The requirement for the submittal of site plans shall apply to any proposed development of property, except for the construction of single-family and two-family homes on existing platted lots, and the subdivision of land in accordance with the City's Subdivision Ordinance.

To assure that commercial, industrial, multiple family residential, and special uses in the City of Norwalk are developed and accomplished in a manner conforming to the requirements, standards, and regulations of these ordinances, a detailed site plan shall be submitted showing the proposed use and development of all commercial, industrial, multi-family residential and special uses for approval by the City Council after review and recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Whenever any person, firm, corporation or other entity wishes to build or construct any use or special use in any zoning district upon any tract, lot, or parcel of land within the City of Norwalk, except one- or two-family dwellings on platted lots or buildings within existing farmsteads, a site plan shall be submitted for approval by the City Council after review and recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Commission. The following procedure shall be followed as part of the site plan review process.

   1.   All site plans shall be submitted to the Zoning Administrator and shall be drawn at a scale not less than 1" = 100'. Seven (7) full-scale copies and two (2) 8½" x 11" reduced copies of the site plan shall be submitted with a zoning certificate application. Prior to an official submittal of a site plan for review by the Commission, the developer may submit a concept plan for initial review by the Zoning Administrator for comment.

   2.   The Zoning Administrator shall refer a copy of the site plan to pertinent City departments for their review and comment regarding the site plan’s compliance with the ordinances of the City, its effects upon the City's municipal utilities, public street system and conformance to this zoning ordinance and all other ordinances of the City.

   3.   The Zoning Administrator shall also forward an 8½" x 11" copy of the site plan to each member of the Commission. The Commission shall, after receiving a report from the Zoning Administrator review the site plan for conformity with the regulations and design standards contained in this ordinance, and may confer with the developer on changes deemed advisable in such site plan.

   4.   The Commission shall review fully completed site plan applications within forty-five (45) days of the date of submission, and shall forward its recommendation either for approval or disapproval of the site plan to the City Council within forty-five (45) days of the date of action by the Commission.

   5.   The Commission may, in its discretion, hold a public hearing on the site plan of the proposed development and prescribe the notice thereof and to whom such notice shall be given.

   6.   The Council shall, upon receipt of the recommendation of the Commission, either approve or disapprove the site plan of the proposed development within thirty (30) days.

   7.   No building permit for any structure within any district within which a site plan is required shall be issued until the site plan has been approved as provided herein.

   8.   Upon final action by the Commission on any site plan, a copy of said site plan with any required corrections, modifications, or changes in accordance with the action of the Commission noted thereon and signed by the Zoning Administrator, shall be filed with the City Clerk.

   9.   If the Zoning Administrator finds that any construction or proposed construction of a development on a tract of land for which a site plan has been approved does not substantially comply with the site plan as approved, he shall suspend all building permits for the development and order all construction stopped until such time as the owner of the project, or his successors in interest, shall have provided him with proof satisfactory to him that the site plan will be complied with. The Zoning Administrator or City Building Official shall not issue a certificate of occupancy for any structure within the development while the building permit for the development has been suspended pursuant to this paragraph or site improvements have not been completed in accordance with the approved site plan. Any person aggrieved by any decision or action of the Zoning Administrator under this paragraph may appeal such action or decision to the Council.

The site plan shall show all information needed to enable City staff, Commission and Council to determine if the proposed development meets the requirements of this ordinance and other City ordinances.

   1.   Information Required. The site plan shall include the following information concerning the proposed development

      A.   Names of the owner of the property, legal description of property, point of compass, scale, and date.

      B.   Applicant’s name, address, project location, proposed land use and present zoning, location and names of adjoining subdivisions, the numbers of the adjoining lots therein and the names and addresses of adjoining landowners.

      C.   If the applicant is other than the legal owner, the applicant’s interest shall be stated.

      D.   Name and address of persons who prepared the site plan.

   2.   Required Illustrations. The site plan shall clearly set forth the following information concerning any site improvements associated with the proposed development.

      A.   Property boundary lines, dimensions, and total area of the proposed development.

      B.   Existing and proposed contour lines of the proposed development and fifty (50) feet beyond the boundaries of the proposed development at intervals of not more than two (2) feet. If substantial topographic change is proposed, the existing topography of the development and of the surrounding area shall be illustrated on a separate map, and the proposed finished topography shown on the site plan.

      C.   Temporary erosion control measures and methods required by the City and any other state or federal requirements.

      D.   The availability, location, size, and capacity of existing utilities, and of proposed utilities.

      E.   The proposed building materials, location, size height, shape, use, elevation, building sign type and illustration of all building or structures in the proposed development.

      F.   The total square footage of building floor area, both individually and collectively in the proposed development.

      G.   Existing buildings, rights-of-way, public sidewalks, street improvements, railroads, utility easements, drainage courses, streams and wooded areas.

      H.   The number of dwelling units, offices, etc. as required to determine ordinance compliance.

      I.   A vicinity sketch showing adjacent existing land uses within two hundred fifty (250) feet of the property.

      J.   Location, number, dimensions and design of off-street parking in the proposed development, including:

         (1)   Driveways, islands, and planters.

         (2)   Striping and curbs.

         (3)   Loading facilities.

         (4)   Type and location of lighting.

         (5)   Surface treatment.

      K.   Open spaces, yards, recreational areas, public sidewalks, walkways, driveways, outside lighting, walls, fences, monuments, statues, and other man-made features to be used in the landscape of the proposed development.

      L.   Facilities for the collection and disposal of garbage and trash, and screening structures.

      M.   Walls, fences or other artificial screens to be used as buffers shall be shown in elevation and prospective as well as plan with proposed height and structural material to be used indicated.

