Formal submission and approval of a site plan is required before any zoning permit may be issued. Submission and approval of a site plan includes following the review procedures and submission requirements defined herein.
An applicant seeking site plan approval shall follow the preliminary and final review process for site plan review as defined in this Chapter. For developments also requiring Conditional use approval, the procedure established in Chapter 1125 shall be followed. The Planning Commission may concurrently address the issue of site plan approval and consider a recommendation on a Conditional use approval, and in such case, the approval of the site plan shall be contingent upon Conditional use approval. If a variance is required, the applicant shall be required to seek a variance in accordance with Chapter 1121 before submitting plans for formal site plan approval in accordance with this Chapter.
(a) Optional Concept Review: At any time prior to the formal submission and review of a site plan, an applicant may engage the Planning Commission in an optional concept review process. In order to receive this review, the applicant shall submit a sketch site plan to the Planning Commission. The applicant shall be required to submit the sketch plan at least twenty-one (21) days before the next scheduled monthly meeting in order to be placed on the agenda for review. The purpose of such a sketch site plan is to provide an opportunity to conceptually discuss a proposed development and to provide general guidance to assist in the preparation of a formal site plan. There are no applied standards to the site sketch plan, however, the applicant is encouraged to provide enough detail in order to be able to accurately represent the concept. All comments and suggestions shall be considered informal by the applicant and shall not be a binding agreement with the Planning Commission for approval. This concept review is a service provided to benefit the applicant, and formal site plan approval is dependent upon the outcome of the Preliminary Plan Review and Final Site Plan Review described herein.
(b) Preliminary Plan Review.
The applicant shall be required to submit a plan for preliminary site plan review. In order for the application to be deemed complete, the application form, permit fees, and twelve (12) copies of the plan shall be submitted to the Responsible Authority at least twenty-one (21) days before the next regularly scheduled monthly meeting in order to be considered for placement on the agenda for review. If the applicant fails to provide a complete application as described herein, the Responsible Authority shall notify the applicant promptly of the missing items. An additional fee may be required to defray the expenses associated with the municipal review of the plans, including the need to retain a registered professional engineer, architect, or landscape architect, or other professional consultant to advise the Municipality on any or all aspects of the site plan.
(1) A site plan shall be prepared at a scale of one inch equals twenty feet (1 in. = 20 ft.)(developments more than five (5) acres may be drawn at a scale of one inch equals fifty feet [1 in. = 50 ft.]), on standard twenty-four inch by thirty-six inch (24 in. x 36 in.) sheets, with narrative on eight and one- half inch by eleven inch (8-1/2 in. x 11in.) sheets as necessary. All site plans shall be prepared by a registered professional engineer, architect, or landscape architect. Minimum information to be provided in the site plan drawing includes:
A. The location of the proposed development in relation to existing community facilities, thoroughfares, and other transportation modes, shopping centers, manufacturing establishments, residential development; and existing natural features such as vegetation, general soil conditions, and topography in the neighboring area.
B. Applicable zoning district/proposed zoning district.
C. Width and names of public rights-of-way that are adjacent to the site and/or will be used for access.
D. The layout and acreage of the site and proposed location of all uses, along with parking areas, and planned access and traffic circulation on the site, and planned changes that will take place in any existing public right-of-way.
E. The location of all existing and proposed buildings structures on and adjacent to the site.
F. The location of utilities, if available, and the location and size and capacity of the sewer and water lines that are proposed to serve the development.
G. The scale, title, a north arrow, and date of submission.
H. Name, address, phone number, and fax number of all applicants and their representatives.
I. Adjoining land uses and zoning.
(2) Responsible Authority Review:
The Responsible Authority shall review the application for compliance to all applicable Sections of this ordinance within fifteen (15) days of receipt of the application, based on the information provided in the application. If the Responsible Authority finds that plan will not comply with this Zoning Ordinance, the Responsible Authority shall notify the applicant of the discrepancies of the site plan. If the applicant disagrees with the Responsible Authority’s decision or chooses to seek a variance, he or she can appeal to the Zoning Board of Appeals for such relief, as described in Chapter 1121 as a separate process. Submission of the preliminary site plan to the Planning Commission shall not be permitted unless the Responsible Authority determines that the plans are in compliance with this ordinance or an appeal or variance has been granted from the Planning Commission.
