Permit Manager has the ability to track Subdivision and Land Development Plans as a Planning Application within the software. Just like permits, planning applications are attached to a specific property. The specifics of creating a new Planning Application and attaching it to a property are discussed in this article.
Subdivisions naturally involve moving lot lines and creating lot configurations that will be different after the plan is approved. This creates a common question: If the subdivision is going to change the properties, which property should I attach the Planning Application to?
We have a few thoughts on that question, and we'll explain each one below.
Option 1 - Attach it, Then Move it
When the subdivision or land development plan is first submitted, it can be attached to the largest or most prominent property that is involved in the plan. After the subdivision or land development has been completed and the parcel maps have been updated by the county, the plan can be moved to the most appropriate of the new lots.
Updating properties in Permit Manager after a subdivision is discussed in detail in this article, and is worthwhile to read. Moving a Planning Application after a subdivision is similar to moving permits, as explained in the above-linked article. Contact the CSDatum staff to move permits and planning applications from one property to another.
Option 2 - Create Fake Properties
Several Permit Manager users have created a series of a fake properties to hold the subdivision and land development plans. Each fake property can hold one plan or, it can hold multiple plans, such as all the phases of a large subdivision. If you decide to use this system, consider these guidelines:
Parcel ID Prefix - Begin the Parcel ID with a prefix that identifies the fake property as a subdivision and/or land development plan. Follow the prefix with the plan's name. In the screenshot below, all the Parcel IDs start with "SLD" and then the plan's name.
Street Address - Plans often involve more than one property, but there is only room to enter one address. Enter a street address for the primary frontage of the overall development. The street number doesn't have to be an exact mailing address. It just needs to be close to the middle of the overall development.
Subdivision Name - Set the subdivision name for the fake property so that it matches the plan name in the Parcel ID. Adding new subdivision names is discussed in this article.
Option 3 - Who Cares ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Put it Anywhere
No matter what property a Planning Application is attached to, it will always show up in the Planning Applications list at Planning > List all Planning Apps. Use the sort feature (click a column header) and the filter feature (click the Magnifying Glass) to navigate through the list to find the Planning Application that you're looking for.
If you're using this method, make sure the Permit Location and Permit Description fields have been filled with enough data to allow you to identify the appropriate plan when looking through the list.
NOTE: We use "Permits" as an all-encompassing term here because Planning Applications are treated very similarly to permits within the software.
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