Parcel Maps in Petaluma, CA

Petaluma draws a clean line between a minor subdivision of four or fewer lots, which takes a tentative and then a final parcel map, and a major subdivision of five or more, which takes a subdivision map. The city's application checklist then sets the drafting terms: parcel maps at 1 inch to 10, 20, 30, or 40 feet, a vicinity sketch, certification of accuracy by a registered civil engineer or licensed surveyor, a title report no more than six months old carrying a clear concise metes and bounds description, the layout and dimensions of every proposed and existing lot with curve radii and central angles, and the distance from existing structures to the new boundary lines with setbacks meeting the zoning of the area.

What the checklist asks for on the ground is where a laser scanner pays for itself. It wants topography with contours, the closest City benchmark used and its elevation called out, isolated trees located by width and species where the trunk is 4 inches or greater measured 4 feet above grade plus the outline of groves and orchards, the location and direction of flow of natural and artificial water courses and any areas of periodic inundation on the parcel and on adjacent properties, existing overhead and underground utilities, and building setback lines from the top of bank of each stream or river on the site. That last item is a Petaluma item. In hillside areas the map also has to indicate potential building sites. We capture all of it in a single mobilization, then extract trees, top-of-bank, structures, and contours from the cloud rather than returning for each new comment.

After submittal, the Development Review Committee meets roughly two weeks in and completeness review runs 30 days, so a map that arrives complete saves a cycle. We deliver the boundary survey, tentative map exhibit, final map, and legal descriptions, coordinating with the Sonoma County Surveyor at Permit Sonoma. See parcel map vs tract map for the distinction.