(3) Planning Commission Review:
The Responsible Authority shall forward the preliminary application to the Planning Commission for review and discussion, after determining that the application is complete and the applicant complies with this ordinance, based on the information required and provided at this stage of review. Within (60) days of receipt of the preliminary application and plan from the Responsible Authority, the Planning Commission shall meet and shall consider the proposed site plan according to the following criteria:
A. The adequacy of the information presented to determine the impacts of the proposed site.
B. The impacts of the proposed development compared with the following standards:
1. Traffic: Convenience and safety of both vehicular and pedestrian movement within the site and in relationship to adjoining ways and properties.
2. Parking: Provisions for the off-street loading and unloading of vehicles incidental to the normal operation of the establishment, adequate parking, adequate lighting, and internal traffic control.
3. Services: Reasonable demands placed on municipal services and infrastructure.
4. Pollution Control: Adequacy of methods for sewage and refuse disposal, and the protection from pollution of both surface water and groundwater. This includes controlling soil erosion both during and after construction.
5. Nuisances: Protection of abutting properties from any undue disturbance caused by excessive or unreasonable noise, smoke, vapors, fumes, dust, odors, glare, storm water runoff, etc.
6. Existing Vegetation: Minimizing the area over which existing vegetation is to be removed. Where tree removal is required, special attention shall be given to planting of replacement trees.
7. Amenities: The applicant's efforts to integrate the proposed development into the existing landscape through design features such as vegetative buffers, roadside planting, and the retention of other green areas.
8. Community Character: The building setbacks, area and location of parking, architectural compatibility, signage, and landscaping of the development, and how these features harmonize with the surrounding landscape.
(4) Final Action of the Preliminary Site Review shall consist of either:
A. Approval to prepare the site plan for Final Plan Review, in accordance with all applicable regulations and developmental requirements imposed by this Zoning Ordinance.
B. Approval to prepare the site plan for Final Plan Review, conditional to incorporation of all conditions as set forth by the Planning Commission, and all applicable regulations imposed by this Zoning Ordinance.
(c) Final Site Plan Review Procedure:
The applicant shall prepare the final site plan in accordance with any conditions set by the Planning Commission in the Preliminary Review and all other applicable Sections of this Ordinance. All applicants are required to follow final site plan review procedures before receiving final approval of site plans, and approval for a zoning permit. All applicants shall be required to submit a completed application, a final site plan (12 sets), and an application fee to the responsible authority twenty-one (21) days before the next regularly scheduled meeting in order to be placed on the agenda for review. An additional fee may be required to defray the expenses associated with the municipal review of the plans, including the need to retain a registered professional engineer, architect, or landscape architect, or other professional consultant to advise the Municipality on any or all aspects of the site plan.
(1) Final Site Plan Content: Site plan shall include the following data, details, and supporting plans. The number of pages submitted will depend on the proposal's size and complexity. A site plan shall be prepared at a scale of one inch equal twenty feet (1 in. = 20 ft.) (developments more than five (5) acres may be drawn at a scale of one inch equal fifty feet [1 in. = 50 ft.]) or as determined by the municipal engineer, on standard twenty-four inch by thirty-six inch sheets (24 in. x 36 in.), with narrative on eight and one-half inch by eleven inch (8-1/2 in. x 11 in.) sheets as necessary. All site plans shall be prepared by a registered professional engineer, architect, or landscape architect. Items required for submission include:
A. Name of the project, boundaries, and location maps showing the site's location in the Municipality, date, north arrow, and scale of the plan.
B. Name, address, phone number, and fax number of the owner of record, developer, engineer, architect, landscape architect, and seal of the engineer, architect, or landscape architect who prepared the site plan.
