A. Initial Staff Review.
1. Following application completeness determination, it shall be distributed by the Planning Director to all appropriate staff and review agencies for review and comment.
2. Applications shall be reviewed during the review cycle in place when the application is determined to be complete.
3. In considering the application, the Planning Director or other Town staff (as appropriate), shall review the application, relevant support material, and any comments or recommendations from other staff and review agencies to which the application was referred.
4. If deficiencies in complying with applicable standards of this Ordinance are identified, the Planning Director shall notify the applicant of such deficiencies and provide the applicant a reasonable opportunity to discuss them and revise the application accordingly.
B. Staff Report and Recommendation.
1. The Planning Director shall prepare a written staff report on any application to be reviewed or decided by the Planning Board, Board of Commissioners, or the Board of Adjustment.
2. The staff report shall conclude whether the application complies with all applicable review standards of this Ordinance, and recommend one of the decisions authorized for the particular type of application, based on the review standards applicable to the application type, in accordance with Section 2.2, Application Review Procedures.
3. The staff report will not include a recommendation from Town staff on applications decided through the quasi-judicial process.
4. In cases where the staff finds an application does not comply with the provisions of this Ordinance the staff report shall cite the specific code section(s) in question and the reasons why the application fails to comply.
5. The staff report may identify and recommend modifications to the development proposal that specify how compliance deficiencies might be corrected and how adverse effects of the development application (if any) might be mitigated.
6. A staff report is not required for applications decided by the Planning Director, or the Technical Review Committee, though one may be prepared.
C. Distribution and Availability of Application and Staff Report. In cases where a staff report is prepared, the Planning Director shall take the following actions within a reasonable time period before the application is scheduled for review:
1. Schedule and ensure any required public notice of the application (if appropriate) is prepared in accordance with Section 2.3.6, Public Notice;
2. Transmit the application, related materials, and staff report to the appropriate review authority (ies);
3. Transmit a copy of the staff report and any related materials to the applicant; and
4. Make the application, related materials, and staff report available for examination by the public.
D. Applications Subject to Decision by Staff.
1. In cases where a development application is decided by the Planning Director or other designated Town staff member, the appropriate Town staff member shall make one of the following decisions, based on the review standards set forth in Section 2.2, Application Review Procedures:
a. Approve the application;
b. Disapprove the application; or
c. Delay decision making for a specified time to allow the applicant to revise the application for compliance with the requirements in this Ordinance.
2. In some instances, Town staff may decide an application contingent upon further revision by the applicant in accordance with the direction provided in the decision.
(Ord. 2020-36, passed 12-2-2019)