Good site design is a process that involves the active participation of the municipality and developers working together. The design process is an opportunity for the municipality and developers to work together to ensure that a development meets both the design goals of the community and the requirements of the developer. Site design technically consists of the arrangement of buildings, structures, lot lines, roads, utilities and plantings on a particular piece of property, laid out as a functional system in a two-dimensional space. In a broader sense however, the total environment of a development consists not only of two-dimensional forms, but also of the spaces around them: buildings, streets, and landscaping exist in three-dimensional space.

Site design should then be concerned with three-dimensional spatial arrangements: the location and placement of buildings, infrastructure, roads and walkways, landscaping, and other design elements within their surroundings. Implicit in such a definition of site design is the importance of relating design to the contextual setting of the entire community. It is the intent of the site development plan review and approval process that the needs and desires of the community, defined by the fundamental principles of subdivision and site design established in these regulations and in The Subdivision Regulations of the City of Seneca, Kansas, are accomplished through orderly, sustainable and harmonious growth and development.

Assignment

The applicant shall have the option of seeking the direction of the Development Administrator as to which submittals and approvals are required for a site plan. The Development Administrator's determination shall be presumed to be correct. As noted in Section 1.03 of these regulations, subdivision or individual lot applications for detached single-family and two-family dwelling units shall be exempt from the site development plan review and approval procedure as set forth in Article 10.

Content

An application for site plans shall include the items specified below which constitutes a checklist of items to be submitted for site plan review. The Development Administrator and/or City Engineer may subsequently require the correction of any information found to be in error and submission of additional information not specified in this Ordinance, as is reasonably necessary to make an informed decision.

A.

General. The applicant shall prepare a site plan drawing on a 24" x 36" Mylar drafting sheet so as to be reproducible on a standard blueprint machine. Such final plat shall be prepared by a Licensed Architect, a Licensed Landscape Architect, a Licensed Professional Engineer or other person qualified by the Kansas State Board of Technical Professions, under the Laws of Kansas.

B.

Drainage Report. If drainage analysis has been previously prepared and approved for the subject property as part of an application for a preliminary plat or a planned unit development, then no additional drainage report shall be required unless the designer proposes significant modifications from the recommendations made in said report. In this event, and in the event that no previous drainage report was approved for the subject property, then the applicant shall submit a drainage report with the site plan application, prepared in accordance with the provisions listed in Section 5.18.

C.

Contents of Site Plan.

1)

Project name, vicinity map, index to plans (if applicable), name design professional with signed professional seal, and name of developer.

2)

Site plan shall show all calculations for storm sewer and runoff quantities, including calculations for stormwater detention facilities if required.

3)

Site plan shall show all associated improvements, existing utilities, existing right-of-way, proposed right-of-way, permanent easements and temporary easements, and all construction notes, indicating the type of surfacing and base course for all proposed drives, parking, loading and walkway areas. Show the location and setback of existing and proposed structures and indicate the number of stories, building height, gross floor area, and entrances to all structures.

4)

Typical standard details shall be shown as required.

5)

A written legal description, including descriptive boundaries of the property based on an accurate traverse, giving angular and linear dimensions which must mathematically close.

6)

The locations of monuments for vertical and horizontal control shall be shown and described on the site plan.

7)

The locations of lots, streets, public highways, parks and other features, with accurate dimensions in feet, and decimals of feet, with the length of radii or area of all curves, and with all other information necessary to accurately survey the site in the field; dimensions shall be shown from all angle points and points of curve to lot lines. Show the location and dimensions of existing and proposed curb cuts, curb-radii, aisles, off-street parking area and spaces, including access aisles, signage and parking spaces for the disabled, loading spaces and walkways.

8)

Subdivision lots, blocks, and the area in square feet shall be designated on the site plan.

9)

Building setback lines along all public street right-of-way.

10)

Location and width of all existing and proposed easements.

11)

Scale of plan drawing (scale to be shown graphically and in feet per inch), north arrow.

12)

Project manual and technical specifications (KDOT specifications, latest edition, may be referenced).

13)

All permits required from federal, state and local agencies including, but not limited to: KDOT, KDHE, Division of Water Resources, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

D.

Submittals. The applicant shall submit the following materials for review of the site plan:

Approval of Site Plan

The Development Administrator, upon receipt of a complete site plan application in accordance with the provisions of Section 10.02, shall cause the site plan to be reviewed by the City Engineer to ensure conformance with these regulations and acceptable engineering and construction standards. The City Engineer shall review the application and prepare a summary statement indicating whether or not the site plan is conformance with the requirements of these regulations. If the plan is not in conformance with these regulations, the City Engineer shall indicate in the summary statement those items which need to be addressed or corrected to bring the site plan to an acceptable standard of design. The City Engineers' review of the site plan application shall be sent to the Development Administrator, who shall distribute copies of the City Engineers' review to the applicant and to the applicant's engineer or architect.

