The general powers and duties of the Planning Commission, which shall be performed and exercised as herein provided and in accord with the general ordinances of the Municipality shall be as follows:
(a) Recommendations and Maps. The Planning Commission shall make or cause to be made such plans and maps of the whole or any portion of the Municipality and shall make changes in such plans or maps when it deems it advisable. Such maps or plans shall show the Commission's recommendations for new streets, alleys, ways, viaducts, bridges, subways, parkways, parks, playgrounds, or any other public grounds or public improvements; and the removal, relocation, widening, or extension of such public works then existing. With a view to the systematic planning of the Municipality, the Commission shall make recommendations to Council concerning the location of streets, transportation, and communication facilities, public buildings, and grounds.
Whenever the Commission has made a plan of the Municipality, or any portion thereof, no public building, street, boulevard, parkway, park, playground, public ground, canal, river front, bridge, viaduct, tunnel, utility, whether publicly or privately owned, or part thereof, shall be constructed in the Municipality of the planned portion of the Municipality until and unless the location thereof has been approved by the Commission, provided that, in case of disapproval, the Commission shall communicate its reasons for disapproval to Council, which has control of the construction of the proposed improvement or utility. Council, by a majority vote, shall have the power to overrule such disapproval. The narrowing, ornamentation, vacation, or change in the use of streets and other public ways, grounds, and places shall be subject to similar approval, and disapproval may be similarly overruled. The Commission may make recommendations to any public authorities or to any corporation or individuals in the Municipality or the territory contiguous thereto concerning the location of any buildings, structures or works to be erected or constructed by them.
(b) Suggestions. The Commission shall receive and report within the scope of its powers, on suggestions offered by residents or officials and when it deems such suggestions practicable shall report them to Council with its recommendations.
(c) Parks. The Commission shall provide plans for all original landscape work to be done by the Municipality in parks and boulevards hereafter acquired.
(d) Landscape Plans. Upon request of Council, the Commission shall provide plans for all other landscape work to be done by the City.
(e) Plans for Zoning. The Commission shall formulate a plan or plans for dividing the Municipality or any portion thereof into zones or districts representing the recommendations of the Commission in the interest of the public health, safety, convenience, comfort, prosperity or general welfare for the limitations and regulations of the height, bulk, and location, including percentage of lot occupancy, setback building lines and area and dimensions of yards and other open spaces, and the uses of building and other structures and of premises in such zones or districts.
(f) Plats and Parks. The Commission shall have power to recommend whether property shall be acquired for park and boulevard and recreation purposes, or condemned for the enlarging of any park or the widening or extension of any boulevard; and shall have power to make recommendations regarding the platting of lands within and for a distance of three miles beyond the limits of the Municipality.
(g) Memorials. The Commission shall make recommendations to Council regarding any sketch or plan of any gift to the Municipality in the form of a monument or memorial, and the proposed location thereof.
(h) Advisory Capacity. The Commission shall, when requested by Council, act in an advisory capacity in respect to plans for the location of public buildings, bridges, approaches, or other structures erected or to be erected by the Municipality.
(i) Municipal Property. The Commission shall keep a current index of all property owned by the Municipality, together with a map suitably marked indicating its use and shall determine and report to Council whether or not such Municipally-owned property is used in such manner as to secure the fullest and most economical utilization and development by the Municipality.
(j) Cooperation. The Commission shall have power to call upon any other Municipal department for assistance in the performance of its duties hereunder and it shall be the duty of such other departments to render such assistance as may be reasonably required. All questions as to what constitutes a reasonable requirement shall be determined by Council. All such requests shall be made by the Commission through Council.
(k) Supplies. The Commission shall provide, through Council, all necessary materials and supplies for the use of the Commission.
(l) Contracts. The Commission shall make, with the approval of Council, contracts to carry out the projects and purposes of the Commission as herein provided.
(m) Additional Powers. The Commission shall have such other powers as may be granted or conferred hereafter by Council, together with such powers as are herein prescribed or may be necessary hereunder for the proper discharge of the duties of the Commission.
(Ord. 159. Passed 12-29-58.)
(n) General Code Powers. The Commission shall have all powers now or which may hereafter be granted to, or conferred upon, and perform all duties now or which may hereafter be imposed upon Planning Commissions in the Ohio Revised Code, except insofar as any such powers or duties may conflict with the Charter of the Municipality.