1185.03 PLANNED UNIT DISTRICT; APPLICATION.
   Planned Districts may be established by application in accordance with the provisions set forth below.
   Any application for a Planned Development, for any land use or structure permitted under this Zoning Ordinance shall be submitted in accordance with the following procedure.
   (a)   Pre-Application Conference.
      (1)   Prior to preparing a Development Plan, the landowner shall consult informally with the City Planning Commission, City Engineer, Zoning Administrator and Richland County Regional Planning Commission staff in order that he may become familiar with subdivision and zoning requirements, the relation of his property to existing conditions, future plans, community facilities, utilities and services.
      (2)   The landowner shall also consult informally with public utility companies in order to determine the character and extent of electric power and telephone lines and also to determine the most advantageous routing of these lines and utility easements.
   (b)   Planned Unit Development Principles. Prior to concluding the pre-application conference between the landowner and the City Planning Commission, the Commission shall consider the following principles governing Planned Developments in the City:
      (1)   It shall be the duty of the City Planning Commission to discourage Planned Developments that are far in advance of the needs of the City, or which, by their very nature or location, cannot be efficiently served by public utilities, fire or police protection or other Municipal services, or which are being unwisely or prematurely developed.
      (2)   It shall further be the duty of the City Planning Commission to encourage that Planned Developments be coordinated with the development of adjacent small parcels of land and to this end, the City Planning Commission shall require the landowner to submit sketch plans for such coordinated development, showing how streets can be connected, lot orientations coordinated and open spaces extended. The City Planning Commission may also arrange meetings with the several owners of such small parcels of land or may carry out the intent of this directive by such other means as may be lawful and appropriate.
   (c)   Application to Planning Commission. An application for a Planned Development shall be submitted to the Planning Commission on a special form provided for that purpose. The application shall be executed by or on behalf of the landowner and filed in duplicate with the Planning Commission. A filing fee in the amount of one hundred dollars ($100.00), payable to the City, shall be submitted to the Planning Commission. Such filing fee shall be used to defray the cost of the public hearing and work done by the planning staff of the City, the Richland County Regional Planning Commission, City Engineer and City Zoning Administrator.
   (d)   Data Required With Application for Approval of Development Plan. The application for approval of a Planned Development shall include three copies of a Development Plan, drawn at a scale of 1" = 50' and including the following information:
      (1)   Location and the size of the area involved and the nature of the landowner's interest in the land proposed to be developed.
      (2)   The density of land use to be allocated to parts of the area to be developed.
      (3)   The locations, functions, ownership and manner of maintenance of common open space areas.
      (4)   The use, approximate height, bulk and location of buildings and other structures.
      (5)   The feasibility of proposals for the disposal of sanitary waste and stormwater.
      (6)   The substance of covenants, grants of easements or other restrictions to be imposed upon the use of land, buildings and structures, including proposed easements for public utilities.
      (7)   The provisions for parking of vehicles and the location and width of proposed streets and existing streets abutting the property.
      (8)   A statement indicating the required modifications in the regulations of the Ordinance, otherwise applicable to the subject property.
      (9)   In the case of plans which call for staging development over a period of years, a schedule, showing the time within which applications for final approval of all parts of the Planned Development are to be filed.
      (10)   Such applications shall also be accompanied by a written statement by the landowner setting forth the reasons why, in his opinion, the Planned Development would be in the public interest and would be consistent with the specific criteria, if any, theretofore, published and adopted by the Planning Commission.
   (e)   Review by the Richland County Regional Planning Commission Staff and the City Planning Commission. One copy of every application for a Planned District, received by the Secretary of the Planning Commission, shall be promptly delivered to the staff of the Richland County Regional Planning Commission for their review and report to the City Planning Commission. The Richland County Regional Planning Commission shall, as a part of its review, consult with the City Engineer and other departments of the City concerning the application. The City Planning Commission shall review and take action on the application within sixty days following the date the application was received by the Commission. The City Planning Commission shall base its approval of a Planned District on the following considerations:
      (1)   That the Plan is consistent in all respects with the purposes, intent and applicable standards of this Ordinance.
      (2)   That the proposed development as envisioned in the Plan is in conformance with the Comprehensive Plan adopted for the City.
      (3)   That the proposed Plan provides for the preservation and protection of existing trees, ground cover, topsoil, streams, rock outcroppings and scenic views from dangers and damages caused by excessive and poorly planned grading for streets and building sites.
      (4)   That the benefits, improved arrangement and the design of the Planned Development justify the deviation from the standard zoning district requirements incorporated in this Ordinance.
   (f)   Criteria for Recommendations by Planning Commission. Before making its recommendation, the Planning Commission shall find that the facts submitted with the application and presented at the public hearing establish that:
      (1)   The proposed development can be initiated within two years of the date of approval;
      (2)   Each individual unit of the development, as well as the total development, can exist as an independent unit capable of creating an environment of sustained desirability and stability or that adequate assurance will be provided that such objective will be attained; the uses proposed will not be detrimental to present and potential surrounding uses, but will have a beneficial effect which could not be achieved under standard district regulations;
      (3)   The streets and thoroughfares proposed are suitable and adequate to carry anticipated traffic, and increased densities will not generate traffic in such amounts as to overload the street network outside the Planned Development;
      (4)   Any proposed commercial development can be justified at the location proposed;
      (5)   Any exception from standard district requirements is warranted by the design and other amenities incorporated in the final Development Plan, in accord with the Planned Unit Development and the adopted policies of the Planning Commission and Council;
      (6)   The area surrounding such development can be planned and zoned in coordination and substantial compatibility with the proposed development;
      (7)   The Planned Unit Development is in general conformance with the Comprehensive Plan of the City;
      (8)   The existing and proposed utility services are adequate for the population densities and nonresidential uses proposed;
   (g)   Public Hearing. Upon review and recommendation of an application for a Planned Development District, the Commission shall forward to Council a record of the action taken on the proposed application in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 1161. Council shall act on the application, following a public hearing, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 1161.
      (Ord. 86-260. Passed 12-16-86; Ord. 91-156. Passed 5-21-91.)