(A) Application procedure. After a preapplication conference has been held, an applicant can submit an application for preliminary plat approval. Such an application must be made on forms available from the City's Land Development office. The application must be complete and accompanied by two (2) copies of the preliminary plat as city described in these regulations, a CD or other approved electronic copy of the plat, a filing fee, and a list of all owners of adjacent property and/or property directly opposite of the proposed subdivision. Such property owner information shall be obtained from the most recent County Tax Appraiser's rolls.
(B) Application processing. The Land Development Division shall process and coordinate the review of the preliminary plat application by the appropriate city departments in accordance with F.S. § 166.033. The appropriate city departments are to review and comment on the submitted information. Written comments from the city departments are to be returned to the Land Development Division to be incorporated into a staff report generated by the Land Development Division.
(C) Public meetings. Once the application is determined to be sufficiently complete and meets all the regulations required by the City, a preliminary plat application shall be heard by the Planning and Zoning Board at the next available regular meeting. Courtesy notice letters of the meeting are to be sent to the owners of abutting and opposite properties of the proposed subdivision. Failure to mail or receive such courtesy notice shall not affect any action or proceedings taken however. Notice of such a meeting shall also be posted on the property for which subdivision is sought.
(D) Preliminary approval.
(1) After the Planning and Zoning Board has reviewed the preliminary plat, the city staff report with its recommendations, and testimony and exhibits submitted at the public meeting, the Planning and Zoning Board shall recommend approval, approval with conditions, or disapproval of the preliminary plat to the City Council in accordance with the timelines set forth in F.S. § 166.033.
(2) The City Council shall then approve, approve with conditions, or disapprove the preliminary plat based on the Planning and Zoning Board recommendations, the City staff report, and the testimony and exhibits submitted at public hearings.
(E) Effective period of preliminary approval. The approval of a preliminary plat shall be effective for a period of one year at the end of which time final approval on the subdivision must have been obtained from the City Council, although the plat need not yet be signed and filed with the County Clerk of Records. Any plat not receiving final approval within the period of time set forth herein shall be null and void, and the developer shall be required to resubmit a new plat for preliminary approval subject to all new zoning and subdivision regulations.
(F) Zoning regulations. Every plat shall conform to existing zoning regulations and subdivision regulations applicable at the time of proposed final approval, except that any plat which has received preliminary approval shall be exempt from any subsequent amendments to the zoning ordinance rendering the plat nonconforming as to bulk or use, provided that the final approval is obtained within the one-year period.
(G) Effect of approval of preliminary plat. Approval of the preliminary plat shall not constitute approval of the final plat. It shall only be deemed an expression of approval of the layout submitted on the preliminary plat as a guide for the preparation of the final plat.
(Ord. 96-05, passed 2-15-96; Am. Ord. 2016-32, passed 5-19-16; Am. Ord. 2023-116, passed 1-4-24)