1. Purpose. The preliminary plat is intended to allow the developer to present plats and improvement plans for review and approval by the Planning Commission and the City Council (if the subdivision is within the city limits).
2. Application. The owner or his or her representative shall file an application for approval of a preliminary plat; the application shall:
a. Be made on forms available from the office of the City Clerk;
b. Be accompanied by at least four copies of the preliminary plat and at least two copies of the required improvement plans, as described in this article; and
c. Be delivered to the Planning Commission Chairperson, or the City Clerk, not less than ten days prior to the meeting date at which the plat is to be reviewed.
3. Planning Commission review. The Chairperson of the Planning Commission or the City Clerk shall be responsible for setting a date for Planning Commission review of the preliminary plat and notifying the owner of the subdivision or his or her agent, in writing, of said date; he or she shall also be responsible for obtaining the comments of the Municipal Utilities Superintendent, County Health Department, Fire Chief and the School Superintendent on the proposed subdivision. The Planning Commission’s review of the preliminary plat shall be in accordance with the following provisions:
a. The Planning Commission shall review the applicant’s preliminary plat, and shall approve, approve conditionally or disapprove the plat within 60 days of the date of its receipt by the City Clerk or Chairperson of the Planning Commission from the applicant. The subdivider shall be notified in writing of this action, which notification shall specifically state any conditions of approval, or those provisions of the comprehensive plan or other regulations with which the disapproved plat was not in conformance. On conditionally approving a plat, the Planning Commission may require the submission of a revised preliminary plat.
b. If the preliminary plat has not been acted upon by the Planning Commission within the 60-day period and an agreement to extend the time has not been obtained from the applicant, the preliminary plat shall be deemed to have been approved by the Planning Commission.
c. If the plat conforms to all of the standards referred to herein, or after all agreed to revisions are included therein, two copies of the preliminary plat shall be forwarded to the City Clerk along with a written recommendation from the Planning Commission, for scheduling of review by the City Council.
4. City Council review. The City Clerk shall be responsible for placing review of the proposed subdivision preliminary plat on the agenda of the City Council and providing written notice of said date to the Chairperson of the Planning Commission and the owner (or his or her agent) of the proposed subdivision. The City Council’s review of said subdivision shall be in accordance with the following provisions.
a. The City Council shall approve, approve conditionally or disapprove the preliminary plat within 60 days of its receipt by the City Clerk for placing on the City Council’s agenda. The subdivider shall be notified in writing of this action, which notification shall specifically state any conditions of approval, or those provisions of the comprehensive plan or other regulations with which the disapproved plat was not in conformance. On conditionally approving a plat, the City Council may require the submission of a revised preliminary plat.
b. If the preliminary plat has not been acted upon by the City Council within the 60-day period, and an agreement to extend the time has not been obtained from the applicant, the plat shall be deemed to have been approved by the City Council without the acceptance, by the city, of dedications, easements and the like.
c. If the preliminary plat conforms to all of the standards of the comprehensive plan, these and other regulations of the city, and, along with the improvement plans, is approved, or after the applicant and the City Council agree upon any revised copy, the subdivider may proceed with the construction of required improvements and the preparation of the final plat.
5. Approval period. The approval or conditional approval of a preliminary plat shall be effective for a period of two years from the date of City Council approval, at the end of which time, unless a final plat on the subdivision shall have been submitted to the Planning Commission, the preliminary plat shall be considered null and void. In such cases, the subdivider shall be required to re-submit a preliminary (and final) plat for the subdivision. In reviewing a preliminary plat which has been re-submitted by reason of being voided by the passage of time, the Planning Commission shall not be bound by a previous approval.
6. Sectionalizing subdivision plats. Prior to approval of a final plat, the Planning Commission may permit the preliminary plat to be divided into two or more phases and may impose such conditions upon filing of the final plats for all phases as it may deem necessary to assure the orderly development of the plat.
