General Explanation
An Exemption Plat involves boundary line adjustments or other minor changes to Subdivided Land (platted areas) without going through the full Subdivision process. The Exemption Plat process is for minor changes that may occur to Platted Land and does not include proposals which may increase the density (add platted lots) of a Subdivision. Generally, this process is used to adjust lot lines between two or more Parcels, as part of a Right-Of-Way or easement vacation or minor modifications to building envelopes or recorded language on the Plat. The final outcome of an approval under this process is the recording of a new plat reflecting approved changes.
Unsubdivided Land may not go through an Exemption Plat process unless one of the following criteria is met: 1.) It is part of an application to add it to Subdivided Land to create a Subdivided Lot of 35 acres or more; 2.) The county has received proper notice in a judicial process and a court has entered an order changing the boundary lines shown on a Plat or the action has been settled through a boundary line agreement; 3.) It is part of an application involving Subdivided Land where both Parcels meet the definition of a Building Lot, as described in 9-100.A. Contact planner@bouldercounty.gov to determine if this process is applicable to your property.
Process
The Director may grant exemptions from the application of the Subdivision Regulations, pursuant to Article 9-400 of the Boulder County Land Use Code, in cases where the proposal involves Subdivided Land (an Exemption Plat).
In order to begin the Exemption Plat process, applicant(s) must first contact the Community Planning & Permitting Department to make an appointment for a Land Use Review Pre-Application Conference with a planner to discuss the proposal prior to its submittal. To learn more about the Pre-Application Conference:
Once the applicant submits a completed Exemption Plat application, the application will be referred out for review by various county departments, public agencies (as necessary), and adjacent property owners. Following the evaluation of the exemption plat approval criteria found in the Land Use Code the Director will issue a determination. A determination may approve (with or without conditions) or deny the application. The Director’s determination may be appealed by the applicant or called-up by the Board of County Commissioners no later than 14-days after determination is issued. If the application is called-up or appealed, the application and Director’s determination will be presented to the Board of County Commissioners at a public hearing. Hearing dates are usually scheduled approximately six to eight weeks from the date of the application submittal (based on the Board’s availability).
A similar process, called Subdivision Exemptions, exists for Unsubdivided Land:
Submittal Schedule for Planning Applications
The Community Planning & Permitting Department manages the number of planning applications accepted each week in order to align with available resources. Once you have had a Pre-application Conference and have a complete application ready for review, please contact Community Planning & Permitting at 303-441-3930 to get on the schedule to submit your planning application.