[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Board of the Township of Buchanan 7-7-1997 by Ord. No. 28. Amendments noted where applicable.]
This chapter shall be known and cited as the "Township of Buchanan Land Division Ordinance."
The purpose of this chapter is to carry out the provision of PA 591 of 1996, the State Land Division Act, effective March 31, 1997 (which amends 1967 PA 288, formerly known as the Subdivision Control Act), MCLA §§ 560.101 et seq., to prevent the creation of parcels of property which do not comply with applicable ordinances and said Act, to minimize potential boundary disputes, to maintain orderly development of the community, and otherwise provide for the health, safety and welfare of the residents and property owners of the municipality by establishing reasonable standards for prior review and approval of land divisions within the Township.
For purposes of this chapter, certain terms and words used herein shall have the following meaning:
APPLICANT
A natural person, firm, association, partnership, corporation or combination of any of them that hold an ownership interest in land whether recorded or not.
DIVIDE or DIVISION
The partitioning or splitting of a parcel of land or tract of land by the proprietor thereof or by his or her heirs, executors, administrators, legal representatives, successors or assigns for the purpose of sale, or lease of more than one year, or of building development that results in one or more parcels of less than 40 acres or the equivalent, and that satisfies the requirements of Sections 108 and 109 of the State Land Division Act, MCLA §§ 560.108 and 560.109. "Divide" and "division" does not include a property transfer between two or more adjacent parcels, if the property taken from one parcel is added to an adjacent parcel, and any resulting parcel shall not be considered a building site unless the parcel conforms to the requirements of the State Land Division Act, this chapter, and other applicable ordinances.
EXEMPT SPLIT or EXEMPT DIVISION
The partitioning or splitting of a parcel or tract of land by the proprietor thereof, or by his or her heirs, executors, administrators, legal representatives, successors or assigns, that does not result in one or more parcels of less than 40 acres or the equivalent; provided all resulting parcels are accessible for vehicular travel and utilities from existing public roads through existing adequate roads or easements, or through areas owned by the owner of the parcel that can provide such access.
FORTY ACRES OR THE EQUIVALENT
Either 40 acres, a quarter-quarter section containing not less than 30 acres, or a government lot containing not less than 30 acres.
GOVERNING BODY
The Buchanan Township Board.
Land in the Township shall not be divided without the prior review and approval of the Township Assessor, or other official designated by the governing body, in accordance with this chapter and the State Land Division Act; provided that the following shall be exempted from this requirement:
A. 
A parcel proposed for subdivision through a recorded plat pursuant to the State Land Division Act.
B. 
A lot in a recorded plat proposed to be divided in accordance with the State Land Division Act.
C. 
An exempt split as defined in this chapter.
An applicant shall file all of the following with the Township Assessor or other official designated by the governing body for review and approval of a proposed land division before making any division either by deed, land contract, lease for more than one year, or for building development:
A. 
A completed application form on such form as may be approved by the Township Board.
B. 
Proof of fee ownership of the land proposed to be divided.
C. 
A tentative parcel map drawn to scale, including an accurate legal description of each proposed division, and showing the boundary lines, approximate dimensions, and the accessibility of each division from existing or proposed public roads for automobile traffic and public utilities.
D. 
Proof that all standards of the State Land Division Act and this chapter have been met.
E. 
The history and specifications of the land proposed to be divided sufficient to establish that the proposed division complies with Section 108 of the State Land Division Act, MCLA § 560.108.
F. 
If a transfer of division rights is proposed in the land transfer, detailed information about the terms and availability of the proposed division rights transfer.
G. 
Unless a division creates a parcel which is acknowledged and declared to be "not a development site," all divisions shall result in "buildable" parcels with sufficient area to comply with all required setback provisions, minimum floor areas, off-street parking spaces, approved on-site sewage disposal and water well locations (where public water and sewer service is not available), access to existing public utilities and public roads, and maximum allowed area coverage of buildings and structures on the site. Declared agricultural land and land for forestry use shall not be subject to the foregoing as "development sites" as provided in the State Land Division Act at Section 102, MCLA § 560.102.
H. 
The fee as may from time to time be established by resolution of the governing body of the Township for land division reviews pursuant to this chapter to cover the costs of review of the application and administration of this chapter and the State Land Division Act.
A. 
The Assessor or other designee shall approve, approve with reasonable conditions to ensure compliance with applicable ordinances and the protection of public health, safety and general welfare, or disapprove the land division applied for within 45 days after receipt of the application package conforming to this chapter's requirements, and shall promptly notify the applicant of the decision and the reasons for any denial. If the application package does not conform to this chapter's requirements and the State Land Division Act, the Assessor or other designee shall return the same to the applicant for completion and refiling in accordance with this chapter and the State Land Division Act.
B. 
Any person or entity aggrieved by the decision of the Assessor or designee may, within 30 days of said decision, appeal the decision to Buchanan Township Board, which shall consider and resolve such appeal by a majority vote of said Board or by the designee at its next regular meeting or session affording sufficient time for a twenty-day written notice to the applicant (and appellant where other than the applicant) of the time and date of said meeting and appellate hearing.
C. 
The Assessor or designee shall maintain an official record of all approved and accomplished land divisions or transfers.
A proposed land division shall be approved if the following criteria are met:
A. 
All the parcels to be created by the proposed land division(s) fully comply with the applicable lot (parcel), yard and area requirements of pertinent Ordinances, including, but not limited to, minimum lot (parcel) frontage/width, minimum road frontage, minimum lot (parcel) area, and maximum lot (parcel) coverage and minimum setbacks for existing buildings/structures or have received a variance from such requirement(s) from the appropriate Zoning Board of Appeals.
B. 
The proposed land division(s) comply with all requirements of the State Land Division Act and this chapter.
C. 
All parcels created and remaining have existing adequate accessibility, or an area available therefor, to a public road for public utilities and emergency and other vehicles not less than the requirements of all applicable ordinances.
D. 
The ratio of depth to width of any parcel created by the division does not exceed a four-to-one ratio exclusive of access roads, easements, or nondevelopment sites. The depth of a parcel created by a land division shall be measured within the boundaries of each parcel from the abutting road right-of-way to the most remote boundary line point of the parcel from the point of commencement of the measurement. The width of a parcel shall be measured at the abutting road right-of-way line, or as otherwise provided in any applicable ordinances.
Any parcel created in noncompliance with this chapter shall not be eligible for any building permits, or zoning approvals, such as conditional land use approval or site plan approval, and shall not be recognized as a separate parcel on the assessment roll. In addition, violation of this chapter shall subject the violator to the penalties and enforcement actions set forth in § 142-9 of this chapter, and as may otherwise be provided by law.
A. 
Any person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500 or by imprisonment in the county jail for not to exceed 90 days or by both such fine and imprisonment.
B. 
Any person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter shall also be subject to a civil action seeking invalidation of the land division and appropriate injunctive or other relief.
The provisions of this chapter are hereby declared to be severable and if any clause, sentence, word, section or provision is declared void and unenforceable for any reason by any court of competent jurisdiction, it shall not affect any portion of this chapter other than said part or portion thereof.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with this chapter are hereby repealed, except that this chapter shall not be construed to repeal any provision of Chapter 300, Zoning, of the Code of the Township of Buchanan or applicable Building Codes.