(A) Generally. For purposes of this chapter, site plans may be classified as major or minor site plans. All developments within the city except individual single-family detached units and city-owned facilities shall be subject to this chapter.
(1) A major site plan involves one or more of the following:
(a) Forty or more dwelling units in a multiple-family structure or structures.
(b) Fifteen thousand or more square feet of:
1. Office space;
2. Retail commercial space;
3. Service commercial space; and/or
4. Industrial space.
(c) One or more buildings on one site for:
1. Office use;
2. Retail commercial use;
3. Service commercial use; and/or
4. Industrial use.
(d) Twenty thousand or more square feet of exterior storage of materials or goods; and
(e) Parking for more than 80 vehicles.
(2) Any other site plan (except for a planned area development) is considered a minor site plan. Any planned area development shall be reviewed according to the regulations of § 154.160.
(3) The City Council has the right to review, and require revisions to, any proposed site plans, major or minor. The purpose of this review is to relieve demonstrable adverse impacts of the development upon public safety, health, or welfare; to protect public investments in roads, drainage facilities, sewage facilities, and the like; and to ensure that the regulations of the city are upheld.
(4) Additionally, the City Council may authorize the Zoning Administrator to conduct review of minor site plans. Any needed variances for major or minor site plans must be submitted to the Board of Adjustment.
(B) Application of these procedures.
(1) For those rezoning requests that may not comply with the city general plan, the site plan shall be submitted in conjunction with the rezoning application.
(2) For those rezoning requests that may comply with the general plan, the site plan shall be submitted prior to any construction or development and may be submitted with the rezoning application.
(3) For those areas with desired zoning, the site plan shall be submitted prior to any construction or development.
(C) Application for major or minor site plan approval. Applications for major or minor site plan approval shall be on a form provided by the Zoning Administrator. The application shall be accompanied by the appropriate fee and development plans showing sufficient information for the Planning and Zoning Commission, City Council or city staff to determine whether the proposed development will meet the development requirements of the city. In all cases the application shall contain the following:
(1) General:
(a) Name of project/development;
(b) Location of project/development by street address;
(c) Location map, including area within one-half mile of site;
(d) Name and mailing address of developer/owner;
(e) Name and mailing address of engineer/architect;
(f) Date of plan preparation;
(g) North point indicator;
(h) Scale of not less than one inch to 100 feet; and
(i) Names and addresses of property owners within 200 feet of site.
(2) Site plan, including:
(a) Boundary line of property with dimensions;
(b) Location, identification, and dimension of existing and proposed data, to a distance of 100 feet unless otherwise stated:
1. Topographic contours at a minimum interval of two feet;
2. Adjacent streets and street rights-of-way to a distance of 150 feet, except for sites adjacent to major arterial streets where the distances shall be 200 feet;
3. On-site streets and rights-of-way;
4. Ingress and egress points;
5. Traffic flow on-site;
6. Traffic flow off-site;
7. Utilities and utility rights-of-way or easements:
a. Electric;
b. Natural gas;
c. Telephone, cable TV;
d. Water; and
e. Sewer (sanitary treated effluent and storm);
8. Buildings and structures;
9. Parking facilities;
10. Water bodies;
11. Surface water holding ponds and drainage ditches surface water drainage arrows;
12. Significant rock outcroppings;
13. Sidewalks, walkways, driveways, loading areas and docks, bikeways;
14. Fences and walls;
15. Exterior signs;
16. Exterior refuse collection areas;
17. Exterior lighting; and
18. Landscaping (detailed plan showing plantings, equipment, and the like):
a. Botanical and common names of vegetation to be used;
b. Size of plantings at time of planting and at maturity; and
c. Areas to be irrigated.
(c) Number of employee and non-employee parking spaces, existing and proposed, and total square footage of each;
(d) Site statistics including site square footage, percent of site coverage (building and parking), dwelling unit density, percent park or open space; and
(e) Reproducible copy of the site plan with appropriate signatures shall be submitted upon approval.
(3) Building information (on-site), including:
(a) Height above mean sea level of the lowest floor when the structure is proposed to be located in a floodway or floodplain area;
(b) Gross square footage of existing and proposed structures; and
(c) Front, rear, and side elevations, with a description of exterior materials to be used.
(D) Notification of site plan review.
(1) Major site plan. A notice of major site plan review shall be mailed at least ten days prior to the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting to each owner of property situated wholly or partially within 200 feet of the property to which the site plan relates. The Zoning Administrator shall be responsible for mailing the notices. For the purpose of giving mailed notice, the Zoning Administrator shall require the owner of the property affected to furnish the names and addresses of all property owners within 200 feet of the property.
