Creation; contents and zoning plan. By the passing of this chapter, the city hereby authorizes the Planning and Zoning Commission to make and adopt a plan for the physical development of the city. The city plan, with the accompanying maps, plats, charts and descriptive explanatory matter, shall show the Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendations for the physical development and usage of land, and may include, among other things, the general location, character and extent of streets and other public ways, grounds, places and spaces; the general location and extent of public utilities and terminals, whether publicly or privately owned, the acceptance, widening, removal, extension, relocation, narrowing, vacation, abandonment or change of use of any of the foregoing: the general character, extent and layout of the replanning of blighted districts and slum areas. The Planning and Zoning Commission may also prepare a zoning plan for the regulation of the height, area, bulk, location and use of private, non-profit and public structures and premises, and of population density, for the adoption, enforcement and administration of the zoning plan and shall conform to the provisions of this chapter.

How prepared, purposes. In the preparation of the city plan, the Planning and Zoning Commission shall make careful and comprehensive surveys and studies of the existing conditions and probable future growth of the city. The plan shall be made with the general purpose of guiding and accomplishing a coordinated development of the city which will, in accordance with existing and future needs, best promote the general welfare, as well as efficiency and economy, in the process of development.

Adoption of plan; procedure. The Planning and Zoning Commission may adopt the plan as a whole by a single resolution or, as the work of making the whole city plan progresses, may from time to time adopt a part or part thereof, to correspond generally with one or more of the functional subdivisions of the subject matter of the plan. Before the adoption, amendment or extension of the plan or portion thereof, the Planning and Zoning Commission shall hold at least one public hearing thereon. Fifteen days’ notice of the time and place of such hearing shall be published in at least one newspaper having general circulation within the city. The hearing may be adjourned from time to time. The adoption of the plan requires a majority vote of the full membership of the Planning and Zoning Commission. The resolution shall refer expressly to the maps, descriptive material, and other materials intended by the Planning and Zoning Commission to form the whole or part of the plan and the action taken shall be recorded on the adopted plan or part thereof by the identifying signature of the Secretary of the Planning and Zoning Commission and filed in the office of the Planning and Zoning Commission, identified properly by file number, and a copy of the plan or part thereof shall be set aside to the Board of Aldermen and the City Clerk, and a copy shall be available in the office of the county’s Recorder of Deeds and shall be available at the City Clerk’s office for public inspection during normal office hours.

The Planning and Zoning Commission shall recommend and the Board of Aldermen may by ordinance adopt regulations governing the subdivision of land within the city. The regulations, in addition to the requirements provided by law for the approval of plats, may provide requirements for coordinated development of the city; so that there is coordination of streets within subdivisions with other existing or planned streets or with other features of the city plan or official map of the city; or adequate open spaces for traffic, recreation, light and air; and for distribution of population and traffic.

Before the adoption of its subdivision regulations or any amendment thereof, a duly-advertised public hearing thereon shall be held by the Board of Aldermen.

Generally. Within 60 days after the submission of a plat to the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Planning and Zoning Commission shall approve or disapprove the plat; otherwise, the plat is deemed approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission; except that, the Planning and Zoning Commission, with the consent of the applicant for the approval, may extend the 60-day period. The ground of disapproval of any plat by the Planning and Zoning Commission shall be made a matter of record.

Effects of approval. The approval of a plat by the Planning and Zoning Commission does not constitute or affect an acceptance by the city or public of the dedication to public use of any street or other ground shown upon the plat.

Recording. Any subdivision plat approved by the Board of Aldermen or Planning and Zoning Commission must have endorsed upon it the approval of the Board of Aldermen under the hand of the Clerk and the seal of the city or by the Secretary of the Planning and Zoning Commission prior to it being filed or received for filing by the county’s Recorder.