First SMA and PLS Acts

[LS_8750]

Question came up in the shop about standard of care and PLS duties back during the passage of the first SMA and PLS Acts. Interesting topic.

Example, I've seen rectangular lot, block and gridded street subdivisions in the Santa Cruz Mountains that were clearly imaginary and not based off of any sort of survey or even sensible planning.

I've also seen articulate and detailed maps in the Bay Area hills the looked like Dr. Seuss communities, no straight alignments in the streets.... But when you look closely you notice the streets followed the terrain as if they followed old wagon roads or that the alignments were surveyed and engineered. Impressive map closures in terms of the road alignment curvatures, etc. The lots and blocks fronted the streets in logical fashion for ingress/egress, etc.... Turn of the century maps!

Might there have been some passage of the LS Act and/or SMA that could have affected the quality and content of subdivision mapping going back to the late 1800s early 1900s?

Can somebody post the first LSA and SMA?

Regards,

[LS_8750]

First LS Act passed in 1891. Thank you Mr. Wooley. Anybody have a copy they can post?

Also, for the first SMA?

[LA Stevens]

I believe the attached are the LS Acts 1891-1961.

Best,
Larry

[LA Stevens]

For some reason it give am a message of "Error parsing server response"? I emailed it to you.

[CBarrett]

I found this blurb online, it may lead to more research info (I can't take the time right now)
https://research.ceb.com/secondary-sour ... 0000/v51.2

[Derek_9672]

See member resources

https://www.californiasurveyors.org/MembersSMAPLS.aspx

[LS_8750]

How did the passage of the initial LSA and SMA affect the quality of mapping?

[Warren Smith]

The first versions of the SMA dealt only with mapping standards. It evolved into providing for local agencies to ensure orderly development through conditioning of tentative maps.

The LSA dealt with minimum qualifications for land surveyors, and has evolved into authorizing the Board - for consumer protection. Mapping standards are addressed largely through mandatory statements and the examination by County/City Surveyors.

Quality is a product of cooperation between submitting and reviewing surveyors. Local agencies adopt subdivision map standards, but records of survey are comprised of individual records, and tend to follow local practice.