This stage includes preparation, submission, review and approval of the preliminary plat. Processing will be expedited by submission of all information essential to determine the intended character and general acceptability of the proposal.
(A) Preliminary plat submission.
(1) Filing and meeting dates. An application for plat approval, together with 15 copies of the Preliminary Plat and one PDF electronic version, and required supporting data, prepared in accordance with this chapter, shall be filed with the city at least 14 days prior to the initial meeting with the Site Plan Review Committee.
(2) Zoning amendment. The preliminary plat shall be designed to meet all requirements of the zoning district in which it is located; however, if an amendment of zoning is deemed necessary, such application shall accompany submission of the preliminary plat.
(3) Filing fees. Application for preliminary plat approval shall include payment to the city in accordance with the city's fee schedule. The filing fee shall also cover filing of the site plan review fee. If it meets all requirements, the application shall be assigned a case number; otherwise, it shall be rejected, and the subdivider shall be notified as to the deficiencies.
(B) Preliminary plat review.
(1) It shall be the duty of the Site Plan Review Committee to review the preliminary plat for technical and engineering compliance with this chapter and to review the plat for compliance with good planning principles.
(2) On receipt of the preliminary plat, the Director shall distribute copies to the Site Plan Review Committee, which includes the following city staff and outside agencies, and schedule the Site Plan Review Committee meeting for the next Thursday that is approximately 14 days away:
(a) The Site Plan Review Committee shall determine compliance with provisions of this chapter, the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG SPEC) design standards, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) specifications, and the appropriate International Building Codes, most current adopted edition(s).
(b) The Public Works Director for the review of street plans and compliance with city street standards, compliance with flood plain regulations, and for tentative determination of street and drainage improvement requirements.
(c) The Public Utilities Enterprise (PUE) for review of water and sewage disposal.
(d) The Western Area Power Authority (WAPA) for any work involving their easements.
(e) Where the land abuts a state highway, to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) for recommendations regarding rights-of-way and intersection design.
(f) The Director shall review the preliminary plat for compliance with public objectives, giving special attention to design principles and standards as set forth in this chapter, to utility methods and systems, to existing and proposed zoning and land use of the tract and environs, and to land required for schools, parks, open spaces and public facilities.
(g) The Public Utilities Enterprise (PUE) for review of the electric utilities.
(h) Fire, police and ambulance departments.
(3) The reviewing staff and outside agencies shall bring their review comments, questions and/or concerns to the Site Plan Review Committee meeting, to discuss with the applicants and their professional representatives.
(C) Site Plan Review Committee (SPRC) meeting and actions.
(1) The SPRC shall meet with the applicant/representatives and discuss the review of the plan.
(2) If it appears to the SPRC that the requirements of this chapter have been met, they shall submit its recommendations to the P & Z Commission for preliminary plat approval.
(3) If satisfied that all objectives of these regulations have been met, the P & Z Commission shall recommend approval of the preliminary plat to the City Council.
(4) If the plat is generally acceptable but requires minor revision before preparation of the final plat, the P & Z Commission shall recommend conditional approval and specify the recommended revisions in its meeting minutes.
(5) If the P & Z Commission determines that the plat contains major deficiencies, and if the applicant agrees to correct such deficiencies, the case may be held over pending revision, resubmission and reprocessing; otherwise, the P & Z Commission shall recommend rejection. If the P & Z Commission recommends rejection of the plat, reasons for the recommendation shall be recorded in the minutes. Thereafter, any new filing of a plat for the same tract, or any part thereof, shall follow normal procedures and be subject to a new filing fee.
(6) The preliminary plat and the P & Z Commission's recommendation shall be forwarded to the City Council for final action. If Council rejects the plat, the reasons for rejection shall be recorded in the minutes. Any new filing of a plat for the same tract, or any part thereof, shall follow normal procedures and be subject to a new filing fee. If the plat is generally acceptable but requires minor revisions before preparation of the final plat, City Council shall find conditional approval and specify the required revision(s) in its minutes. City Council may empower the Director to review and approve the plat when so revised.
(7) Any zoning change required may be heard by the P & Z Commission at the same time as the preliminary plat approval, but both cases shall be heard and acted on separately.
(D) Significance of approval.
(1) Approval of a preliminary plat constitutes authorization for the applicant to proceed with the preparation of the final plat and engineering plans. Preliminary approval is valid for a period of 12 months and may be extended once for six months at the discretion of the Director if he/she determines that the subdivision has not been abandoned. The applicant may submit the final plat, or any part thereof, on or before the expiration date. If approval expires prior to filing the final plat, the preliminary plat shall be resubmitted for approval as a new case, and a new fee paid.
(2) If the SPRC's review of a resubmitted plat reveals no substantial change from the previously approved preliminary plat and that conditions under which previous approval was granted have not changed, the filing fee shall be refunded and the resubmitted plat rescheduled for hearing by the P & Z Commission.
(E) Information required for preliminary plat submission.
(1) Form and scale. Preliminary plat information shall be presented on one or more plan sheets with written data entered directly thereon or contained in letters attached thereto. All mapped data for the same plat shall be drawn at the same standard engineering scale, said scale have not more than 100 feet to the inch.
(2) Identification data.
(a) Proposed subdivision name; location by section, township and range; reference by dimension and bearing to a section corner or 1/4 section corner.
(b) Name, address and phone number of subdivider/applicant.
(c) Name, address and phone number of person preparing plat.
(d) Scale, north point and date of preparation including any revision dates.
(3) Existing conditions data.
(a) Topography by contours, related to USGS survey datum or other datum approved by the applicant's Design Engineer, shown on same sheet as the subdivision layout. Contour interval shall usually be: two feet for grades up to 5%; five feet for grades of 5% to 10%, and ten feet for grades over 10%.
(b) Precise location of water wells; washes and drainage ditches, including direction of flow; location and extent of areas subject to inundation and data regarding frequency of inundation, and delineation of the 100-Year Flood Boundary and its elevation.
(c) Location, widths and names of all platted streets, alleys, rights-of-way of public record; public areas and permanent structures to be retained within or adjacent to tract.
(d) Name, book and page numbers of recorded plats abutting the tract or across a boundary street.
(e) Dimensions of tract boundaries and acreage of tract.
(4) Proposed conditions data.
(a) Street layout, including location and width of all streets, alleys, crosswalks and easements and proposed names of streets.
(b) Lot layout, including scaled dimensions of typical lots; minimum and maximum size lots; number of lots; width and depth of all corner lots and lots on street curves; each lot numbered consecutively and total number of lots; total acreage; proposed density.
(c) Location, width and proposed use of easements.
(d) Location, extent and proposed use of all land to be dedicated or reserved for public use.
(e) Location and boundaries of all existing and proposed zoning classifications.
(f) Draft of proposed deed restrictions.
(5) Proposed utilities. The preliminary plat shall include the layout of all proposed utilities. Preliminary drainage calculations and layout of the proposed storm drainage system shall be submitted, including location of outlets.
(Ord. 692-22, passed 5-11-2022)