Subdividing Land in Colorado Springs with a Land Survey Plat (LSP)

Subdividing land involves understanding local rules and using the right tools to ensure everything is done right. One especially crucial tool for dividing a large parcel into smaller lots here is the Land Survey Plat (LSP).

This official survey map captures the precise boundaries of your property. It also helps make sure any new lots you create meet Colorado’s legal requirements without unnecessary red tape.

As a trusted land surveying team, Apex Land Surveying and Mapping LLC guides developers, architects, and city planners through the subdivision process by way of an LSP. This makes everything clear, efficient, and compliant.

As large parcels of land in this region are prepared for development or sale, understanding how land is subdivided via an LSP is crucial. We want to educate others on how subdividing land works via this specific survey.

What Is a Land Survey Plat (LSP)?

A Land Survey Plat (LSP) is a detailed, scale-drawn map of a property’s boundaries, created and certified by a professional land surveyor. It shows the parcel’s exact dimensions, boundary lines, and any relevant features such as easements or encroachments.

Here in Colorado Springs, an LSP can also be known as a Monumented Land Survey. This means that all property corner monuments are either found or set in the field and documented on the plat. Because it precisely establishes and marks the parcel boundaries, an LSP provides the foundation for any subdivision plan.

Unlike an Improvement Survey Plat (ISP), which maps all site improvements, an LSP focuses primarily on the subject parcel land’s extents of their boundary lines and rights-of-way. Once completed, the LSP must comply with Colorado’s statutory standards (per C.R.S. 38-51-106) and is typically filed or recorded with the county. It then becomes an official public record of the survey.

How Does an LSP Subdivide Land in Colorado Springs?

Using an LSP to subdivide land is a streamlined process suited for large tracts common in the Colorado Springs area, and along the Front Range.

When a landowner has a parcel large enough to be split into new tracts of 35 acres or more, an LSP can be used without triggering the full subdivision review process. This exemption exists thanks to Colorado’s “35-acre rule” (established by Senate Bill 35 in 1972), which requires county approval for creating any new parcel smaller than 35 acres. 

In simpler terms, if you divide a property and each resulting lot is at least 35 acres, you can often proceed via an LSP (a much simpler route), whereas smaller lots demand a formal subdivision plat approval process.

What is Involved in the LSP Process?

1. Preliminary Planning: The landowner or developer consults with our team to outline the desired new parcels. It’s important at this stage to consider zoning, access, water rights, and any local regulations in Colorado Springs that might affect the split.

   
   

2. Boundary Survey and Monumentation: We then conduct additional research and prepare for a thorough field survey of the entire tract, locating existing monuments. New, durable survey monuments are set at the corners of the proposed new parcels. Accurate measurements are taken to define each lot’s boundaries and area.

   
   

3. Plat Preparation: Next, we draft the Land Survey Plat. This deliverable shows the original parcel and the newly created parcel boundaries with metes-and-bounds descriptions, dimensions, and acreage for each new tract. It also depicts any recorded easements, rights-of-way, and pertinent notes as required by Colorado law for survey plats.

   
   

4. Review and Compliance: Although a full subdivision review may not be required for 35-acre splits, the LSP may still undergo a technical review. For example, many counties, including the City of Colorado Springs, have a County or CIty Surveyor or planning department. They may check the plat to make sure it meets all requirements before it is deposited in the county record.

   
   

5. Recording the Plat: Once the LSP is finalized and any reviews are satisfied, the plat is officially recorded with the County Clerk and Recorder (or appropriate local office). Recording the LSP establishes the new parcels in public records, making the subdivision effective. After recording, each new lot can be sold, developed, or further conveyed as separate legal parcels.

Throughout this process, communication with municipal and county authorities is key. Our team’s familiarity with Colorado Springs and the Front Range means we can help advise our clients on handling any potential required notifications or minor approvals.

Work with Apex Land Surveying and Mapping LLC

At Apex Land Surveying and Mapping LLC, we see ourselves as partners in any subdivision project. From the first inquiry for an LSP to the final certified and deposited plat, our goal is to make the process smooth, technically sound, and tailored to your needs.

If you’re considering dividing a large tract of land in Colorado Springs or elsewhere along the Front Range, our team is ready to guide you through the specifics. By combining Colorado-specific expertise, up-to-date knowledge of legal requirements, and our advanced surveying skills, we deliver Land Survey Plats you can fully rely on.

Reach out to Apex Land Surveying and Mapping LLC for professional guidance and start your project on solid ground. Also, be sure to click here to read a blog we wrote previously about the subdivision process.