C. The legal description of the site that will be developed.
D. Existing or proposed deed restrictions or covenants associated with the development.
E. Names and addresses of all owners of record of abutting parcels and those within three hundred feet (300 ft.) of the property lines.
F. All existing lot lines, easements, and rights-of-way. Include area in acres or square feet, and abutting land uses.
G. The location and use of all existing and proposed buildings and structures within the development including building footprints, overhangs, site coverage, building-ground contact, and area. A brief description of the use of the site shall be included with an estimate of the number of employees.
H. All dimensions of height and floor area, and showing all exterior entrances.
I. Illustrations of traffic movement, ingress and egress, and the location of all present and proposed public and private drives, parking areas, driveways, sidewalks, ramps, curbs, fences, paths, landscaping, walls, and fences.
J. Illustrations of the proposed changes in any public right-of-way, and typical pavement sections and plans showing other improvements, including new streets and infrastructure to be constructed for the development which shall be dedicated to public use.
K. The location, height, intensity, lighting pattern, and bulb type (e.g., fluorescent, sodium, incandescent) of all external lighting fixtures.
L. The location, height, size, materials, and design of all proposed signage.
M. The location of all present and proposed utility systems including, sewage or septic systems, water supply system, telephone, cable and electrical systems, and storm drainage system including existing and proposed drain lines, culverts, catch basins, headwalls, endwalls, hydrants, manholes, and drainage swales, detention areas, and storm system design calculations.
N. Plans to prevent the pollution of surface or groundwater, erosion of soil both during and after construction, excessive runoff, excessive raising or lowering of the watertable, and flooding of other properties, as applicable.
O. Existing and proposed topography upon and within seventy-five feet (75 ft.) of the site at a one foot (1 ft.) contour interval. All elevations shall refer to the nearest United States Coastal and Geodetic Bench Mark. If any portion of the parcel is within the one hundred-year (100-year) flood plain, the area will be shown, and base flood elevations given. If the area is not located within the one hundred-year (100-year) flood plain, this fact shall be noted on the plan.
P. A landscape plan showing all existing natural land features, trees, forest cover, and water resources, and all proposed changes to these features including size and type of plant material. Water resources will include ponds, lakes, streams, wetlands, floodplains, and drainage retention areas.
Q. For new construction or alterations to any existing building, a table containing the following information must be included:
1. Area of building to be used for a particular use such as retail operation, office, storage, etc.
2. Maximum number of employees.
3. Maximum seating capacity, where applicable.
4. Number of parking spaces existing and required for the intended use.
5. A complete set of building drawings and plans as approved by the State of Ohio.
(2) Review by the Responsible Authority.
The Responsible Authority shall review the application for compliance to all applicable Sections of this ordinance, and all previous conditions imposed by the Planning Commission in the Preliminary Review, within fifteen (15) days of receipt of the application. Such review shall be based on the information provided by the applicant. If the Responsible Authority finds that the plan will not comply with this Zoning Ordinance or the applicant has not met all previous conditions as stated in the Preliminary Review, the Responsible Authority shall notify the applicant of the discrepancies of the site plan. Final Review of the site plan by the Planning Commission shall not be permitted unless the applicant complies with this ordinance and any prior conditions established as a result of the preliminary review.
A. Notification of Adjoining Property owners. Within five (5) days following the determination that the application is complete, notices of the meeting to be held by the Planning Commission on the proposed development may be sent, by first class mail, to all adjoining property owners within three hundred feet (300 ft.) of the proposed development.
B. Within sixty (60) days of receipt of an accurate and complete final plan from the Responsible Authority, the Planning Commission shall take a final action. The final action shall consist of either:
1. Approval of the site plan based upon a determination that the proposed plan will constitute a suitable development and the plan meets all standards set forth in this Zoning Ordinance and agreements during the preliminary review process.
2. Approval of the site plan subject to any additional conditions, modifications, and restrictions as required to ensure that the project meets the standards for review.
If the site plan is approved subject to conditions, the Responsible Authority shall not issue a permit until the site plan has been redrawn and resubmitted and checked for compliance with the imposed conditions.