7. Conditional approval provisions. The Planning Commission or the City Council may elect to place conditions upon the approval of the preliminary plat, and may stipulate the requirements for satisfaction of such conditions. In addition, either body may conditionally approve a preliminary plat which is submitted for consideration, without complete improvement plans, in order to expedite the review process. Such conditional approval shall be given only when the subdivider provides written assurance of plan submission within a specified period of time, which allows the adequate review of said plans prior to consideration of the final plat.
8. Specifications. Preliminary plats submitted to the Planning Commission shall be drawn at a scale of 100 feet to one inch, and shall bear, or be accompanied by, the following information or materials:
a. Descriptive margin data.
(1) Map scale, north arrow and date;
(2) Proposed subdivision name;
(3) Names and addresses of the owners of record, the subdivider, and the registered engineer preparing the plat; and
(4) An inset key map showing the location of the proposed subdivision, reference to existing or major streets and to government section lines or other survey control points.
b. Existing conditions.
(1) Topography with contour intervals of two feet or less, referenced to a U.S. geological survey or U.S. coast and geodetic survey benchmark;
(2) Water elevations of adjoining ponds or streams at the date of the survey and the approximate high and low water elevations of such lakes or streams; if any portion of any land within the proposed subdivision lies within the city’s designated floodplain, such fact and said land shall be clearly shown on the preliminary plat;
(3) Location, widths and names of all existing platted or dedicated streets, alleys or other public ways and easements, railroad and utility rights-of-way, parks, watercourses, drainage ditches, permanent buildings, bridges and the location, size and type of sanitary and storm sewers, water mains, culverts, power and natural gas lines and other surface and sub-surface structures or pipelines; and
(4) Zoning district classification (if there is more than one classification, the dividing lines shall be shown) of land to be subdivided, as well as adjoining lands.
c. Proposed development.
(1) The boundaries of the proposed subdivision (to the indicated scale), showing the total perimeter; lengths of all lines shall be measured to the nearest foot and bearings of lines shall be given;
(2) The location and width of proposed streets, alleys, easements and pedestrianways, conforming to the approved street classification criteria;
(3) The location of all drainage channels and subsurface drainage structures, the proposed method of disposing of all runoff from the proposed subdivision, and the location and size of all drainage easements relating thereto, whether they are located within or outside of the proposed subdivision;
(4) Approximate radii of all curves and lengths of all tangents;
(5) Layout, numbers and approximate dimensions of lots and the number of letter of each block;
(6) Building setback lines, with dimensions;
(7) Indication of any lots on which use other than residential is proposed by the subdivider;
(8) The location, size and type of all proposed public utility lines, including storm and sanitary sewer, water, gas and power lines. If a community sewage treatment plant, or other type of community disposal system is to be installed or constructed to conserve all or certain portions of the proposed subdivision, the general plans for such community type sewage treatment or disposal system shall be shown (or accompany the plat) and be so identified on the preliminary plat; and
(9) The location and size of proposed parks, playgrounds, church sites, school sites or other special uses of land to be considered for dedication to public use, or to be reserved by deed of covenant for the use of all property owners in the subdivision, and any conditions of such dedication or reservation.
d. Additional materials.
(1) Four copies of all required improvement plans;
(2) Two copies of the proposed “house numbering system” (by lot), in accordance with the specifications of the city’s code of ordinances;
(3) Where deed restrictions are to be recorded on the final plat, a description of the proposed restrictions shall accompany the preliminary plat; and
(4) In case of re-subdivision, a copy of the existing plat shall accompany the preliminary plat.
e. Material required in floodplain areas.
(1) Preliminary plan of any on-site waste disposal systems, including disposal sites for lands subject to flooding, or sanitary sewers, with grade, pipe size and points of discharge;
(2) Preliminary plans for the drainage system, with grade, pipe size and location of outlet;
(3) Preliminary plans for the water supply and distribution system, with pipe sizes and location of hydrants; and
(4) Proposed fill or other structure-elevating techniques, levees, channel modifications or other methods to overcome flood or related hazards, and a statement describing their impacts on existing development in upstream and downstream areas.