Effect of Site Plan Approval

Approval of a site plan by the City Engineer shall confer upon the applicant the following rights for a 12-month period from the date of the site plan approval:

A.

That the general terms and conditions on which site plan approval was granted shall not be changed;

B.

That the applicant may apply for construction permits as required; and

C.

That the applicant may apply for and the Development Administrator may grant extension on such site plan approval for additional periods of at least one month but not to exceed a total extension of 12 months.

Purpose

A.

Landscaping shall be provided as part of site plan design. It shall be conceived in a total pattern throughout the site design, integrating the various elements of site design, preserving and enhancing the particular identity of the site, and creating a pleasing site character.

B.

Landscaping may include plant materials such as trees, shrubs, ground covers, perennials and annuals, and other materials such as rocks, water, sculpture, art, walls, fences, paving materials, and street furniture.

Landscape Plan

A landscape plan shall be submitted with each site plan application, unless an exception is granted pursuant to Section 10.05, of this Ordinance. The plan shall identify existing and proposed trees, shrubs, and ground covers; natural features such as rock outcroppings; and other landscaping elements. The plan shall show where they are or will be located and planting and/or construction details. Where existing plantings are to be retained, the applicant shall include in the plans proposed methods of protecting them during construction.

Site Protection and General Planting Requirements

A.

Topsoil preservation. Topsoil moved during the course of construction shall be redistributed on all regraded surfaces so as to provide at least four inches of even cover to all disturbed of the development and shall be stabilized by seeding or planting.

B.

Removal of debris. All stumps and other tree parts, litter, brush, weeds, excess or scrap building materials or other debris shall be removed from the site and disposed of in accordance with the law. No tree stumps, or portions of tree trunks or limbs shall be buried anywhere in the development. All dead or dying trees, standing or fallen, shall be removed from the site. If trees and limbs are reduced to chips, they may be used as mulch in landscaped areas, subject to approval by the City Engineer.

C.

Protection of existing plantings. Maximum effort should be made to save fine specimens. No material or temporary soil deposits shall be placed within four feet of shrubs or 10 feet of trees designated on the landscape plan to be retained.

D.

Additional landscaping. In non-residential developments, all areas of the site not occupied by buildings and required improvements shall be landscaped by the planting of grass or other ground cover, shrubs, and trees as part of the site plan approved by the City Engineer.

E.

Planting specifications. Size of trees and shrubs shall be allowed to vary depending on setting and type of shrub. All trees, shrubs, and ground covers shall be planted according to accepted horticultural standards. Dead and dying plants shall be replaced by the developer during the following planting season.

F.

Plant species. The plant species selected should be hardy for the particular climatic zone in which the development is located and appropriate in terms of function and size.

Shade Trees

A.

Location. Shade trees shall be installed on both sides of all streets, public and private, in accordance with the approved construction plans. Trees shall be planted along streets using the following spacing criteria as a guide:

The trees shall be planted so as not to interfere with utilities, roadways, sidewalks, sight easements, or street lights. Tree location, landscaping design, and spacing plan shall be approved by the planning commission as part of the landscape plan.

B.

Tree type. Tree type may vary depending on overall effect desired, but as a general rule, all trees on a street shall be the same kind except to achieve special effects.

C.

Planting specifications. All trees shall be of substantially uniform size and shape, and have straight trunks. Trees shall be properly planted and staked and provision made by the applicant for regular watering and maintenance until they are established. Dead and dying trees shall be replaced by the applicant during the next planting season.

Buffering

A.

Function and materials. Buffering shall provide a year-round visual screen in order to minimize adverse impacts. It may consist of fencing, evergreens, berms, rocks, boulders, mounds, or combinations thereof to achieve the same objectives.

B.

When required. Every development shall provide sufficient buffering when topographical or other barriers do not provide reasonable screening and when the Planning Commission determines that there is a need 1) to shield neighboring properties from any adverse external effects of a development; or 2) to shield the development from negative impacts of adjacent uses such as streets or railroads. In high-density developments, when building design and siting does not provide privacy, the Planning Commission may require landscaping, fences, or walls to screen dwelling units for privacy. Buffers shall be measured from side and rear property lines, excluding driveways.

C.

Amount required.

1)

Where more-intensive land uses abut less-intensive uses, a buffer strip 25 feet in width shall be required.

