§ 34-3-4 APPROVAL; PRELIMINARY PLATS.
   (A)   The Planning Commission shall review the preliminary plat within 90 days from date of application, or the filing of the last item of required supporting data, whichever is later, and shall forward the plat to the City Council with a recommendation that the plat be approved, approved with modifications, or disapproved, and giving the reasons for the recommendations made as required by ILCS Ch. 65, Act 5, § 11-12-8.
   (B)   The City Council shall review the preliminary plat and shall either approve or disapprove said plat. Preliminary approval shall not qualify a plat for recording.
   (C)   The term of the preliminary plat approval is limited as follows:
      (1)   Single-phase developments:
         (a)   If improvement plans for the development are not approved within one year of the date of approval of the preliminary plat, then the approval of the preliminary plat shall expire and be of no further force or effect, except as provided herein below. All fees paid by the subdivider shall be forfeited upon expiration of the plat.
         (b)   If improvement work does not commence within six months after date of improvement plan approval and the improvement plan approval expires, the preliminary plat approval shall also expire and be of no further force or effect except as provided herein below. All fees paid by the subdivider shall be forfeited upon expiration of the plat.
         (c)   The City Council may, at its discretion, extend the time a preliminary plat is valid for a period up to six months from the date the preliminary plat would otherwise expire, if:
            1.   The subdivider submits to the City Council a written request for the extension; and
            2.    The written request sets forth specific reasons for the extension that are of a compelling nature and are not attributable to the subdivider’s neglect; and
            3.   The subdivider has not obtained approval to develop the development in phases.
      (2)   Multi-phased developments:
         (a)   A subdivider may request permission to develop the development in phases. The city may, at its discretion, give the subdivider permission to develop the development in phases. The phases must be numbered and developed consecutively.
         (b)   If the improvement plans for the first phase, or phases, of a phased development are not approved within one year of the approval of the preliminary plat, then the approval of the preliminary plat shall expire and be of no further force or effect. All fees paid by the subdivider shall be forfeited upon expiration of the plat.
         (c)   If improvement work does not commence within six months after date of improvement plan approval for a designated phase and the improvement plan approval expires, the preliminary plat approval shall also expire for all uncompleted phases and be of no further force or effect. All fees paid by the subdivider shall be forfeited upon expiration of the plat.
         (d)   Improvement plans for all phases of a phased development must be approved within five years of the approval of the preliminary plat, or the preliminary plat approval for uncompleted phases shall expire and be of no further force or effect. All fees paid by the subdivider shall be forfeited upon expiration of the plat.
   (D)   The approval of a preliminary plat shall not imply that a consistent improvement plan or final plat shall be approved.
(Ord. 1069, passed 7-20-1998; Am. Ord. 1219, passed 5-20-2002; Am. Ord. 1250, passed 4-21-2003; Am. Ord. 1527, passed 9-8-2009; Am. Ord. 1696, passed 3-21-2016)