Highland Charter Township
City Zoning Code

Sec. 5.04

Standards for site plan approval.

In the process of review and approval, the Planning Commission may consider the following factors in evaluating site plans, condominium plans and subdivision plats:

The proposed use will not be injurious to the general health, safety and welfare of the Township and surrounding neighborhood.

There is a proper relationship between thoroughfares and proposed service drives, driveways and parking areas.

The proposed development provides for proper development of roads, easements and public utilities, and protects the general health, safety, welfare and character of the Township.

The location of buildings, outside storage receptacles, parking areas, screen walls and utility areas is such that the adverse effects of such uses will be minimized for the occupants of that use and surrounding areas.

The design of storm sewers, stormwater facilities, roads, parking lots driveways, water mains, sanitary sewers and other site improvements meets the design and construction standards of the Township and other appropriate agencies.

Proper access to all portions of the site and all sides of any structure is provided. All structures or groups of structures shall be so arranged as to permit emergency vehicle access by some practical means to all sides. Site features such as, but not limited to, trees and other plant materials, fences, retaining walls, berms, outdoor furniture, outdoor structures, and natural and artificial water bodies shall be arranged to permit adequate emergency vehicle access.

Site planning and design of specific improvements will accomplish the preservation and protection of existing natural resources and features such as lakes, ponds, streams, wetlands, floodplains, steep slopes, groundwater, trees, and wooded areas, including understory trees.

The proposed development will utilize the natural topography to the maximum extent possible by minimizing the amount of cutting, filling and grading required.

The proposed development will not cause soil erosion or sedimentation. The drainage plan is adequate to handle anticipated stormwater runoff.

A stormwater management system and facility will preserve the natural drainage characteristics and enhance the aesthetics of the site to the maximum extent possible, and will not substantially reduce or increase the natural retention or storage capacity of any wetland, water body or water course, or cause alterations which could increase flooding or water pollution on or off site. The Oakland County Drain Commission Standards shall be used for the review and approval of all stormwater management systems.

Wastewater treatment systems, including on-site septic systems will be located to minimize any potential degradation of surface water or ground water quality.

Sites which include storage of hazardous waste, fuels, salt, or chemicals will be designed to prevent spills and discharges of pollution materials to the surface of the air or to the ground, groundwater or nearby water bodies, with a specific plan to achieve such objectives being incorporated as part of the site plan.

Landscaping, including grass, trees, shrubs and other vegetation is provided to maintain and improve the aesthetic quality of the site and area.

The means of ingress and egress to and from the site shall be planned with the objective of achieving recognized planning, engineering and safety standards, and shall not result in an unreasonable risk of danger to persons and/or property on the site and/or off the site. In general, this standard shall be met based upon the design of ingress and egress in terms of number, location and design of access(es), and utilization of acceleration, deceleration and passing lanes and approaches. The Planning Commission shall review the ingress and egress proposed for the purpose of promoting and protecting traffic safety, and shall require improvements accordingly.

The site plan complies with all Township Ordinances and design standards and any other applicable laws.

TABLE 5.2. SITE PLAN AND SKETCH PLAN SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