2)

Parking lots, garbage collection and utility areas, and loading and unloading areas should be screened around their perimeters by a buffer strip a minimum of five feet wide.

3)

Where residential subdivisions abut higher-order streets (collectors or arterials), adjacent lots shall front on lower-order streets, and a landscaped buffer area shall be provided along the property line abutting the higher-order street. The buffer strip shall be a minimum of 25 feet wide or wider where necessary for the health and safety of the residents. It shall include both trees and shrubs.

D.

Design. Arrangement of plantings in buffers shall provide maximum protection to adjacent properties and avoid damage to existing plant material. If planted berms are used, the minimum top width shall be four feet, and the maximum side slope shall be 3:1.

E.

Planting specifications. Plant materials shall be sufficiently large and planted in such a fashion that a year-round screen at least eight feet in height shall be produced within three growing seasons. All plantings shall be installed according to accepted horticultural standards.

F.

Maintenance. Plantings shall be watered regularly and in a manner appropriate for the specific plant species through the first growing season, and dead and dying plants shall be replaced by the applicant during the next planting season. No buildings, structures, storage of materials, or parking shall be permitted within the buffer area; buffer areas shall be maintained and kept free of all debris, rubbish, weeds, and tall grass.

Parking Lot Landscaping

A.

Amount required. In parking lots, at least five percent on the interior parking area shall be landscaped with plantings, and one tree for each 10 spaces shall be installed. Parking lot street frontage screening shall be a minimum of five feet wide. Planting required within the parking lot is exclusive of other planting requirements, such as for shade trees planted along the public street.

B.

Location. The landscaping should be located in protected areas, such as along walkways, in center islands, at the ends of bays, or between parking stalls. All landscaping in parking areas and on the street frontage shall be placed so that it will not obstruct sight distance.

C.

Plant type. A mixture of hardy flowering and/or decorative evergreen and deciduous trees may be planted. The evergreens should be used along the perimeter of the lot for screening, and the deciduous trees for shade within the lot. The area between trees shall be mulched, planted with shrubs or ground cover, or covered with approved paving material. Any area that will be under the overhang of vehicles shall be mulched or covered with paving material.

Paving Materials

A.

Design and choice of paving materials used in pedestrian areas shall consider such factors as function, climate, characteristics of users, availability, cost, maintenance, glare, drainage, noise, appearance, and compatibility with surroundings.

B.

Acceptable materials shall include, but are not limited to, concrete, brick, cement pavers, asphalt, and stone.

Walls and Fences

A.

Walls and fences shall be erected where required for privacy, screening, separation, security, erosion control, or to serve other necessary and reasonable functions.

B.

The design and materials used shall be functional and compatible with existing and proposed site architecture.

C.

No fence or wall shall be so constructed or installed as to constitute a hazard to traffic or safety.

The City Engineer may recommend the Development Administrator waive the requirement for site plan approval where there is a change in use or occupancy and no extensive construction or improvements (or de minimis construction or improvements) is sought. The waiver may be granted only upon a finding by the City Engineer that the use will not affect existing drainage, circulation, relationship of buildings .to each other, landscaping, buffering, lighting, and other considerations of site plan approval, and that the existing facilities do not require upgraded or additional site improvements. The application for a waiver of site plan shall include a discussion of the prior use of the site, the proposed use, and its impact.

1.

The Development Administrator and the City Engineer, when acting upon applications for site development plans, shall recommend such exceptions from the requirements for site plan approval as may be reasonable and within the general purpose and intent of the provisions for site plan review and approval of this Ordinance, if the literal enforcement of one or more provisions of the Ordinance is impracticable or will exact undue hardship because of peculiar conditions pertaining to the land in question.

2.

The Development Administrator and the City Engineer shall not recommend exceptions unless they shall make findings based upon the evidence presented to it in each specific case that:

A.

The granting of the exception will not be detrimental to the public safety, health, or welfare, or injurious to other property or improvements in the neighborhood in which the property is located;

B.

The conditions upon which the request for an exception is based are unique to the property for which the exception is sought, and are not applicable generally to other properties;

C.

Because of the particular physical surroundings, shape, or topographical conditions of the specific property involved, a particular hardship to the owner would result, as distinguished from a mere inconvenience, if the strict letter of these regulations are carried out.

3.

Conditions. In recommending variations and exceptions, the Development Administrator and the City Engineer may propose such conditions as will, in their judgement, secure substantially the objectives of standards or requirements of these regulations.

4.

Procedures. A petition for any such variation or exception shall be submitted in writing by the applicant at the time when the site development plan is filed for consideration review by the Development Administrator and the City Engineer. The petition shall state fully the grounds for the application and all of the facts relied upon by the petitioner.