Required site plan fees, charges, and escrows shall be as follows:
(a) Site Plan Application Fee (Non-refundable). A one hundred dollar ($100.00) application fee shall be charged for all projects requiring site plan review pursuant to the Howell City Zoning Code. Said fee shall be paid at the time of application.
(b) Administrative Site Plan Fee (Non-refundable). For all development plans requiring site plan review, there shall be charged a non-refundable fee to cover the cost for City staff review and other administrative costs. The administrative site plan fee shall be one-half of one percent (.05%) of the total project development cost with a minimum fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00) and a maximum fee of two thousand dollars ($2,000). Said fee shall be paid at the time of application.
(c) Site Plan Consultant Review Escrow Deposit. For all development plans requiring site plan review, there shall be an escrow account established to cover site plan review costs by the City's consulting planner and/or consulting engineer, as well as any other reasonable expenses deemed necessary by the City Manager. The escrow amount shall be equal to one percent of the total project development cost with a minimum deposit of one thousand dollars ($1,000) and a maximum deposit of seven thousand dollars ($7,000). Said deposit shall be made at the time of application. If such deposit is not sufficient to cover the costs of the site plan review and/or other reasonable expenses deemed necessary and appropriate by the City Manager, then the developer may either deposit additional funds, the amount of which shall be determined by the City Manager, in such amount for the completion of the site plan review and/or these other investigations, or withdraw the project, therefore forfeiting the entire deposit previously submitted to the City. Any escrow amount remaining after the completion of the site plan review process will be refunded to the applicant, or, at the applicant's request, become part of the construction escrow.
(d) Performance Guarantee. Any and all performance guarantees shall be governed by the provisions of the Howell City Zoning Code.
(e) Construction Escrow. For all construction projects for which a site plan has been required and approved, there shall be a cash escrow account established to cover consulting costs during construction by the City's consulting planner and/or engineer, as well as any other reasonable expenses deemed necessary by the City Manager. The escrow amount shall equal one percent of the total project development cost* (building costs plus site improvements costs, with a minimum deposit of one thousand dollars ($1,000) and a maximum deposit of ten thousand dollars ($10,000)). Said deposit shall be made prior to any preconstruction meeting or commencement of construction. If such deposit is not sufficient to cover consulting costs during construction and/or other reasonable costs deemed necessary by the City Manager, then the applicant shall deposit additional funds, the amount of which shall be determined by the City Manager, in such account to permit completion of the consultant's work and/or to cover other reasonable expenses. A certificate of occupancy cannot be issued until the developer reimburses the City for all costs incurred on the project. Any escrow amount remaining after completion of the project and the issuance of a certificate of occupancy will be refunded to the applicant.
(f) Total Project Development Cost.
(1) At the time of submittal of the site plan documents, the developer shall submit an itemized cost estimate for the proposed project. The cost estimate shall cover all site improvement costs, including but not limited to, roadways, lighting, utilities, sidewalks, drainage, fences, screens, walls, landscaping, and widening strips. In addition, a separate building cost estimate shall be provided for all buildings that are to be constructed as part of the initial development. If a project is to be done in phases, then site plan fees will be charged for each phase as final site plans are submitted for such phase. The cost(s) estimated for building construction will be reviewed by the Building Official using the International Code Council's Permit Fee Schedule. Site improvement cost estimates will be reviewed by the City's engineering consultant.
(2) The City's consulting engineer shall estimate the anticipated cost for the City to construct the site improvements should the applicant fail to complete the work. These cost estimates will then be compared with the applicant's cost estimates. Based on the review of the applicant's cost estimates by the Building Official and the City's engineering consultant, the cost estimates may be revised. The final cost estimates, as approved by the Building Official and engineering consultant, will be used for determining all project fees, deposits, escrows, etc. Applicant appeals of a revised cost estimate shall be made first to the City Manager and then to City Council. For site plan review to proceed, the applicant shall pay all required fees in full as determined by the Building Official and engineering consultant. If the fees are reduced as a result of the applicant's appeal, a refund of the difference shall be made to the applicant.
(h) Site Plan Extension Request. A request for a site plan extension shall be accompanied by a fee of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00).
(Ord. 948. Passed 2-14-22; Ord. 952. Passed 10-10-22.)