Plan Data		Required For:
Plan Data		Site Plan	Sketch Plan
A.	Application Form
	Name and Address of the Applicant and Property Owner	•	•
	Address and Common description of Property and complete Legal Description	•	•
	Dimensions of Land and total Acreage	•	•
	Zoning on the site and all adjacent properties	•	•
	Description of proposed project or use, type of building or structures, and name of proposed development, if applicable	•	•
	Name and Address of Firm or individual who prepared the site plan	•	•
	Proof of Property Ownership	•	•
B.	Site Plan Descriptive and Identification Data
	Site plans shall consist of an overall plan for the entire development, drawn to an Engineer's Scale of not less than 1 inch = 50 feet for property less than 3 acres, or 1 inch = 100 feet for property 3 acres or more in size. Sheet size shall be at least 24 x 36 inches if a large development is shown in sections on multiple sheets then one overall composite sheet shall be included.	•	•
	Title Block with Sheet number/Title; Name, Address and Telephone Number of the Applicant and Firm or Individual who prepared the Plans; and Date(s) of submission and any revisions (Month, Day, Year)	•	•
	Scale and North-Point	•	•
	Location map drawn to a separate scale with North-Point, Showing Surrounding Land, Water Features, Zoning and Roads within½ mile	•
	Legal and Common Description of Property	•	•
	Identification and seal of Architect, Engineer, Land Surveyor, or Landscape Architect who prepared drawings	•
	Zoning Classifications of Petitioner's Parcel and all Abutting Parcels	•	•
	Proximity to Section Corner and Major Thoroughfares	•	•
	Buildable Area in Acres and Gross Acreage	•	•
C.	Site Data
	Existing Lot Lines, Building Lines, Structures, Parking Areas, sidewalks/Pathways and other Improvements on the Site and within 100 foot of the Site	•	•
	Topography on the Site and within 100 foot of the Site at Two-Foot Contour Intervals, Referenced to a U.S.G.S. Benchmark	•
	Proposed Lot Lines, Lot Dimensions, Property Lines, Setback Dimensions, Structures, and other Improvements to the Site and within 100 foot of the Site	•	•
	Location of Existing Drainage Courses, Floodplains, Lakes and Streams, and Wetlands with Elevations	•	•
	A Natural Resources Inventory and Stewardship Plan as outlined in Section 15.02	•	•
	Location of any Wellhead Protection Areas, as Identified in the Natural Features Protection Area Map, If Applicable	•	•
	All Existing and Proposed Easements Including Type	•	•
	Location of Exterior Lighting ( Site and Building Lighting)	•	•
	Location of Trash Receptacle(s) and Transformer Pad(s) and Method of Screening	•	•
	Extent of any Outdoor Sales or Display Area	•	•
D.	Access and Circulation
	Dimensions, Curve Radii and Centerlines of Existing and Proposed Access Points, Roads and Road Rights-of-Way or Access Easements	•	•
	Driveways and Intersections within 250 foot of the Site	•
	Cross Section details of Proposed Roads, Driveways, Parking Lots, Sidewalks and Non-Motorized Paths Illustrating Materials and Thickness	•
	Dimensions of Acceleration, Deceleration, and Passing Lanes	•
	Dimensions of Parking Spaces, Islands, Circulation Aisles and Loading Zones	•	•
	Calculations for required number of Parking and Loading Spaces	•	•
	Designation of Fire Lanes	•	•
	Traffic Regulatory Signs and Pavement Markings	•
	Location of Existing and Proposed Sidewalks/Pathways within the Site Right-of-Way	•	•
	Location, Height, and Outside Dimensions of all Storage Areas and Facilities	•	•
	Traffic Impact Study as may be required by the Planning Commission	•	•
E.	Landscape Plans
	Location, Sizes, and Types of Existing Trees 6 inches or Greater in Diameter, Measured at 3.5 feet off the Ground, Evergreen Trees 10 foot or Taller and the General Location of all other Existing Plant Materials, with an Identification of Materials to be Removed Materials to be Preserved	•	•
	Description of Methods to Preserve Existing Landscaping	•
	The Location of Existing and Proposed Lawns and Landscaped Areas	•	•
	Landscape Plan, Including Location and Type of all Proposed Shrubs, Trees, and Other Live Plant Material	•
	Planting List for Proposed Landscape Materials, with Caliper Size or Height of Material, Method of Installation, Botanical and Common Names, and Quantity	•
	Proposed Dates of Plant Installation	•
	Landscape Maintenance Schedule	•
F.	Building and Structure Details
	Location, Height, and Outside Dimensions of all Proposed Buildings andStructures	•	•
	Building Floor Plans and Total Floor Area	•
	Details on Accessory Structures and any Screening	•
	Size, Height and Method of Shielding for all Site and Building Lighting	•
	Location, Size, Height, and Lighting of all Proposed Site and Wall Signs	•	•
	Location, Size, Height and Material of Construction for all Obscuring Wall(s)or Berm(s) with Cross-Sections, where required	•	•
	Building Façade Elevations for all Sides, Drawn at an Appropriate Scale	•
	Description of Exterior Building Materials and Colors (Samples may be Required)	•
G.	Information Concerning Utilities, Drainage and Related Issues
	Location of Sanitary Sewers and Septic Systems, Existing and Proposed	•
	Location and Size of Existing and Proposed Water Mains, Well Sites, Water Service, Storm Sewers Loads, and Fire Hydrants	•
	Stormwater Drainage and Retention/Detention Calculations	•	•
	Indication of Site Grading, Drainage Patterns and other Stormwater Management Measures	•	•
	Stormwater Retention and Detention Ponds, including Grading, Side Slopes, Depth, High Water Elevation, Volume and Outfalls	•	•
	Location and Size of Underground Storm Sewers and Drains	•	•
	Location of Above and Below Ground Gas, Electric and Telephone Lines, Existing and Proposed	•
	Location of Transformers and Utility Boxes	•
	Assessments of Potential Impacts from the Use, Processing, or Movement of Hazardous Materials or Chemicals, if Applicable	•
H.	Additional Information Required for Multiple Family Residential Development
	The number and location of each type of residential unit (One BedroomUnits, Two Bedroom Units, etc.)	•
	Density Calculations by Type of Residential Unit (Dwelling Units per Acre)	•
	Garage and/or Carport Locations and Details, if Proposed	•
	Mailbox Clusters	•
	Location, Dimensions, Floor Plans and Elevations of Common Building(s) (e.g., Recreation, Laundry, etc.), if Applicable	•
	Swimming Pool Fencing Detail, including Height and Type of Fence, if Applicable	•
	Location and Size of Recreation and Open Space Areas	•
	Indication of Type of Recreation Facilities Proposed for Recreation Area	•

*If any of the items listed above are not applicable, a list of each item considered not applicable and the reason(s) why each listed item is not considered applicable should be provided on the site plan