A. Procedure for Approval:
1. The subdivider shall cause to be prepared a preliminary plan, which plan shall include all of the property owned or controlled by the applicant that is adjacent to or considered to be contiguous to the proposed subdivision, together with improvement plans and other supplementary material as specified which shall be submitted to the City Clerk with written application for approval.
2. The City Council shall, by motion, refer the preliminary plan to the Plan Commission at least ten (10) days prior to a regular meeting of the Plan Commission and shall, at the same time, instruct the City Engineer to collaborate with the subdivider and the Plan Commission in assembling plans for the design and construction of streets and such other public improvements as are required by this Title or any other ordinances. The Plan Commission and the City Engineer shall review the preliminary plan for compliance with the regulations and other ordinances of the City, and the Plan Commission shall, within two (2) months from the first regular meeting following referral:
a. Approve or disapprove the proposed preliminary subdivision plan and submit its written recommendations, which may include the recommendations of the City Engineer, to the City Council; or
b. If the Plan Commission finds that changes, additions or corrections are required on the preliminary plan, the Plan Commission shall so advise the subdivider in writing. The subdivider may resubmit the preliminary plan to the Plan Commission without paying an additional fee for its consideration at the next regular meeting of such Commission. The Plan Commission shall at such meeting approve or disapprove the preliminary plan and submit its recommendations, in writing, which shall include the recommendations of the City Engineer, to the City Council and the subdivider.
3. If such plan is approved by the Plan Commission, the City Council shall accept or reject the plan within one month after its next regular meeting following the action of the Plan Commission. The applicant and the City Council may mutually agree to extend the one month period.
4. The following qualifications shall govern approval of the preliminary plan:
a. Approval of a preliminary plan by the Plan Commission and City Council is tentative only, involving merely the general acceptability of the layout as submitted.
b. The Plan Commission and the City Council may require such changes or revisions as are deemed necessary in the interest of the needs of the community.
c. Approval of the preliminary plat shall be effective for a maximum period of one year unless, upon application of the developer, the City Council grants an extension. The application for such extension shall not require an additional filing fee or the submittal of additional copies of the plan subdivision. (1976 Code §25-1-10)
B. Required Plats and Data for Approval of Preliminary Plan:
1. Topographic Data: Topographic data required as a basis for the preliminary plan in subsection B2 herein shall include existing conditions as follows, except when otherwise specified by the Plan Commission:
a. Boundary Lines: Bearing and distances.
b. Easements: Location, width and purpose.
c. Streets On and Adjacent to the Tract: Name and right-of-way width and location, type, width and elevation of surfacing, any legally established center line elevation, walks, curbs, gutters, culverts, etc.
d. Utilities On and Adjacent to the Tract: Location, size of sanitary, storm and combined sewers; location and size of water mains. If water mains and sewers are not on or adjacent to the tract, indicate the direction and distance to and the size of the nearest usable facilities.
e. The preliminary plan of subdivision shall be accompanied by:
(1) A statement that the proposed subdivision (where contiguous) is or is not to be annexed to the City.
(2) Either a preliminary plan for sewer, water and storm sewers or a written statement setting forth general plans for such improvements and indicating the method to be employed to overcome particular problems that may be encountered with the development of the proposed subdivision.
(3) Where the sanitary sewage facilities are proposed to be provided by individual septic systems, percolation tests shall be made on the property and a report on these tests prepared by an Illinois registered professional engineer. These tests shall be made at a frequency of one test hole for each five (5) lots or each three (3) acres, whichever requires the greater number of test borings.
f. Other Conditions On the Tract: Watercourses, marshes, rock outcrop, wooded areas, isolated preservable trees of one foot (1') or more in caliper at one foot (1') above ground level, houses, barns, shacks and other significant features.
g. Other Conditions On Adjacent Land: Approximate direction and gradient of ground slope, including any embankments or retaining walls, character and location of buildings, railroads, adverse influences; owner of adjacent unplatted land (for adjacent platted land refer to subdivision plat by name, recording date and number, and showing approximate percent buildup, typical lot size and dwelling type).
h. Photographs, if Required by the Plan Commission: Camera locations, directions of view and key numbers.
i. Zoning on and adjacent to the tract.
j. Proposed Public Improvements: Highway or other major improvements planned by public authorities for future construction on or near the tract.
k. Key plan showing location of the tract.
l. Title and Certificates: Present tract designation according to official records in offices of the County Recorder; title under which proposed subdivision is to be recorded with names and addresses of owners, notation stating acreage, scale, north arrow.
m. Ground Elevations on the Tract, Based on the U.S.G.S. Datum Plane: For land that slopes less than one-half percent (1/2%), show not less than one foot (1') contours; for land that slopes one-half percent (1/2%) to two percent (2%), show not less than two foot (2') contours; and for land that slopes more than two percent (2%), should not be less than two foot (2') contours.
2. Preliminary Plat: Preliminary plat shall be at a scale of one hundred feet to the inch (1" = 100'). It shall show all existing conditions required in subsection B1 above and shall show all proposals, including the following:
a. Streets: Names, right-of-way and roadway widths, approximate grades and gradients, similar data for alleys, if any.
b. Other Rights of Way or Easements: Location, width and purpose.
c. Location of utilities if shown on other exhibits.
d. Lot lines, lot dimensions, lot numbers and block numbers.
e. Sufficient information to show the intent of surface drainage.
f. Sites, if any, to be reserved or dedicated for schools, parks, playgrounds or other public uses.
g. Sites, if any, for multi-family dwellings, shopping centers, churches, industry or other nonpublic uses, exclusive of single- family dwellings.
h. Proposed building setback lines.
i. Site data, including number of residential lots, typical lot size, acres in parks, etc.
j. Proposed name of the subdivision.
k. Location by section, township and range.
l. Name and address of the developer.
m. Name and address of the planner or engineer.
n. Title, scale, northpoint and date.
3. Other Preliminary Plans: When required by the Plan Commission, the preliminary plan shall be accompanied by profiles showing existing ground surface and proposed street grades, including extensions for a reasonable distance beyond the limits of the proposed subdivision, typical cross-sections of the proposed grading, roadways and sidewalks and preliminary plan of proposed sanitary and storm water sewers with grades and sizes indicated. All elevations shall be based on the U.S.G.S. Datum Plane.
4. Protective Covenants: Draft of protective covenants, whereby the subdivider proposes to regulate land use in the subdivision and otherwise protect the proposed development. (1976 Code §25-1-11)