This title recognizes the importance to the public health, safety and welfare, the safe movement of traffic, the retention of value of improvements upon the land, the conservation of natural resources and that site improvements will be constructed to advance those and other public interests. The site plan shall demonstrate to the site plan reviewing entity or entities the character and objectives of the proposed development in adequate detail for the reviewers to evaluate the effect it will have upon the community and the public interest. The site plan review regulates the development of structures and sites in a manner that considers the following concerns:

A.

The balancing of landowners' rights to use their land, with the corresponding rights of abutting and neighboring landowners to live without undue disturbances (e.g., noise, smoke, fumes, dust, odor, glare, stormwater runoff, etc.);

B.

The convenience and safety of vehicular and pedestrian movement within the site, and in relation to adjacent areas or roads;

C.

The adequacy of waste disposal methods and protection from pollution of surface water or groundwater;

D.

The protection of historic and natural environmental features on the site under review, and in adjacent areas;

E.

The stability of the built environment, particularly residential neighborhoods, by promoting urban development that is compatible with clearly identified natural resources;

F.

Consistency with the Comprehensive Plan, Zoning Ordinance, and the Municipal Code of Ordinances; and

G.

Impact on existing City infrastructure and public improvements. The proposed development shall not result in undue or unnecessary burdens on the City's existing infrastructure unless arrangements are made to mitigate such impacts.

(Zoning Ord. 2009, § 17.120.010; Ord. No. 17-51, § 2, 7-24-2017)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 17-51, § 3, adopted July 24, 2017 repealed § 17.120.020 in its entirety. Former § 17.120.020 pertained to site plan defined (preliminary and final) and derived from Zoning Ord. 2009, § 17.120.020.

A.

A site plan for the use or development of property must be approved by the City prior to any of the following events:

1.

The grading of any site for development, unless so authorized by the City, or the issuance of any building permit for the construction of any principal structure other than a single-family detached structure.

2.

A change in the principal or accessory use of a property that results in additional parking or other site requirements not reflected on any existing approved site plan as determined by the Director of Community Development.

3.

The redevelopment or expansion of a principal structure that enlarges the size of the original structure by more than twenty-five (25) percent.

4.

Any development within the City's "R-4" Manufactured Home District or within the City's planned districts, unless otherwise authorized by the City.

5.

As otherwise required in the City's ordinances in Title 17, Zoning, including but not limited to, requirements contained in Section 17.040, Zoning District Regulations, Section 17.050, Use Regulations, Section 17.060, Supplementary District Regulations, Section 17.070, Off-Street Parking/Loading Regulations, Section 17.100, Special Use Permit, and Section 17.110, Planned Use Procedures

B.

Exceptions. A site plan shall not be required in any one of the following situations:

1.

When, in the opinion of the Community Development Director, the proposed development, issuance of a certificate of occupancy, or change in the principal use of property will have no detrimental impact on adjoining property; or the proposed development will conform in every respect to a site plan previously approved for the same property;

2.

The applicant demonstrates that the proposed improvements on the property clearly comply with all regulations of the City without review of the plan by the Planning Commission, in which case the applicant may proceed with the submittal of civil construction plans and/or all other permitting documents necessary for approval by the City;

3.

The construction of a single-family residential detached dwelling, including associated garages; and

4.

Construction of a commercial structure or addition not exceeding five hundred (500) square feet.

(Zoning Ord. 2009, § 17.120.030; Ord. No. 4403, § 2, 2-28-2011; Ord. No. 17-51, § 4, 7-24-2017; Ord. No. 22-92, § 1, 11-22-2022)

Site plan review shall be conducted by City staff, however, the City may require, at the expense of the petitioner, site plan reviews conducted by the City's consultant or other professionals.

A.

Any person required to submit a site plan shall initially file the appropriate number of copies and a digital version of the with the Community Development Director, with completed application forms furnished by the City and pay any required filing fee in accordance with Title 4, Fees.

B.

