Questions for City and County Surveyors

[Warren Smith]

1. Yes - but they are rare.

2. a. Yes - with copy of Certificate of Correction in hand.

b. No - see above.

c. No - unless newly installed improvements look suspicious, again rare.

City Surveyor
City of Oxnard

[PLS7393]

Since I have been employed by the County of San Mateo, I perform the field checks of subdivisions within the county property only. I hope the city's do something similar before the release of bonds, but I've had to work with them to educate properly of the Subdivision Map Act.

Section 66497 talks about sending a letter to the governing body within five days of setting the final monuments. I suggest a two step process to make it easier for the fiels inspection.

1) Set the exterior corners as shown on the map when the map is filed. Send in your letter stating the exterior corners have been set per Section 66497. Exterior corners are now completed, and if the governing body does not go check the exterior corners, at that time it is not your responsibility to re-set them if they get removed due to construction. The map gets filed and the adjoiner can hire someome to survey his lot and that surveyor can reference the recently filed map with found points. If they need to be reset, that is what corner records are for.

2) The interior street monuments are defered on Final Maps, bonds filed, so the roads can get improved, then when the mons get set, write your second letter within five days, per Section 66497, . . . Done! You have satisfied the Subdivision Map Act.

Remember it is the governing body's responsibility to check the points in a timely manner after they receive the letter per Section 66497 SMA. If they do not check the points for months after they receive the letter, then you have a case to say that they were set and the governing body did not check them. But they should be easy enough to walk up to within a week of setting the points.


Now to answer your questions:

1. Do you allow the use of plastic caps set in iron pipes within your jurisdictions? - YES

2. When field inspecting the monuments that were delayed on the map and now set as part of the subdivision process, do you:

a. check the rear corners? - YES If shown as set, but why are they not set at the time the map gets filed? If they are a different character when I find them (ie. map shows "SET 1" IP. . . ) and I find a 3/4" Brass Tag and Nail in concrete foundation. Time for a Certificate of Correction, and the question of how much enchroacment pops up in my mind?

b. check only the points within and along the right-of-way? - NO, The map says SET, so I'm responsible to check and verify the map is technically correct. If it said "Set" and I do not find it at the time I inspect it, they get to reset the point. They say it was set, but then I ask why I never received a letter within five days, satisfying Section 66497 of the SMA. Please reset, and send me a letter.

c. pre-calc the subdivision and do spot checks of various offset mons? - NO (Why would you?)

I know the City of Femont goes to the extream, and requires you to scribe the disc, so they can and traverses through the street monuments before they give you the approval. Then you have to go back and punch the monuments, or do another scribe and process before you can punch the disc.

[pls7809]

You can check the Orange County website for their monument policy. They don't allow plastic plugs. As far as inspections, I am not familiar with their procedures.

[Ric7308]

I have found throughout the state that whether or not plastic caps, tagged redwood stakes, etc. are acceptable is a matter of environmental and/or project specific conditions. It has been shown for many years in some locales that a tagged redwood stake will as long and sometimes longer than a metallic monument.

Ric

[Gary O]

Although I don't like 'em since they don't last very long in the sun they're still allowed.

It's been 20+ years since we did a field check on delayed monuments. It hasn't been a problem and the rest of the surveyors in the county end up checking them eventually with adjoining work.

[Michael Emmons]

1) Plastic caps are allowed only on Records of Survey or Corner Records (PLS Act does not prohibit them)

2) a) Spot inspection unless we find problems
b) Same as a)
c) No

Santa Barbara County has a monument policy for subdivisions as specified by Chapter 21 of County Code. Plastic caps are not allowed.