(A) Purpose. The preliminary plat is intended to provide an interim step in the subdivision process in which the developer presents a detailed plat for review and approval by the Planning Commission and the City Council.
(B) Application. The owner or his or her representative may file an application for approval of a preliminary plat. The application shall:
(1) Be made on forms available from the office of the Planning Secretary;
(2) The initial submission to the Planning Commission shall be seven full-size and two half-size copies of the preliminary plat, and following the referral of the preliminary plat to the City Council, the applicant shall provide seven full-size copies of the referred plat for review by the City Council; and
(3) Be delivered to the Planning Secretary not less than 14 days prior to the meeting date at which the plat is to be reviewed.
(C) 911 Coordinator approval. The developer shall obtain approval from the 911 Coordinator on street names prior to filing the application.
(D) Planning Commission review. The Planning Secretary shall be responsible for setting a date for Planning Commission review of the preliminary plat and notifying the owner of the subdivision or his or her agent, in writing, of the date. The Planning Secretary shall also be responsible for obtaining the comments of the Plat Review Team on the proposed subdivision. The Planning Commission’s review of the preliminary plat shall be in accordance with the following provisions.
(1) The Planning Commission shall review the applicant’s preliminary plat, and shall approve, approve conditionally or disapprove the plat within 45 days of the first regularly scheduled Planning Commission meeting following filing. The subdivider shall be notified in writing of this action, which notification shall specifically state any conditions of approval, or those provisions of the Comprehensive Plan or other regulations with which the disapproved plat was not in conformance. One copy of the preliminary plat shall be returned to the subdivider with the notification. On conditionally approving a plat, the Planning Commission may require the submission of a revised preliminary plat.
(2) If the preliminary plat has not been acted upon by the Planning Commission within the 45-day period and an agreement to extend the time has not been obtained from the applicant, the plat shall be deemed to have been administratively advanced by the Planning Commission.
(3) If the plat conforms to all of the standards referred to herein, or after all agreed-to revisions are included therein, two copies of the preliminary plat shall be forwarded to the City Clerk along with a written recommendation from the Planning Commission for scheduling of review by the City Council.
(E) City Council review. The City Clerk shall be responsible for placing the subdivision on the agenda of the City Council first regularly scheduled meeting following approval or conditional approval by the Planning Commission and providing written notice of the date to the Chairperson of the Planning Commission and the owner (or his or her agent) of the subdivision. The City Council’s review of the subdivision shall be in accordance with the following provisions.
(1) The City Council shall approve, approve conditionally or disapprove the preliminary plat within 45 days after approval or conditional approval by the Planning Commission. The subdivider shall be notified in writing of this action. The notification shall specifically state any conditions of approval, or those provisions of the Comprehensive Plan or other regulations with which the disapproved Plat was not in conformance. One copy of the preliminary plat shall be returned to the subdivider with the notification. On conditionally approving a plat, the City Council may require the submission of a revised preliminary plat.
(2) If the preliminary plat was not acted upon by the City Council within the 45-day period, and an agreement to extend the time was not obtained from the applicant, the plat shall be deemed to have been administratively advanced by City Council except for dedications, easements and the like.
(3) If the preliminary plat conforms to all of the standards of the Comprehensive Plan, these regulations and other regulations of the community, and is approved, or after the applicant and the City Council agree upon any revision which shall be filed with City Council on a revised copy, the subdivider may proceed with the preparation of the final plat.
(F) Approval period. The approval or conditional approval of a preliminary plat shall be effective for a period of five years after the date of City Council's approval. At the end of the five year period, any portion of the preliminary plat that has not been presented to the Planning Commission for approval of a final plat shall be null and void unless the Planning Commission agrees to an extension of time not to exceed two years. No more than two extensions shall be approved and in no case shall a preliminary plat approval, with extensions, exceed a total of nine years. In reviewing a preliminary plat which has been re-submitted by reason of being voided by the passage of time, the Planning Commission shall not be bound by a previous approval.
(G) Conditional approval provisions. The Planning Commission or the City Council may elect to place conditions upon the approval of the preliminary plat, and may stipulate the requirements for satisfaction of such conditions.
