(A) Applicability. Nothing in this section shall be considered mandatory but the procedures provided
for herein are recommended for the purpose of expediting the review process and reducing development costs.
(B) Pre-application conference.
(1) Any applicant may meet with the Administrative Officer or his/her designee without the payment of any fees and without obligation.
(2) A pre-application conference may be used to provide the applicant with an overview of the substantive and procedural aspects of the development review process, to provide insight as to the acceptability of the proposed plan, and to offer suggestions for the improvement of said plan.
(3) The applicant may be required to secure an appointment with the Administrative Officer in advance of the pre-application conference and to submit a sketch plan of the proposed application. The conference shall be held within 14 days of requesting an appointment unless the Administrative Officer is unavailable because of illness, vacation, or similar reason.
(4) For the purpose of the pre-application conference only, the sketch plan need not be drawn to scale nor be prepared by a licensed engineer, surveyor, architect, landscape architect, or planner but shall contain sufficient information from a tax map or other source to enable the Administrative Officer to determine the suitability of the proposal in relation to the standards of this chapter.
(5) The pre-application conference is a good-faith meeting between the applicant and the Administrative Officer. Nothing discussed at the conference shall be binding upon either party or upon the Planning Board.
(C) Concept plan review.
(1) An applicant for site plan, subdivision or general development plan approval or an applicant having a particular question which cannot be resolved at a pre-application conference may request an informal concept plan review before the Planning Board. In addition, the applicant may request to have the concept plan reviewed by the Development Review Committee, as listed in § 156.017 below.
(2) Standards for the concept plan.
(a) The concept plan shall contain sufficient detail to enable the reviewing officials to determine compliance with this chapter, including the area of all proposed lots and buildings and any dimensions necessary to determine zoning compliance.
(b) Roadway and street widths shall be noted but fully engineered plans for street, drainage, and other utility or infrastructure systems shall not be required.
(c) The required number of concept plans to be submitted by the applicant shall be determined by the Administrative Officer, but in no case shall be fewer than 24 plans.
(3) The applicant shall be required to submit application fees for an informal concept review before the Planning Board, however, the applicant shall only be required to post escrow fees for the review services of the township's professional consultants if such review is so requested by the applicant. At the conclusion of the concept review process, any unexpended escrow fees will be returned.
(4) An applicant desiring to have a concept plan informally reviewed by the Planning Board shall so notify the Secretary of the Planning Board, which notice must be received no later than 14 days prior to the meeting of the Planning Board at which the review will take place. The Secretary of the Planning Board shall notify the applicant of the date, time and place which has been scheduled by the Planning Board for the informal review.
(5) An applicant desiring to have a concept plan informally reviewed by the Development Review Committee shall so notify the Administrative Officer. The Administrative Officer will either schedule the applicant for a regularly scheduled Development Review Committee meeting (if the concept plan is submitted at least three weeks prior to the regularly scheduled Development Review Committee meeting), or a specially called meeting may be set by the Administrative Officer within three weeks of the concept plan submission if a mutually agreeable time may be established by all parties.
(6) Nothing in the concept review process shall be binding upon either the applicant, committee members, or the Planning Board.
(Ord. 945-99, passed 9-13-99)