdrawal or diversion.
3. If the water to be transported is groundwater, the transportation complies with the provisions governing the transportation of groundwater in title 45, chapter 2, article 8.
4. The transportation of water to the subdivision meets any additional conditions imposed by the legislative body.
L. A municipality that adopts the exemption authorized by subsection K of this section shall give written notice of the adoption of the exemption, including a certified copy of the ordinance containing the exemption, to the director of water resources, the director of environmental quality and the state real estate commissioner. If the municipality later rescinds the exemption, the municipality shall give written notice of the rescission to the director of water resources, the director of environmental quality and the state real estate commissioner. A municipality that rescinds an exemption adopted pursuant to subsection K of this section shall not readopt the exemption for at least five years after the rescission becomes effective.
M. If the legislative body of a municipality approves a subdivision plat pursuant to subsection J, paragraph 1 or 2 or subsection O of this section, the legislative body shall note on the face of the plat that the director of water resources has reported that the subdivision has an adequate water supply or that the subdivider has obtained a commitment of water service for the proposed subdivision from a city, town or private water company designated as having an adequate water supply pursuant to section 45-108.
N. If the legislative body of a municipality approves a subdivision plat pursuant to an exemption authorized by subsection K of this section or granted by the director of water resources pursuant to section 45-108.02 or 45-108.03:
1. The legislative body shall give written notice of the approval to the director of water resources and the director of environmental quality.
2. The legislative body shall include on the face of the plat a statement that the director of water resources has determined that the water supply for the subdivision is inadequate and a statement describing the exemption under which the plat was approved, including a statement that the legislative body or the director of water resources, whichever applies, has determined that the specific conditions of the exemption were met. If the director subsequently informs the legislative body that the subdivision is being served by a water provider that has been designated by the director as having an adequate water supply pursuant to section 45-108, the legislative body shall record in the county recorder's office a statement disclosing that fact.
O. If a municipality has not been given written notice by the director of water resources pursuant to section 45-108, subsection H, the legislative body of the municipality, to protect the public health and safety, may provide by ordinance that, except as provided in subsections K and P of this section, the final plat of a subdivision located in the municipality and outside of an active management area will not be approved by the legislative body unless the director of water resources has determined that there is an adequate water supply for the subdivision pursuant to section 45-108 or the subdivider has obtained a written commitment of water service for the subdivision from a city, town or private water company designated as having an adequate water supply by the director of water resources pursuant to section 45-108. Before holding a public hearing to consider whether to enact an ordinance pursuant to this subsection, a municipality shall provide written notice of the hearing to the board of supervisors of the county in which the municipality is located. A municipality that enacts an ordinance pursuant to this subsection shall give written notice of the enactment of the ordinance, including a certified copy of the ordinance, to the director of water resources, the director of environmental quality, the state real estate commissioner and the board of supervisors of the county in which the municipality is located. If a municipality enacts an ordinance pursuant to this subsection, water providers may be eligible to receive monies in a water supply development fund, as otherwise provided by law.
P. Subsections J and O of this section do not apply to:
1. A proposed subdivision that the director of water resources has determined will have an inadequate water supply pursuant to section 45-108 if the director grants an exemption for the subdivision pursuant to section 45-108.02 and the exemption has not expired or if the director grants an exemption pursuant to section 45-108.03.
2. A proposed subdivision that received final plat approval from the municipality before the requirement for an adequate water supply became effective in the municipality if the plat has not been materially changed since it received the final plat approval. If changes were made to the plat after the plat received the final plat approval, the director of water resources shall determine whether the changes are material pursuant to the rules adopted by the director to implement section 45-108. If the municipality approves a plat pursuant to this paragraph and the director of water resources has determined that there is an inadequate water supply for the subdivision pursuant to section 45-108, the municipality shall note this on the face of the plat.
Q. If the subdivision is composed of subdivided lands as defined in section 32-2101 outside of an active management area and the municipality has not received written notice pursuant to section 45-108, subsection H and has not adopted an ordinance pursuant to subsection O of this section:
1. If the director of water resources has determined that there is an adequate water supply for the subdivision pursuant to section 45-108 or if the subdivider has obtained a written commitment of water service for the subdivision from a city, town or private water company designated as having an adequate water supply by the director of water resources pursuant to section 45-108, the municipality shall note this on the face of the plat if the plat is approved.
2. If the director of water resources has determined that there is an inadequate water supply for the subdivision pursuant to section 45-108, the municipality shall note this on the face of the plat if the plat is approved.
R. Every municipality is responsible for the recordation of all final plats approved by the legislative body and shall receive from the subdivider and transmit to the county recorder the recordation fee established by the county recorder.
S. Pursuant to provisions of applicable state statutes, the legislative body of any municipality may itself prepare or have prepared a plat for the subdivision of land under municipal ownership.
T. The legislative bodies of cities and towns may regulate by ordinance land splits within their corporate limits. Authority granted under this section refers to the determination of division lines, area and shape of the tracts or parcels and does not include authority to regulate the terms or condition of the sale or lease nor does it include the authority to regulate the sale or lease of tracts or parcels that are not the result of land splits as defined in section 9-463.
U. For any subdivision that consists of ten or fewer lots, tracts or parcels, each of which is of a size as prescribed by the legislative body, the legislative body of each municipality may expedite the processing of or waive the requirement to prepare, submit and receive approval of a preliminary plat as a condition precedent to submitting a final plat and may waive or reduce infrastructure standards or requirements proportional to the impact of the subdivision. Requirements for dust-controlled access and drainage improvements shall not be waived.

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