3494 ARTICLE 16.

in the District, shall be admitted to the Land Records of either of said
counties, or received or recorded by the clerks of the courts of said coun-
ties until the said plat or plan has been approved in writing by the Com-
mission. The Commission shall require payment from each person or per-
sons submitting a plat for its approval a fee in an amount approximately
equal to the cost of the services rendered by it in connection with con-
sideration of the plat and work incident thereto, which fee, however, in
no case shall be less than $25.00 and which shall be paid before said plat
is approved or disapproved, and carried into the administrative fund of
the Commission provided for in Section 589 of this subtitle. After such
approval and upon receipt of such plat by the Clerk of the Circuit Court
every such plat shall be firmly fixed in a well bound book to be kept by
the Clerk of the Court for the purpose of recording plats and for the
recording of which the clerk shall receive such fee as he shall determine
to be fair and reasonable.

Every plat or plan of any subdivision of land into streets, avenues,
alleys, lots and blocks shall be prepared upon paper or cloth of such size
and character, with such notations, information and markings as the Com-
mission may, by rule prescribe and every subdivision of land as above
set forth, shall have such permanent markers, bound stones or stations as
the said Commission shall by general or special rule prescribe, which
shall be shown and designated on the plat thereof. The said Commission
and the County Surveyor of the county wherein the land lies shall be fur-
nished with copies of said plat when approved.

Every subdivision of land within the District shall conform, as nearly
as may by said Commission be deemed practicable, to the general plan
for the development of the District. The said Commission is authorized
to require to be preserved on any plat a continuity of width, name, park-
ing, building line with relation to its general plan.

The Commission is hereby given authority to establish grades for all
streets, roads and sidewalks within the District, including state highways,
county roads and streets, alleys and sidewalks within incorporated towns.
Until such grade is established by said Commission, no grading of a per-
manent nature shall be made, and any such unauthorized grading by any
state, municipal or county officer or employee or any private person, is
hereby declared to be a misdemeanor.

The Commission shall adopt regulations governing the subdivision of
land within the District. Such regulations may provide for the proper
arrangement of streets in relation to other existing and planned streets
and to the Commission's general plan, for adequate and convenient open
spaces for traffic, utilities, access of fire-fighting apparatus, recreation,
light and air, and for the avoidance of congestion of population, including
minimum width and area of lots.

Such regulations may include provisions as to the extent and manner
in which streets and other ways, curbs, gutters and sidewalks shall be
graded, improved and arranged, and details of tree planting and other
subdivision improvements. In lieu of the completion of such improve-