The site plan review shall be completed by the Community Development Director and all applicable department heads and agencies within thirty (30) days of the date of filing. The Community Development Director or their designee shall provide the applicant with a comment letter delineating all plan deficiencies that need to be addressed prior to proceeding to the Planning [Plan] Commission. The applicant shall submit a revised plan addressing identified deficiencies. When the Community Development Director determines the plan sufficient for Planning Commission review, they shall prepare a staff report that provides an overview of the project's level of compliance with the comprehensive plan, the applicable review criteria set forth herein, the City's Infrastructure Design Manual, the requirements of this title, and the input of appropriate City departments and other associated jurisdictions and agencies. The staff report shall contain a written recommendation of approval, approval with specific conditions, or disapproval, made to the Planning Commission for its approval. A copy of the written recommendation shall be provided to the applicant.

C.

The Community Development Director shall provide written notification to the applicant of the Planning Commission's decision within seven (7) days of such decision.

D.

The applicant may appeal any written disapproval to the Hearing Officer by written notice of appeal, citing reasons for the appeal, delivered to the Hearing Officer within fifteen (15) days of the mailing of the written disapproval. The Hearing Officer shall examine the record and decide the appeal within thirty (30) days with or without additional input or argument, and notify the applicant of the appeal decision within seven (7) days of the Hearing Officer decision. The appeal decision shall be considered to be a final order under the Illinois Administrative Review Act, subject to judicial review thereunder.

E.

The Hearing Officer shall be vested the power of review of any decision made by the Planning Commission on any site plan review application.

F.

Building permits shall not be issued for any use of land or proposed construction on a lot in the zoning districts in which site plan review is applicable, unless site plan review approval has been granted and has met all City requirements.

(Zoning Ord. 2009, § 17.120.040; Ord. No. 17-51, § 5, 7-24-2017; Ord. No. 19-85, § 12, 11-25-2019; Ord. No. 24-196, § 1, 12-10-2024)

Each application for site plan approval shall be submitted to the City signed by the owner of record or his agent accompanied by the appropriate number of copies and a digital version of the site plan in a format compatible with the City's software. Additional submittal requirements that shall accompany a site plan where applicable, shall include, but are not limited to:

A.

All parking requirements in accordance with Section 17.070.

B.

All landscape, tree preservation and buffering/screening requirements in accordance with Section 17.080.

C.

All special use application requirements in accordance with Section 17.100.

D.

All planned use application requirements in accordance with Section 17.110.

E.

Additional information to be placed on the site plan beyond the requirements listed in Section 17.120.060 may be required as requested by the Community Development Director, the Planning Commission or City Council in accordance with Section 17.030.100.

F.

All applicable requirements of the City's Land Subdivision Regulations as they apply to the development.

G.

All applicable requirements of the City's Infrastructure Design Manual.

(Zoning Ord. 2009, § 17.120.050; Ord. No. 17-51, § 6, 7-24-2017; Ord. No. 24-196, § 1, 12-10-2024)

The site plan shall include the following data, details, and supporting plans which are relevant to the proposal. The applicant shall make notations explaining the reasons for any omissions.

A.

The site plan shall be designed and prepared by a qualified land planner, registered professional architect, engineer or land surveyor, unless permitted otherwise by the Community Development Director.

B.

It shall show the scale, north arrow, boundary dimensions, natural features such as woodlots, streams, rivers, lakes, drains, existing manmade features such as buildings, structures, easements, high tension towers, pipe lines, existing utilities such as water and sewer lines, etc., excavations, bridges, culverts, and drains, and shall identify adjacent properties within one hundred (100) feet and their existing uses.

C.

The site plan shall be of a scale not to be greater than one (1) inch equals fifty (50) feet nor less than one (1) inch equals two hundred (200) feet, and of such accuracy that the Commission can readily interpret the Plan, and shall include more than one (1) drawing where required for clarity.

D.

Name and address of the owner of record, developer, and seal of the engineer, architect, land surveyor or landscape architect.

E.

Name and address of all owners of record of abutting parcels.

F.

The property shall be identified by lot lines and location, including dimensions, angles, and size, correlated with the legal description of said property. All existing lot lines, easements, and rights-of-way shall be shown.

G.

Locations and dimensions of all setbacks, including distances between all buildings, between buildings and property lines and between all parking areas and property lines.

H.

The location and use of all existing and proposed structures within the development. Include all dimensions of height and floor area, and show all exterior entrances and all anticipated future additions and alterations.

I.

Depict locations, heights, and intensity of all exterior lighting, including a graphic and catalog reference describing the proposed standards.

J.

For phased developments, depict the various limits and timing of each proposed phase.

