§ 154.066 SITE PLAN REVIEW.

   (A)   Applicability.

      (1)   Site plan review approval shall be required for all site alterations, construction, and change of uses for residential properties with three or more units and any nonresidential properties.

      (2)   This review may be part of a building permit approval process, or may be for land use and zoning activities not requiring a building permit, such as installation of fences and construction of impervious surfaces on a property.

   (B)   Pre-application meeting. A pre-application meeting pursuant to § 154.065(D) is recommended prior to submitting a site plan review application.

   (C)   Submittal.

      (1)   The applicant shall file the completed application form together with required exhibits with the Zoning Administrator and shall pay a filing fee, as established by the Council, for processing the site plan review application.

      (2)   The Zoning Administrator shall review the application and within 15 business days after receiving the application shall notify the applicant in writing if the application is not complete and what additional information is required.

      (3)   Criteria for complete submittal. No submittal to the city shall be considered complete without receipt of the following:

         (a)   A completed application form;

         (b)   Evidence of ownership or enforceable option on the property;

         (c)   A survey/site plan, to-scale, of the property, with the following:

            1.   Property boundary;

            2.   Locations and dimensions of existing features, such as structures, impervious surfaces, fences/retaining walls, waterbodies and wetlands; and

            3.   Locations and dimensions of proposed features, such as structures, impervious surfaces, fences/retaining walls, refuse storage areas.

         (d)   Additional elements, as may be required depending on the site and proposed use. These may be included within the site plan or as separate plan documents:

            1.   Grading and drainage plan showing existing and proposed topography at two-foot contours;

            2.   Parking, loading and circulation plan;

            3.   Screening and bufferyard landscaping plan; and

            4.   Utility plan.

   (D)   Review process.

      (1)   Review and decision.

         (a)   When the Zoning Administrator determines the application to be complete, the Zoning Administrator shall review the application for compliance with the applicable zoning standards of this chapter and shall have the authority to approve or deny the application.

         (b)   Before granting any site approval, the Zoning Administrator may, besides obtaining advice from consultants, secure such advice as may be deemed necessary from the Director of Public Works or other municipal officials, with special attention to the effect of such approval upon existing municipal services and utilities.

      (2)   Criteria for review. In reviewing the application and materials for approval, the Zoning Administrator shall consider the following:

         (a)   Compliance with the zoning standards of the base zoning district and any special district, including but not limited to: lot size, setbacks, building height and impervious surface coverage;

         (b)   Compliance with applicable use-specific standards, as detailed in §§ 154.175 to 154.178, Use Specific Standards; and

         (c)   Compliance with development standards, as detailed in §§ 154.125 to 154.127, which include, but are not limited to: general performance standards, parking, loading, and circulation standards, and screening and bufferyard landscaping standards.

   (E)   Issuance of decision.

      (1)   Notification. Upon decision of approval of the site plan review application, the Zoning Administrator shall notify the applicant of approval and that the proposed activity may commence.

         (a)   If the site plan review be part of a building permit application process, commencement of proposed activity shall not be permitted until both the site plan review and building permit are fully approved.

         (b)   Should the decision of the Zoning Administrator be denial of the application, the Zoning Administrator shall provide the applicant reason for denial in writing.

      (2)   Recording.

         (a)   The city shall maintain a record of all approved site plan review applications including a copy of the application, materials, review dates and such other information as may be appropriate. A record of applications which were not approved shall also be maintained for record keeping purposes.

         (b)   If the site plan review is for a use with use-specific standards, as listed within §§ 154.175 to 154.178, those standards and the application’s compliance with those standards shall be included within the record maintained by the city.

      (3)   Effect of approval.

         (a)   Approval of a site plan review application shall expire in 12 months unless substantial work has commenced, or in 24 months after approval if the structure for which the site plan review has been approved is not substantially completed. In the event of expiration, the applicant shall reapply for a site plan review before commencing work on the structure.

         (b)   Should the use of the property change or circumstances of the site differ from the approved site plan review, including compliance with the use-specific standards listed in §§ 154.175 to 154.178, the approval shall no longer be considered upheld and the Zoning Administrator shall proceed through enforcement actions as described in §§ 154.080 through 154.084.

(Ord. 879, passed 10-28-2020)