(H) Specifications. Preliminary plats submitted to the Planning Commission shall be 24 by 36 inches and shall be drawn at a scale of 100 feet to one inch; except that plats in which all lots contain a net area in excess of 40,000 square feet, the plat may be drawn to a scale of 200 feet to the inch. The minimum lettering size shall be equivalent to a 60 Leroy guide (0.06 inches). The plat shall bear, or be accompanied by the following information or materials.
(1) Descriptive margin data.
(a) Map scale, north arrow and date;
(b) Proposed subdivision name;
(c) Number of lots by block;
(d) Names and addresses of the owners of record, the subdivider and the registered engineer and/or surveyor preparing the plat; and
(e) An inset key map showing the location of the proposed subdivision, referenced to major streets and to government section lines or other survey control points and including the boundaries and number of acres in the drainage area of which the proposed subdivision is a part.
(2) Existing conditions.
(a) Location and names of adjacent subdivisions and the owners of adjoining land;
(b) Topography, with contour intervals of two feet or less, referenced to a U.S. Geological Survey or U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey Benchmark;
(c) Water elevations of adjoining lakes or streams at the date of the survey and the approximate high and low water elevations of such lakes or streams; if any portion of any land within the proposed subdivision lies within the city’s designated floodplain, such fact and the land shall be clearly shown on the preliminary plat;
(d) Location, widths and names of all existing platted or dedicated streets, alleys or other public ways and easements, railroad and utility rights- of-way, parks, water courses, drainage ditches, permanent buildings, bridges, and the location, size and type of sanitary and storm sewers, water mains, culverts, power and natural gas lines and other surface and subsurface structures or pipelines;
(e) Amount of acres draining into subdivision; and
(f) Zoning district classification of land to be subdivided, as well as adjoining lands (if there is more than one classification, the dividing lines shall be shown).
(3) Proposed development.
(a) The boundaries of the proposed subdivision (to the indicated scale), showing the total perimeter. Lengths of all lines shall be measured to the nearest foot;
(b) The location and width of proposed streets, alleys, easements and sidewalks, conforming to the approved street classification criteria;
(c) The classification of every street within or adjacent to the proposed subdivision, in accordance with the intended use of the street based on the proposed design (this shall be done by placing the appropriate term directly on each street);
(d) The location of all drainage channels and subsurface drainage structures, the proposed method of disposing of all runoff from the proposed subdivision, and the location and size of all drainage easements relating thereto whether they are located within or outside of the proposed subdivision;
(e) Approximate radius and tangent length of all curves;
(f) Layout of lots and blocks showing approximate dimensions and design of each;
(g) Building setback lines, with dimensions;
(h) Proposed zoning on any block if anything other than residential;
(i) The location, size and type of all proposed public utility lines including storm and sanitary sewer, water, gas and power lines. If a community sewage treatment plant, or other type of community disposal system is to be installed or constructed, basic design layout for such community type sewage treatment or disposal system shall be shown (or accompany the plat) and be so identified on the preliminary plat; and
(j) The location and size of proposed parks, playgrounds, churches, school sites or other special uses of land to be considered for dedication to public use, or to be reserved by deed or covenant for the use of all property owners in the subdivision, and any conditions of such dedication or reservation.
(4) Additional materials.
(a) Seven copies of a generalized statement, signed by the developer, describing the conditions existing on the site, present use, suitability for further development and the potential effects of the proposed development on the area;
(b) Seven copies of a statement, signed by the registered engineer preparing the plat, that he or she has, to the best of his or her knowledge designed the subdivision in accordance with subdivision ordinances regulations and any approved exceptions;
(c) Preliminary plan of the sanitary sewer collection system, with grades, pipe sizes and location of appurtenances; and
(d) Preliminary plan of the water supply and distribution system, with pipe sizes and location of appurtenances.
(5) Floodplain subdivision materials.
(a) Preliminary plan of the drainage system with grade, pipe size and location of outlet;
(b) Proposed fill or other structure- elevating techniques, levees, channel modifications or other methods to overcome flood or related hazards, and a statement describing their impacts on existing development in upstream and downstream areas.
(2002 Code, § 153.037) (Ord. 230, passed 9-8-1986; Ord. 651, passed 10-26-2009; Ord. 891, passed 9-13-2021)