K.

Location, dimension and area any parcel or property thereof proposed to be set aside for open space, park, playground use or other public/private recreational purposes.

L.

Provide the location of all retaining walls, fences, screening and earth berms as well as a typical architectural elevation reflecting the proposed finished construction.

M.

The location of all present and proposed public and private ways, parking areas, loading areas, driveways, sidewalks, ramps, and curbs. Location, type, and screening details for all waste disposal containers shall also be shown.

N.

Traffic flow patterns within the site, entrances and exits, loading and unloading areas, curb cuts on the site and within one hundred (100) feet of the site.

O.

The location, height, size, materials, and design of all proposed signage.

P.

The location of all present and proposed utility systems including:

1.

Sewage system;

2.

Water supply system;

3.

Telephone, cable and electrical systems;

4.

Storm drainage system including existing and proposed drain lines;

5.

Culverts, catchbasins, head walls, end walls, hydrants, manholes, and drainage swells.

Q.

Plans to prevent the pollution of surface water or groundwater, erosion of soil both during and after construction, excessive run-off, excessive raising or lowering of the water table, and flooding of other properties, as applicable.

R.

Existing topography and finished grade line elevations at two (2) foot contour intervals as well as the proposed finished floor elevation for all structures. All elevations shall refer to the United States Geodetic Survey (USGS) datum. If any portion of the parcel is within the one hundred (100) year floodplain, the area shall be shown, with base flood elevations; and the developer shall present plans for meeting Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requirements.

S.

Existing and proposed zoning district boundaries adjacent to the site's perimeter shall be drawn and identified on the plan.

T.

Architectural elevations. Architectural elevations of all proposed buildings and structures, identifying all materials proposed including color schemes for each. For infill developments the architect shall provide a statement of design intent indicating any design decisions made to make new construction compatible with existing structures.

U.

Landscape plan. A landscape plan in accordance with Section 17.080. The plan shall also show all existing open space, trees, forest cover and water sources, and all proposed changes to these features including size and type of plant material. Water sources will include ponds, lakes, brooks, streams, wetlands, floodplains, and drainage retention areas.

V.

Site sections. Schematic or illustrative sections shall be drawn to a scale of 1" = 8' or larger, indicating both edge conditions and internal grade changes in relation to principal variations of internal building levels and sight line relations to adjacent residences.

W.

Traffic control. The Community Development Director may require a detailed traffic impact analysis meeting the requirements City's Infrastructure Design Manual.

X.

Required plan elements may be waived at the discretion of the Director of Community Development.

(Zoning Ord. 2009, § 17.120.060; Ord. No. 17-51, § 7, 7-24-2017; Ord. No. 24-196, § 1, 12-10-2024)

In reviewing a site plan application, the Community Development Director shall identify and evaluate all factors relevant to the application, including whether it complies with all applicable provisions of this title. The applicant shall have the burden of demonstrating that the site plan application meets the application review criteria.

A.

General requirements. The recommendations of the Community Development Director shall be based on the following criteria:

1.

The extent to which the proposal conforms to the previous sections of these regulations.

2.

The extent to which the development would be compatible with the surrounding area and the Development Guidelines of this section.

3.

The extent to which the proposal conforms to the provisions of the City's Subdivision Regulations.

4.

The extent to which the proposal conforms to customary engineering standards used in the City.

5.

The extent to which the location of streets, paths, walkways, and driveways are located so as to enhance safety and minimize any adverse traffic impact on the surrounding area.

6.

The extent to which the proposal conforms to the City's Infrastructure Design Manual.

(Zoning Ord. 2009, § 17.120.070; Ord. No. 24-196, § 1, 12-10-2024)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 4403, § 1, adopted Feb. 28, 2011, renumbered § 17.120.080 as § 17.060.260.

Once a site plan has been approved, changes in the site plan shall be made only after approval by the City.

(Zoning Ord. 2009, § 17.120.090; Ord. No. 17-51, § 8, 7-24-2017)

When an application for an amended site plan is filed, the Community Development Director shall determine whether the amended site plan involves substantial or minor changes, and shall notify the applicant within seven (7) working days of the nature of the requested changes and of the procedure that applies to consideration of the application for an amended site plan. The determination of the Community Development Director may be appealed to the Hearing Officer, whose decision shall be final.

