14.1.1

Plan of Development (POD) or Minor Modification:

14.1.1.1

Plan of Development (POD): A detailed Site Plan is required for approval by the PZC for all new construction, changes in or on a site, or changes of the exterior of a structure(s) in all planned residential districts, mobile home park districts, commercial districts, industrial districts, downtown business & residential districts, and for all commercial or industrial development in residential districts, unless determined to be a "Minor Modification".

14.1.1.2

Minor Modification: New construction, changes in or on a site, or changes of the exterior of a structure(s), which in the opinion of the Town Building Official, Town Engineer, and Town Planner, will not adversely affect the public health or safety, may be designated as "Minor Modifications" that do not require a detailed site plan. The Town Building Official, Town Engineer, and Town Planner may require plans and may set stipulations to assure that the changes to the site or structure(s) are Minor Modifications and will not adversely affect public health or safety. No "Minor Modification" shall be approved if there are any outstanding zoning violations, unless such changes will eliminate the zoning violations.

14.1.1.3

Plan of Development and Modifications in Historic Districts: When a Site Plan and/or Modification of an existing Site Plan is requested for a property located in or abutting a historic building, structure, site or district the Local Historic Properties Commission shall be notified at least twenty (20) days prior to the date of the public hearing. The Local Historic Properties Commission shall have the opportunity to review the proposed application and make recommendations to the Planning and Zoning Commission. The Planning and Zoning Commission shall be obligated to seriously consider the recommendations provided by the Local Historic Properties Commission. When the Planning & Zoning Commission makes a decision contrary to the written recommendations of the Local Historic Properties Commission, The Planning and Zoning Commission shall state on the record the reasons for the decision. If recommendations from the Local Historic Properties Commission are not received by the Planning and Zoning Commission at or before the public hearing, it shall be presumed that the Local Historic Properties Commission does not disapprove of the proposal. Notice of Minor Modifications approved in all Historic Districts shall be provided to the Local Historic Properties Commission within 30 days of the action.

14.1.2

When a detailed Site Plan is required to be submitted to the PZC for approval, the detailed Site Plan shall include the following:

14.1.2.1

The applicant must submit copies of the legal description of the property on which the development will take place.

14.1.2.2

The applicant must submit copies of the site plan prepared by the appropriate design professionals (engineer, architect, landscape architect, or surveyor) licensed to practice in the State of Connecticut. The plan shall be signed, dated and sealed by the appropriate design professionals. All site plans shall be prepared at a scale of not less than 1"=40' and shall be of sufficient detail and accuracy, class A-2 for boundary and class T-2 for topography, as defined in; "Standards for Surveys and Maps in the State of Connecticut, Prepared and Adopted by the Connecticut Association of Land Surveyors, Inc., September 26, 1996," as may be amended. Plans shall be sized in accordance with Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 92, Section 7-31. The site plan shall include at a minimum.

14.1.2.2.1

Name of development;

14.1.2.2.2

Abutters, to include names and referenced deed volume and page;

14.1.2.2.3

North arrow, scale and bar scale, date, and signatures and certification of the appropriate design professionals;

14.1.2.2.4

The location of general features, based on the best available information, within 100 feet of the subject property, shall be depicted on the plan;

14.1.2.2.5

Boundary survey of the site with angles or bearings and distances;

14.1.2.2.6

Zoning classification of the property;

14.1.2.2.7

Area of the parcel, in both acres and square feet;

14.1.2.2.8

Existing and proposed buildings and structures within the site including dimensions, distances from building corners to property lines, finish floor elevations, and number of stories;

14.1.2.2.9

Existing and proposed roads, driveways, loading and parking areas, curbs and curb cuts;

14.1.2.2.10

Existing and proposed walkways and sidewalks;

14.1.2.2.11

Where appropriate, existing contours and proposed contours at no more than 2 foot intervals and spot grades to the tenth of a foot;

14.1.2.2.12

Where appropriate, existing and proposed drainage with invert and top of frame elevations; wherever feasible, drainage design for roof area, parking lots and driveways shall employ low impact development (LID) techniques for stormwater management in accordance with the Town LID Manual;

14.1.2.2.13

Location of field delineated inland wetlands as delineated by a certified soils scientist;

14.1.2.2.14

Where applicable, 100 year base flood elevation as published by FEMA, in their latest flood insurance study and State of Connecticut Stream Channel Encroachment Lines;

14.1.2.2.15

Adequate provisions for potable water supply and sewage disposal; where applicable, existing and proposed sanitary sewer facilities with elevations;

14.1.2.2.16

Method of ingress and egress;

14.1.2.2.17

Method of refuse storage and disposal;

14.1.2.2.18

General landscaping plan, including a list indicating size and count of all trees and shrubs to be planted;

14.1.2.2.19

Location of existing healthy trees larger than 18" in diameter at breast height shall be located by field survey, either singly or as groups and shall be incorporated into the site design to the maximum extent possible. Whenever possible existing trees shall be saved by "welling" or "mounding". All trees larger than 8" in diameter within the public right-of-way shall be depicted on the plan. Groups of trees may be located by a "tree line". Stands of significant (10 or more trees) of similar species shall be located by field survey and preserved and incorporated into the site plan whenever possible, except that a site plan prepared for selective clearing within a wooded area shall show those trees or clusters of trees to be removed. Trees within areas not proposed to be disturbed need not be individually located and may be designated as "treed area not to be disturbed."