      N.   Traffic considerations or utility capacities and all other considerations pertinent to the proposed use may be requested for illustration or statistical purposes.

      O.   As part of the information required in Section 175I.04, any project, in either its initial phase or determined cumulatively in all phases such as a master plan, which contains 80 dwelling units or 1000 average daily trips shall submit a traffic analysis which provides necessary information to determine the effect that the project will have upon the surrounding traffic. At a minimum the traffic analysis, which must be prepared by a licensed traffic engineer, shall contain project trip generation, directional distribution of project trips, traffic assignment, and capacity analysis, including identification of congestion and turning-movement conflicts. If congestion conflicts are identified, then solutions to remedy the potential conflicts shall be provided.

      P.   Free standing identification sign(s); location, setback, dimensions, height and illustration.

      Q.   Location and type of all plants, grass, trees, or ground cover to be used in the landscape. Landscaping to be used for screening purposes shall be illustrated with the size and exact names of plants, shrubs or trees to be planted clearly indicated. The planting location shall not adversely affect utility easements or service lines. On all site plans the following requirements shall be met:

         (1)   Implementation. The landscaping plan shall be submitted for approval as part of site plan submittal. The landscaping plan is to show the following information in accordance with the requirements of Section 175D.04, Landscaping Required:

            a.   Location of trees and shrubs.

            b.   Size and species of trees and shrubs.

            c.   Number of each size and species of tree and shrub.

            d.   Type of ground cover and form of permanent erosion control.

         (2)   Approval of Landscaping. Landscaping is to be in-place at the time an occupancy permit is approved. Should completion of landscaping be delayed because of the season of year, a temporary occupancy permit may be issued if the developer posts a bond or other acceptable guarantee in the amount of the landscaping as completed. At the developers option and at the time of site plan filing he may submit a list of alternate or substitute species from the permitted or established list to be used should the preferred material not be available when needed and required.

         (3)   Maintenance. All landscaping, buffering and screening shall be maintained at all times to conform to the regulations established in this chapter. Landscaping which is not maintained in a manner consistent with this chapter shall be replaced, as follows:

            a.   Replacement includes, but is not limited to replacing plants damaged by insects, soil conditions, disease, vehicular traffic, vandalism, and acts of God;

            b.   Required landscaping shall be replaced with equivalent vegetation if it is not living within one (1) year of a Certificate of Occupancy;

            c.   Existing landscaping which was preserved shall be replaced with new landscaping if it is not living within two (2) years of a Certificate of Occupancy;

            d.   Landscaping as part of a buffer shall be maintained as long as the buffer is required by this ordinance; and

            e.   Replacement landscaping shall be installed (weather permitting) or proper guarantees provided within thirty (30) days following notification by the Zoning Administrator that a violation of this chapter has occurred.

The standards of design are intended as minimum requirements so that the general arrangement and layout of the development requiring the site plan may be adjusted to address a variety of site conditions.

   1.   All proposed uses for which site plans are required shall conform to the Comprehensive plan of the City of Norwalk; the provisions of this Zoning Ordinance; the Subdivision Ordinance of the City of Norwalk, if applicable, and all other applicable City ordinances and statues and regulations of the State of Iowa.

   2.   The proposed development shall have such entrances and exits upon public streets properly spaced and designed as are necessary for safety and the general welfare, and shall have such interior drives as are necessary for free movement of emergency vehicles; and shall have such pedestrian walkways as are necessary for safety and general welfare.

   3.   The proposed development shall be designed with a proper regard to topography, surface drainage, natural drains and streams, wooded area, and other natural features which will lend themselves to proper, harmonious and attractive development of the site.

   4.   The proposed development shall be designed with adequate water mains, provisions for sanitary sewerage facilities, storm sewer management facilities and flood control, in accordance with the ordinances and regulations of the City of Norwalk and statutes and regulations of the State of Iowa, and good engineering practice to protect the public health and welfare and not overload any existing public utilities.

   5.   The proposed development shall be designed, and the buildings and improvements located in such a manner as to not unduly diminish or impair the use and enjoyment of adjoining or surrounding property and to such end shall have such buffers, screen fences and landscaping as may be proper, and shall not impair an adequate supply of light and air to adjoining or surrounding property.

   6.   The proposed development shall not unduly increase the public danger of fire or diminish the public safety, and shall be designed to adequately safeguard the health, safety, and general welfare of the public and of persons residing and working in the development and in the adjoining or surrounding property.

   7.   The proposed development and all structures therein shall be designed as required by Chapter 175G, and in such a manner as to create a quality environment and to such end shall be architecturally and aesthetically harmonious and attractive.

An approved site plan placed on file may be amended with respect to location, size, design and conformity of buildings and other improvements, provided that the amended site plan conforms to the general use regulations, performance standards, and provisions of the district in which located. Amended site plans shall be reviewed by the Commission and approved by the Council.

All site plan approvals shall expire and terminate three hundred sixty-five (365) days after the date of Council approval unless a building permit has been issued for the construction provided for in the site plan. The Commission and Council for reasons related to the Zoning Ordinance, the City Comprehensive Plan or for reasons of general City health and welfare may set an expiration and termination date at one hundred eighty (180) days after the date of Council approval unless a building permit has been issued for the construction provided for in the site plan. The Council may upon written request by the developer, extend the time for issuance of a building permit for sixty (60) days in addition to the termination date. In the event the building permit for construction provided for in a site plan expires or is canceled, then such site plan approval shall become null and void.

The party or parties submitting a site plan to the City shall pay to the City a filing fee for said site plan as established by resolution, passed and approved by the Council.