The purpose of this article is to encourage sound and innovative design and to ensure that land is used in a manner that is efficient, in harmony with neighboring property and the environment, and in accordance with the comprehensive plan and provisions of this chapter and other parts of the City of Franklin Code.

The planning commission or the zoning administrator shall not approve any development, use or plan or any feature thereof, which constitutes a danger to the public health, safety or general welfare or which is in violation of federal, state or city laws or regulations.

Multiple-family dwellings;

Townhouses and condominiums;

Churches, temples, synagogues and cemeteries;

Docks, marinas, wharves, piers, bulkheads and the like or any overwater structures, except private overwater piers and boat houses accessory to single-family dwellings;

Commercial or industrial buildings or developments;

Mobile home parks;

Campgrounds;

Public parks and recreation facilities;

Public utilities, public service or transportation uses, transmission mains, buildings, generating purification or treatment plants, water storage tanks, pumping or regulator stations, telephone exchange, transformer or substations, or power transmission lines;

Schools and public buildings;

Hospitals and nursing homes;

Towers;

Two or more duplexes on the same parcel;

Three or more single-family dwellings on the same parcel; or

Off-street parking areas or any additions to existing off-street parking areas except for single-family residences.

Title of project;

Name of engineer, architect, landscape architect, planner and/or licensed surveyor;

Location of site by an insert map at a scale no less than one inch equals 2,000 feet;

Indication of the scale, north arrow, zoning tax map number and such information as the names and numbers of adjacent roads, streams and bodies of water, railroads and subdivisions, or other landmarks sufficient to clearly identify the location of the property;

Boundary survey of site;

All existing and proposed improvements; all existing and proposed streets and easements, their names, numbers and width; existing and proposed utilities with easements and sizes, projected peak water and wastewater flows, watercourses and their names and owners;

Location, type and size of all entrances to the site;

Existing topography and proposed finished contours at no greater intervals than two feet based on sea level datum.

A landscape plan showing woodline before site preparation, areas to be screened, fenced, walled and/or landscaped, with approximate arrangements, plant types and sizes.

Provisions for off-street parking, loading spaces and pedestrian walkways including existing and proposed sidewalks, calculations indicating the number of parking spaces required and the number provided;

Number of floors, floor area, height and location of each building;

For a multi-family residential development, the number, size and type of dwelling units and the location, type and percentage of total acreage of recreation facilities;

Detailed utility layout including water and sanitary sewer plan with profiles; location of electrical transmission lines, gas pipelines, street lights and fire hydrants; and locations of garbage and trash disposal facilities;

Provisions for the adequate control of stormwater drainage and erosion and sedimentation, indicating all proposed temporary and permanent control measures;

Indication of the total site area, and the amount and percentage of the site covered by open space and buildings;

By-laws of homeowner association where applicable:

Existing or proposed curb and gutter, proposed auxiliary lanes, right turn lanes or left turn lanes for ingress to or egress from the site and sidewalks.

The site plan proposes a single building or group of buildings which contain a total floor area that exceeds 10,000 square feet;

The site plan proposes two entrances on the same road, involves a disturbance of slopes greater than 15 percent, or proposes a fast food restaurant, convenience store or a shopping center; or

The site plan proposes an addition to an existing use which would contain a floor area greater than 75 percent of the total floor area of the existing use or an addition to an existing use of 10,000 square feet or more of floor area.

The applicant shall submit to the zoning administrator, or his designee, ten copies of the site plan and pay the appropriate application fee.

Upon meeting all submittal requirements, the site plan shall be reviewed by the zoning administrator, and city staff. The zoning administrator shall prepare a report on the proposed site plan and make a recommendation to the planning commission.

The planning commission shall consider the recommendation of the zoning administrator and either grant preliminary approval, defer or disapprove the site plan. The site plan may be granted preliminary approval with conditions that must be satisfied prior to final approval by the zoning administrator. The zoning administrator shall notify the applicant of the planning commission's findings within ten working days of the planning commission's meeting. Such notice shall state any actions, changes, conditions or additional information that shall be required to secure preliminary or final approval. If disapproved, the notice shall state the specific reasons for disapproval.

The applicant shall submit to the zoning administrator or designee, ten copies of the site plan and pay the appropriate application fee. Upon meeting all submittal requirements, the site plan shall be reviewed by the zoning administrator and city staff. The zoning administrator shall transmit city staff comments to the applicant within 30 days of submittal of plans meeting all applicable submittal criteria. No plan shall be approved until all staff requirements are met.

The site plan may be granted preliminary approval be deferred, or be disapproved by the zoning administrator. The site plan may be granted preliminary approval with conditions that must be satisfied prior to final approval by the zoning administrator. The zoning administrator shall notify the applicant of any action taken on the site plan within ten working days of such action. Such notice shall state any actions, changes, conditions or additional information that shall be required to secure preliminary or final approval. If disapproved, the notice shall state the specific reasons for denial.

Intensity of land use including developable acreage, density and adequate provisions for open space and recreational facilities as appropriate to the site usage and to the comprehensive plan.

Design and layout of the site including buildings, signs, recreation facilities, garbage and trash disposal facilities, sedimentation and erosion controls, storm drainage, stormwater management, sanitary sewage disposal, and water supply exit and entrance points on the site including line sizes, areas to be landscaped with approximate arrangement and plant types and sizes indicated, and provisions for pedestrian and vehicular traffic movements within and adjacent to the site. Particular emphasis shall be placed upon the review of on-site aesthetics; public safety features; environmental, historic and vegetative preservation; efficient layout of buildings, parking areas, off-street loading and unloading; and movement of people, goods and vehicles (including emergency vehicles) from access roads within the site, between buildings and vehicles. Vehicular access to the site shall be designed to aid overall traffic flow and to permit vehicles a safe ingress and egress.

Design standards contained in this chapter as they relate to parking, location of structures, setbacks, yards, and building coverage shall apply, where applicable, to site plan approval. The design criteria established in the city subdivision ordinance and applicable standards of the state department of transportation shall apply where appropriate, to site plan approval.

The need for curb and gutter, the need for any auxiliary lanes, right turn lanes or left turn lanes for safe ingress to or safe egress from the site and/or the need for any sidewalks.

Upon application, an approved site plan may be amended with the approval of the zoning administrator, provided that such proposed amendment does not:

Amendments not in accordance with § 24.4(11) through (17) shall be considered as new site plans and resubmitted for approval. Approval of an amendment under this section shall not extend the term of validity of the original approved site plan.

Inspection and supervision during development:

Maintenance of on-site improvements. On-site improvements such as public access roads, sidewalks, parking lots and other infrastructure improvements required by this article and constructed by the owner in compliance with this article shall be maintained in a good and serviceable condition as long as the use for which they were constructed or any subsequent lawful use shall continue.

Sanctions, penalties and relief. Any person, firm or corporation, whether as principal, agent, owner, lessee, employee or similar position, who violates or fails to comply with any provision of this article, permits such violation or erects any structure or uses any land or structure prior to preliminary approval or contrary to a site plan shall be subject to criminal sanctions, civil penalties and/or injunctive relief.