14.1.2.2.20

Soil erosion and sedimentation control measures designed in accordance with the 2002 Connecticut Guidelines for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control, as may be amended;

14.1.2.2.21

Location and description of existing and proposed easements and/or rights-of-way;

14.1.2.2.22

Adequate storage facilities for outside maintenance equipment, including storage of recreational equipment in the PRD and MHP districts;

14.1.2.2.23

Location of fire hydrants and/or fire alarms boxes, as required;

14.1.2.2.24

Elevations and floor plans for proposed structures;

14.1.2.2.25

Numbering plan for unit identification;

14.1.2.2.26

Location plan showing property in relation to area in Town of Vernon, including zoning districts and type of development in the immediate area;

14.1.2.2.27

Location of all recreation areas and facilities;

14.1.2.2.28

The soil classification(s) as given by the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS);

14.1.2.2.29

A statement or analysis indicating the traffic impact of the proposed development;

14.1.3

The detailed Site Plan shall be submitted to the Town Planner's office;

14.1.4

Approval of any Site Plan shall become null and void, unless construction of the building is in progress and not less than fifty (50) percent of the building foundations are complete within two (2) years of the effective date of approval. Extensions of time for the above time frames may be granted by the Commission for an approved site; providing, however, that any such extension does not exceed two (2) years. The total period of approval with extensions shall not exceed the time frames specified in Section 8-3 and 8.26c of the C.G.S.

14.1.4.1

The effective date of the original approval for any site plan shall be considered the start of the five (5) or ten (10) year time frame and subsequent modifications shall not alter that date or time frame;

14.1.5

A public hearing on any Site Plan may be required by the Commission.

14.1.6

A submission of a Site Plan as an alternate of a previously approved plan shall make the approved plan null and void, upon the approval of a subsequently approved plan. The Commission, in approving a Site Plan, may stipulate such restrictions as appear to the Commission to be reasonable to protect or promote the rights of individuals, property values, and the environment in the area as a whole, the public health, safety or welfare, sound planning and zoning principles, improved land use, site planning and land development or better overall neighborhood compatibility. Such restrictions may concern, without limitation, the components of the Site Plan and the layout, distribution and relationship between uses and structures, vehicular and pedestrian circulation, parking, open space, landscaping, screening, signs, lighting, and a timeframe within which site improvements must be completed. All conditions shall be satisfied, if possible, prior to the issuance of a building permit, but must be complied with completely at the time of issuance of a certificate of occupancy. Additional stipulations may include, but are not limited to the following:

14.1.6.1

Sidewalk requirement as determined by the Commission;

14.1.6.2

Contribution to town downstream development fund as determined by the Commission to handle storm water runoff, as it will affect downstream property owners;

14.1.6.3

Maintenance bonds and performance bonds to guarantee compliance;

14.1.6.4

Planting plans;

14.1.6.5

Rights-of-way for drainage and sanitary sewers in the form of easements to be granted to the Town of Vernon;

14.1.6.6

Landscaped buffer strips, to be constructed in accordance with the provisions of Section 9, Landscaped Buffer Strips;

14.1.6.7

Fencing as required by the Commission;

14.1.6.8

Hold harmless agreements for storm drainage and storm water runoff as required by the regulations;

14.1.6.9

Lighting plans to be approved by the Commission;

14.1.6.10

Sanitary sewers and drainage systems;

14.1.6.11

All stipulations to be shown on the maps to be filed with the Commission;

14.1.6.12

Grading, seeding, and landscaping;

14.1.6.13

The plan shall become null and void unless construction is commenced within one (1) year of approval, unless an extension is granted by the Commission;

14.1.6.14

All roads to be conveyed to the Town of Vernon shall be built to Town specifications;

14.1.6.15

Location of dumpsters and screening;

14.1.7

An erosion and sedimentation control plan subject to Section 18 may be required by the Commission or Zoning Enforcement Officer;

14.1.8

The Planning & Zoning Commission may require that existing roads shown to be directly or indirectly impacted by the proposed development, be improved to bring these roads up to town standards;

14.1.9

In cases where reasonable and necessary need for an off-site improvement or improvements is demonstrated or required by the proposed development application and where no other property owners received a special benefit thereby, the Commission may require the applicant, as a condition of development approval and at the applicant's sole expense to provide for and construct such improvements, including development of public roads contiguous to the development.

14.1.10

In the case of a proposed Adaptive Re-use project per Sections 2.97 & 3.26, the site plan of development shall include also architectural and historical preservation plans, and floor plans for specific uses of buildings and activities within buildings to assure the preservation of the property and the successful re- use of the site and structures without conflicts of uses.

In considering an application for those uses requiring Site Plan approval, the application shall conform to all applicable sections of these regulations and as per CGS 8-3(g), all Inland Wetlands Regulations.