It is the intent of the site plan review provisions to facilitate the coherent development of the community through the review of specific and detailed plans for parcels of land which either, because of their location or because of the anticipated impact of the proposed uses thereon, may create land use conflicts with adjacent land uses or zoning classifications.

Prior to the issuance of a building permit for property for which a site plan review requiring legislative public hearing is required, an owner or developer shall complete the following review procedure:

1. The owner or developer of a lot or tract of land that qualifies for public site plan review shall file an application for approval of the site plan with the Town Clerk. Two paper copies of the site plan, a digital copy, and the filing fee provided in sec. 15.12-6 shall accompany the application. The paper copies shall be in 11 x 17 unless otherwise directed by Town staff. The Town Planner shall circulate electronic copies to the Planning Commission prior to the consideration of said plan by the commission. The Town Planner shall include an electronic copy of said plan with the staff reports in the Town Council packet.
   
2. The Planning Commission shall give notice and hold a legislative public hearing on the site plan, in the manner provided in sec. 15.12-1(C)(3)(b).
   
   If variations to the bulk, sign and off-street parking and loading regulations of this Code would otherwise be necessary for the development proposal, such proposal shall be exempt for the administrative public hearing on the variation request and such review procedure shall be deemed to occur simultaneously with the Planning Commission's review of the plan. Land uses proposed to be included in a development requiring a legislative public hearing site plan review which would otherwise be allowed by special use permit only are exempted from the administrative public hearing normally required for such special use permit applications and the Planning Commission shall consider the standards for granting a special use and make a recommendation to the Council on the granting of such site plan approval, special use and variation and the legislative public hearing.
3. The President and Board of Trustees, upon receiving the report and recommendation of the Planning Commission, as an exercise of the legislative discretion vested in the Corporate Authority of the Town of Normal, may approve or deny the site plan. If an application for a site plan is not acted upon finally by the President and Board of Trustees within 3 months of the date upon which such application is received by the President and Board of Trustees, it shall be deemed to have been denied unless extended by agreement of the applicant and President and Board of Trustees.
4. No application for site plan review which has been denied wholly or in part by the President and Board of Trustees shall be re-submitted for a period of one year from the date of such denial, except on the grounds of new evidence or proof of change of conditions found to be valid by the President and Board of Trustees.

1. Approval of a site plan by the Town Council is required before a building permit is issued. Construction and use of the premises must be in strict accordance with the approved site plan and no occupancy permit shall be issued for any building or structure that is not in conformance with an approved site plan.
2. Minor changes in the location, siting, and height of structures may be authorized by the Zoning Code Administrator; however, no such change may involve a change in the character of the development, or a substantial increase in the intensity of use, reductions of parking spaces that result in a new or more severe variance, or a change to landscaping that would result in noncompliance with division 15.14.
3. It shall be unlawful for the owner of property to which an approved site plan applies to use or permit the use or occupancy of such property in any way except as proposed on the site plan.
4. Non-minor changes in the location, siting, and height of structures and changes in the character of the development or a substantial increase in the intensity of use, reduction of parking spaces, or landscaping shall be made by the Town Council. The Council may require the Planning Commission to conduct an additional legislative public hearing and submit a recommendation on such proposed changes or deviations. (Added by Ord. 3783, 6/20/88)

All requests for site plan review, other than those initiated by the Town Council or by the Town Staff shall only be accepted when filed on the proper application forms. Such application shall conform to the submission requirements listed in sec. 15.14-5 and shall generally require submission of a sketch plan of the proposed development, drawn to scale, showing the location and dimensions of all existing and proposed buildings, structures, driveways and curb-cuts, parking areas with spaces marked and numbered, refuse storage areas, light poles or fixtures, and location of landscaping and/or screening. The information requested with such application is deemed to be a minimum and applicants may be requested to supply additional information for staff review prior to hearings on their requests. (Amended 1/20/04 by Ord. No. 4926)

In making its recommendation, the Town staff, the Planning Commission and, in making its legislative determination, the Town Council shall be guided by those purposes for which this Code was adopted and shall endeavor to accomplish those standards and objectives for which this Code is designed and may consider:

1. The extent to which potential incompatibilities between the proposed development and surrounding existing development and/or zoning is minimized by such design features as placement of buildings, parking areas, access driveways and existing or proposed topography.
2. The extent to which the proposal minimizes any adverse impact of the development upon adjoining land, including the hours of use and operation and the type and intensity of activities which may be conducted.
3. The extent to which adequately improved streets connected to the improved arterial street system are available or can be reasonably supplied to serve the uses proposed in the development.
4. The extent to which the proposed development is essential or especially appropriate in view of the available alternatives within the Town.
5. The extent to which the proposed development will favorably or adversely affect other persons or property and, if so, whether because of circumstances peculiar to the location the effect is likely to be greater than is ordinarily associated with the development of the type proposed.