A. Purpose. Site plan review is a mandatory review process intended to promote orderly development and redevelopment in the County, and to assure that such development or redevelopment occurs in a manner that is harmonious with surrounding properties, is consistent with the 2030 Comprehensive Plan, Water Resources Action Plan, and 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan and promotes the general welfare of the County. This section provides standards by which to determine and control the physical layout and design to achieve the:
1. Compatibility of land uses and structures.
2. Efficient use of land.
3. Minimization of traffic and safety hazards.
4. Efficient parking layout.
5. Minimization of environmental problems.
6. Optimization of stormwater management and ground water protection.
7. Incorporation of sustainable design techniques.
8. Compliance with all County permit requirements including, but not limited to, McHenry County Stormwater Management Ordinance, McHenry County Public Health Ordinance, and McHenry County Access Control and Right-of-Way Management Ordinance.
9. Protection of Class III Special Resources Groundwater Protection Areas and Sensitive Aquifer Recharge Areas, as required by Chapter 16.52 (Overlay Zoning Districts).
B. Authority.
1. Site plan review and approval is required for the following:
a. Conditional uses and planned developments.
b. Those uses identified in Chapter 16.56 (Use Standards) as requiring site plan review prior to approval.
2. No building permit may be issued by the Department of Planning and Development and no conditional use permit may be approved by the County Board until site plan approval has been granted, as required in subsection B.1. above. Prior to issuance of a building permit, review of the proposed development for compliance with the McHenry County Public Health Ordinance, the McHenry County Stormwater Management Ordinance and the McHenry County Access Control and Right-of-Way Management Ordinance is required.
3. As part of subsequent conditional use permit approval, the Zoning Board of Appeals may recommend and the County Board may impose additional conditions on an approved site plan consistent with 55 ILCS 5/5-12020 as may be amended from time to time.
C. Procedure.
1. Applications for site plan review shall be submitted to the Department of Planning and Development in accordance with the requirements in § 16.16.020 (Application). Once it is determined that the application is complete, the application will be scheduled for review at a Staff Plat Review Committee meeting at least twenty-eight (28) days from the time of submittal. In the case of applications for COMMERCIAL SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY and COMMERCIAL WIND ENERGY FACILITY, Planning & Development Staff shall, as soon as practicable after application submission, send a copy of the application to each member of the Staff Plat Review for individual review and comment at least fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the scheduled public hearing.
2. The Staff Plat Review Committee will review the completed site plan review application and evaluate the site plan pursuant to the applicable standards in subsection D. below (Standards for Site Plan Review).
3. During review of the site plan, the Staff Plat Review Committee may request modification of the submitted site plan and resubmittal of a revised plan. The revised site plan will be processed in the same manner as the initial application.
4. Site plan review fees shall be paid in accordance with the County adopted fee ordinance.
D. Standards for Site Plan Review.
1. Each site plan submitted for review shall include the following details:
a. The location of principal and accessory structures, and all open space.
b. The location of all water supply and sanitary waste (well and septic) facilities.
c. All existing and proposed screening and landscaping.
d. All exterior lighting.
e. The location of parking lots, including required landscape islands, buffers, number of parking spaces, driveways, and internal access roads.
Depending on the complexity of the project, the required details shall be divided into multiple plan sheets as necessary to ensure legibility.
2. In addition, the following characteristics will also be considered:
a. The conformance of the site plan to adopted land use policies and the policies of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan and this Ordinance.
b. Compliance with other applicable County ordinances.
c. The location, arrangement, size, design, and general site compatibility of structures, lighting, and signs, including:
(1) Efficient use of land that responds to the existing off-site utilities and service conditions in order to minimize the demand for additional municipal services, utilities, and infrastructure.
(2) Adequate water supply and sewage disposal in compliance with the McHenry County Public Health Ordinance.
(3) Compatibility with, and mitigation of, any potential impact upon, adjacent property.
(4) Site illumination designed and installed to minimize adverse impact on adjacent properties.
d. Landscape and the arrangement of open space or natural features designed to:
(1) Create a desirable and functional environment for motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, and occupants of residences and businesses. To achieve such an environment, landscape may take advantage of open space design features such as bike paths, running paths, and outdoor relaxation areas.
(2) Preserve unique natural resources, including preservation and protection of existing healthy, mature trees.
(3) Protect natural resources and landscape on adjacent sites.
(4) Design drainage facilities to promote retention of water onsite and preservation of natural watercourses and patterns of drainage.
(5) Utilize plant materials suitable to withstand the climatic conditions of the County and microclimate of the site.
(6) Use of screening to buffer the impact of the development on adjacent uses and screen incompatible uses and certain site elements, creating a logical transition to contiguous lots and developments.
e. Circulation systems and off-street parking designed to:
(1) Provide adequate and safe access to the site for motor vehicles as well as alternate modes of transportation, including pedestrians and bicyclists.
(2) Minimize potentially dangerous traffic movements.
(3) Separate pedestrian and auto circulation, and provide for bicycle parking or storage insofar as practical.
(4) Minimize curb cuts by using cross-access easements and shared parking.
(5) Design off-street parking lots or garages to minimize adverse impacts on adjacent properties, particularly through the use of perimeter and interior landscape, and promote logical and safe parking and internal circulation.
(6) Clearly define pedestrian access from the parking area to the structures.
E. Amendments to Approved Site Plan Reviews.
1. Purpose. Site plans that have been approved by the Staff Plat Review Committee may be amended based on the criteria and procedures in this section.
2. Procedure.
a. An application for an amendment to an approved site plan shall be submitted to the Department of Planning and Development. Amendment applications shall include a written description of the proposed change, including the reason for such change, and a notation of the location on the approved site plan.
b. Minor changes, as required by technical engineering or other physical site circumstances not foreseen at the time that the site plan was approved, may be authorized by the Zoning Enforcement Officer, who reserves the right to forward any such request to the Staff Plat Review Committee for approval. All other changes require approval by the Staff Plat Review Committee.
c. The Zoning Enforcement Officer may decide that the proposed change or changes to the approved site plan is such a significant change that it constitutes a new application and is subject to the complete site plan review provisions of this section, including fees.
d. The Staff Plat Review Committee may determine that a proposed amendment to an approved site plan requires submittal of a revised site plan for proper evaluation. Submittal of the revised site plan only requires those components of the submittal package impacted by the proposed change. Until such revised site plan is submitted, the application is not considered complete. Nothing within this section prevents an applicant from submitting a revised site plan with the amendment application at the time of initial submission.
(Ord. O-201410-10-035, passed 10-14-2014; Ord. O-201601-ZBA-006, passed 1-19-2016; Ord. O-201603-ZBA-010, passed 3-17-2016, § 5.5; Ord. O-201803-ZBA-10-08, passed 3-19-2018; Ord. O-201808-10-033, passed 8-21-2018; Ord. O-202304-12-016, passed 4-18-2023)