Site Plan Approval
Site Plan: A site plan may include landscaping, fences, and walls designed to further the purposes of the regulations for commercial and industrial zones and such features shall be provided and maintained as condition of the establishment and maintenance of any use to which they are appurtenant. Any outside storage, now or in the future, will require privacy fencing approved by the city staff. Fencing may also be required to control litter & garbage from leaving the site.
Site Plan Approval Required: Site plan approval is required for new or existing sites that are not a single-family use on a legal building lot. Approval is primarily a function of the Planning Commission which has wide latitude in specifying conditions and requirements for approval. Final approval must be obtained from the City Council which may approve, disapprove, approve with additional conditions and requirements, or require the applicant to return to the Planning Commission for significant revisions.
Site Plan Approval Waiver: Site plan approval may be waived in cases where an existing site is reoccupied within a one-year time frame after a previous tenant or owner vacates the premise and where a similar business or one with a lesser impact is to be conducted, and no/minimal exterior changes are planned for the site. Site plan approval may be waived when an existing business has an expansion of less than twenty-five (25) percent and not more the one thousand (1000) square feet, and it is determined that no major impact will be created that would adversely impact the City or the surrounding area.
Pre-Application Meeting: The Applicant will have an opportunity to present a basic sketch of what is being proposed for the site prior to formal application. This meeting also provides a chance to discuss the application process, site development standards, (setbacks, landscaping, parking, fences, etc.) and other aspects of land use in a less formal setting, along with identifying major concerns prior to formal application. No vesting occurs with the pre-application meeting. The meeting is to be scheduled by the applicant with the zoning administrator.
Formal Application: The applicant shall prepare and submit a Site Plan Approval Application, a proposed site plan, along with forms, fees, and other supporting materials required by the city. The applicant shall provide at a minimum the following:
- Complete application signed by applicant and property owner/or agent with submission fees.
- PDF of plan set with supporting details drawn to scale with eligible font of no less than 10-point font.
- Supplementary information as deemed necessary by zoning administrator or city engineer.
Completeness Review: The zoning administrator and city engineer, upon receipt of the application, will determine whether or not the application is complete and ready for review based on the requirements for submittal. No application is eligible for city staff design review until it is deemed complete.
City Staff Design Review: The city staff shall review all applications to determine conformance with all applicable city ordinances and standards. If the site plan or portions of the site plan do not meet the requirements of other reviewing staff departments, the site plan may be returned to the applicant for appropriate modifications. If the site plan is determined to meet the intent of city ordinances and standards, the site plan will advance the application to the Planning Commission.
Planning Commission: In considering any site plan, the Planning Commission shall endeavor to assure safety and convenience of traffic movement both within the area covered in relation to access streets, harmonious and beneficial relation among the buildings and uses in the area covered and satisfactory and harmonious relations between such area and contiguous land buildings and adjacent neighborhoods.
City Council Approval: Upon receiving site plan approval from the Planning Commission, the staff will advance the site plan to the City Council for its approval. Approval of the site plan shall be effective for one (1) year from the date of final approval by the City Council. If construction has not begun during that period, or an extended by the City Council, the site plan approval is void and applicant shall be required to submit a new site plan for review and approval subject to the then existing provisions of the code.
Construction Drawings Submittal: Upon site plan approval, construction drawings will be required for any public works construction or improvement for approval by the City Engineer.
Pre-Construction Meeting: A pre-construction meeting is required to review the inspection requirements of the site plan and construction project as well as have the design professionals, city staff, and the contractor personnel get together to become familiar with both the project and personnel. The following persons or their appropriate designee shall participate in the pre-construction meeting:
- Design Review Committee and others deemed appropriate by the City
- Applicant and others deemed appropriate by the Applicant
- Applicants Engineer of Record and other deemed appropriate by Engineer of Record.
- General Contractor and other Subcontractors deemed appropriate by the General Contractor
Zoning Clearance Approval: Site plans that include the construction of new buildings will require a Zoning Clearance and Building Permit through a separate application. See Building Permits.