(Zoning Ord. 2009, § 17.120.100; Ord. No. 17-51, § 9, 7-24-2017; Ord. No. 19-85, § 13, 11-25-2019)

Substantial changes, as defined in this section, to the approved site plan may be approved only by the Planning Commission after review and recommendation by the Community Development Director. Approval of substantial changes to the approved site plan shall follow the procedure for original approval of the site plan.

(Zoning Ord. 2009, § 17.120.110)

Minor changes, as defined in this section, to the approved site plan shall be approved by the Community Development Director provided no more than two (2) amended site plans shall be approved that involve minor changes.

(Zoning Ord. 2009, § 17.120.120; Ord. No. 17-51, § 10, 7-24-2017)

For purposes of this Section 17.120, "substantial changes" to the approved site plan shall mean any of the following:

A.

A change in the number or sequence of phases, if any;

B.

Increases in the density or intensity of residential uses greater than or equal to five (5) percent;

C.

Increases in the total floor area of all nonresidential buildings covered by the plan greater than or equal to ten (10) percent;

D.

Increases of lot coverage greater than or equal to five (5) percent;

E.

Increases in the height of any building greater than or equal to ten (10) percent;

F.

Changes to construction material, color palette, or architectural style as determined by the Director of Community Development;

G.

Changes in ownership patterns or stages of construction that will lead to a different development concept;

H.

Changes in ownership patterns or stages of construction that will impose substantially greater loads on streets and other public facilities;

I.

Decreases of any setback greater than or equal to five (5) feet or ten (10) percent, whichever is less;

J.

Decreases of areas devoted to open space greater than or equal to five (5) percent, or the substantial relocation of such areas;

K.

Changes to the ingress/egress to property or of traffic or circulation patterns that will affect traffic outside of the project boundaries;

L.

Modification or removal of conditions to the site plan approval;

M.

Changes to the water or sanitary sewer plans that impact these utilities outside the project boundaries.

(Zoning Ord. 2009, § 17.120.130; Ord. No. 17-51, § 11, 7-24-2017)

For purposes of this Section 17.120, "minor changes" to the approved site plan shall mean all changes that are not "substantial" including but not limited to any of the following:

A.

Increases in density or intensity of residential uses that are less than five (5) percent;

B.

Increases in the total floor area of all nonresidential buildings covered by the plan that are less than ten (10) percent;

C.

Increases of lot coverage that are less than five (5) percent;

D.

Increases in the height of any building that are less than ten (10) percent;

E.

Decreases of any setback that are less than ten (10) percent or five (5) feet, whichever is the smaller distance;

F.

Decreases of areas devoted to open space that are less than five (5) percent; and

G.

Reconfiguration of building locations provided the following:

1.

The reconfiguration does not substantially increase the density or intensity of uses, increase the total floor area of all nonresidential buildings, increase the lot coverage, increase the height of any buildings, change the architectural style of the project or buildings, change ownership patterns or stages of construction, decrease the setbacks, decrease the open space of the development, or modify or remove conditions of the approved site plan; and

2.

The reconfiguration does not substantially alter the circulation patterns external to the site and/or the ingress and egress on the property;

(Zoning Ord. 2009, § 17.120.140; Ord. No. 17-51, § 12, 7-24-2017)

Civil construction plans must be approved by the Director of Community Development, or his designee, prior to the issuance of grading, clearing or any other construction permits for any proposed development other than a detached single-family dwelling.

(Ord. No. 17-51, § 13, 7-24-2017)

A.

Civil construction plan review shall be conducted by City staff, however, the City may require, at the expense of the petitioner, reviews conducted by the City's consultant or other professionals.

B.

Any person required to submit a civil construction plan shall file six (6) copies of the plan with the Community Development Director, with completed application forms furnished by the City, and pay any required filing fee in accordance with Title 4, Fees.

(Ord. No. 17-51, § 13, 7-24-2017)

The civil construction plan submittal shall include all information required for, and conforming to, the approved site plan except for minor modifications due to engineering calculations as authorized by the Community Development Director, and separate plan sheets meeting the requirements of Section 1.050.02 of the City's Infrastructure Design Manual.

(Ord. No. 17-51, § 13, 7-24-2017; Ord. No. 24-196, § 1, 12-10-2024)