(A) Pre-application conference. Whenever a developer proposes a development, the developer shall contact the Department of Community Development to schedule a pre-application conference. The pre- application conference shall include the developer or representatives, representatives from the Department of Community Development and the Engineering Department, and such other city departments that express a desire to be included in such pre-application conferences on a regular basis, or that are deemed to be helpful or necessary by the Department of Community Development. The purpose of the pre-application conference shall be to acquaint the city staff with the proposed development, and to acquaint the developer with the procedures and requirements of this code and concerns and regulations that pertain to the development. The developer shall furnish a reasonably specific description of the property to be developed at the time of requesting the pre-application conference, and is encouraged to prepare a conceptual site plan for the proposed development for discussion purposes prior to the conference.
(B) Site plan submittal. Following one or more pre-application conferences, a standard or minor site plan shall be prepared by the developer and submitted to the Department of Community Development in accordance with § 157.05.
(C) Site plan and minor site plan review.
(1) Site plan. The Department of Community Development shall review the site plan and shall promptly convey one copy of it to each of the Engineering, Building and Fire Departments, Water Utility, Urbandale Sanitary Sewer District, Urbandale-Windsor Heights Sewer District, and any other Department or public utility company that has expressed a desire to review site plans on a regular basis, for their review and recommendations. The reviewing departments and other entities shall review the site plan for conformance to all of the city codes, ordinances and specifications that they customarily enforce, and for conformance to applicable professional standards, and shall forward their recommendations for action on the Site Plan to the Department of Community Development for inclusion in a consolidated, written staff report and recommendation that is to be prepared by the Department of Community Development and presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission for consideration and action, and forwarded to the City Council following the Commission’s action.
(2) Minor site plan. The Department of Community Development shall review the minor site plan and shall promptly convey a copy of it to each of the Building and Engineering Departments, and to any other Departments or entities whose review is deemed necessary or appropriate by the Department of Community Development. The reviewing departments shall review the minor site plan for conformance to all of the city codes, ordinances and specifications that they customarily enforce, and for conformance to applicable professional standards, and shall forward their recommendations for action on the minor site plan to the Department of Community Development for preparation of a consolidated, written staff recommendation that shall be presented to the developer. A minor site plan may be approved administratively by the Department of Community Development if it complies with all requirements and recommendations, provided that a developer may request that the minor site plan be presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council for consideration in accordance with the customary procedures for a site plan, or that the Department of Community Development may choose to present the minor site plan to the Commission and Council for their consideration and action.
(D) Action on a site plan.
(1) The Department of Community Development shall provide a copy of the written staff report and the consolidated staff recommendations from all of the city departments and other reviewing entities to the developer concurrently with or shortly after said staff report and recommendations have been provided to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Staff may recommend that the site plan be approved, approved subject to conditions and revisions or that the site plan application be denied for reasons that shall be set forth in the written staff recommendation. Site plans shall be reviewed and presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission in accordance with the submittal and meeting schedules issued each year by the Department of Community Development.
(2) The Planning and Zoning Commission shall review the recommendations of city staff and act on the proposed site plan in a timely manner, and may recommend to the City Council that it approve, approve subject to conditions or revisions, or deny the site plan application, whether or not such recommendations are in accordance with the recommendations of city staff. If the Commission does not act on the site plan in a timely manner, the developer may request the City Council to consider the site plan and recommendations of city staff without the provision of any recommendations by the Planning and Zoning Commission. The Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council may, at their discretion, hold public hearings on a site plan and may provide notice to nearby property owners or tenants in whatever manner or amount of time that the Commission or Council deems appropriate.
(3) Once a site plan has been reviewed and acted on by the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Department of Community Development shall forward the Commission’s recommendations and the city staff report and recommendations to the City Council for consideration at their next available meeting, subject to any notifications that may be directed by the Commission or Council and revisions to the site plan to satisfy all recommended revisions and conditions, if the City Council desires to have all such revisions completed to city staffs satisfaction prior to the Council’s consideration of the site plan. The City Council may adopt the recommendations of city staff; recommendations of the Commission if at variance with city staff on one or more points; or act freely of their own volition, provided that the Council shall have no authority to waive any requirements of the Zoning Code, or of any other city code unless provisions are expressly set out in the pertinent code to grant the Council the powers to waive or make exception to or from such code.
(4) Upon approval by the City Council and filing of revised plans and specifications that satisfy all conditions of approval, the Department of Community Development shall provide a stamped approved copy of the site plan to each of the reviewing departments, and to the developer if requested. No permits shall be issued for any single-family attached residence, multi-family residence, commercial or industrial use, or other development until the site plan shall have been approved as provided herein.
(1999 Code, Title VII, Ch. 12, § 2) Penalty, see § 157.99