(2) Minor site plan review. A notice of minor site plan review shall be mailed within two working days of the date of the site plan application to each owner of property situated wholly or partially within 200 feet of the property to which the site plan relates. The Zoning Administrator shall be responsible for mailing the notices. For purpose of giving mailed notice, the Zoning Administrator shall require the owner of the property affected to furnish the names and addresses of all property owners within 200 feet of the property.
(a) If written protest to any minor site plan is received from any notified property owner within ten days of the mailing date of notification, the minor site plan shall become reclassified a major site plan.
(b) No additional application shall be required, however, all requirements and procedures governing major site plan shall then apply.
(E) Minor site plan review.
(1) In considering applications for minor site plan approval under this chapter, the city staff, if authorized by the City Council, shall consider the following: relationship of the plan elements to conditions both on and off the property; conformance to the city’s zoning ordinance; conformance to the city’s general plan; the impact of the plan on the existing and anticipated traffic and parking conditions; the adequacy of the plan with respect to land use; pedestrian and vehicular ingress and egress; building location and height; landscaping; lighting; provisions for utilities; site drainage; open space; loading and unloading areas; grading; signage; screening; setbacks; and other related matters.
(2) The city staff shall meet with the applicant upon request. The city staff shall also consider oral or written statements from the public or other city staff members. A decision shall be made on a minor site plan within 15 days of the date of application.
(3) If the city staff shall determine that the proposed site plan will not be detrimental to the health, safety, or welfare of the community nor will cause traffic congestion or seriously depreciate surrounding property values and at the same time is in harmony with the purposes and intent of this chapter, the plan for the area, and the general plan, the staff will recommend to the City Council, to grant the site plan approval, and the conditions and safeguards be imposed as they deem necessary. Staff shall notify the Planning and Zoning Commission at its next regular meeting of any site plan approvals.
(4) Minor site plan approval applications may be denied by city staff upon finding and determination by the staff that the conditions required for approval do not exist.
(5) When a minor site plan approval application is denied by city staff, an appeal may be taken to the Planning and Zoning Commission. If unusual or significantly difficult conditions exist which affect the site plan, the Zoning Administrator may determine and require that the site plan be reviewed and acted upon by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
(F) Major site plan review.
(1) Hearing and recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Commission. A major site plan shall be referred to the Commission for study and public hearing. In its deliberations on the matter, the Commission shall consider oral or written statements from the applicant, the public, city staff, and its own members. The Commission may recommend approval or disapproval, or it may table the application. The application may not be tabled more than two meetings in succession. Planning staff shall notify the City Council, in writing, of the Planning and Zoning Commission recommendation. The recommendation shall include the reasons for the recommendation and be transmitted to the Council not more than 15 days after the public hearing in which the recommendation was made.
(2) Decision by the City Council. The City Council after receipt of the report and recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission, shall consider the major site plan request. During the public hearing on the matter, the Council shall consider oral or written statements from the applicant, city staff, the public, and its own members. The Council may approve any request for conditional use permit, deny the request, or table the request. The application may not be tabled more than two meetings.
(3) In considering applications for major site plan approval under this chapter, the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council shall consider the following: relationship of the plan elements to conditions both on and off the property; conformance to the city’s zoning ordinance; conformance to the city’s general plan; the impact of the plan on the existing and anticipated traffic and parking conditions; the adequacy of the plan with respect to land use; pedestrian and vehicular ingress and egress; building location and height; landscaping; lighting; provisions for utilities; site drainage; open space; loading and unloading areas; grading; signage; screening; setbacks; and other related matters.
(G) Duration of site plan approval. An approved site plan shall be valid for one year from its date of approval, or until the zoning on a particular site lapses, whichever occurs first.
(H) Amendments to approved site plans.
(1) Any amendment or modification to an approved site plan shall be submitted for approval. All amendments shall be shown on a revised site plan drawing.
(2) Amendments to minor site plans shall be submitted to city staff who may, if authorized by the City Council, approve the amendment(s) if they determine that the amendment(s) are acceptable to the city.
(3) Amendments to major site plans shall be resubmitted and shall be subject to divisions (C), (D), and (F) above.
(I) Appeals. A person aggrieved by a decision of the City Council, may file a complaint for special action in the superior court to review the City Council decision.
(Res. R22-05-08, passed 5-3-2022; Ord. O22-05-02, passed 5-3-2022)