The plan requirements and processing procedures shall be followed by land developers/subdividers as set forth herein and shall be submitted to the Commission for review and approval prior to consideration or approval by Council. It is the intent of the Borough Council to expedite the receipt and processing of plans so as to reduce delays that may result in increased costs or inconvenience to the applicant or to the Borough. The procedure set forth below establishes maximum time limits permissible under state law, but the Borough Council, when possible, will attempt to complete its reviews and approvals in a timelier manner.
A.
Required plans. Preliminary and final plans and other required supporting data for all proposed subdivisions and land developments shall be submitted by the applicant to the Borough, together with the then applicable fee (which shall be established and fixed from time to time by resolution of the Borough Council) for review. In addition, prior to submitting the official preliminary plan for review, the applicant may prepare a sketch plan for informal discussion with the Borough.
B.
Mifflin County Planning Commission and other agency reviews. The Subdivision Officer shall provide copies of the plans together with applicable fees submitted by the applicant to the Mifflin County Planning Commission as well as other appropriate agencies for review and comment.
C.
Consideration of plans. Subdivision and land development plans and supporting data submitted to the Borough will be considered at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Lewistown Borough Planning Commission, provided that they are received at least 10 calendar days in advance of said meeting.
D.
Action. The Borough Council shall consider all plans submitted to determine compliance with this chapter and shall approve, disapprove or approve with conditions all submitted plans. After the plan is filed, the Borough Council shall act upon applications no later than 90 days following the date of the next regular meeting of the Lewistown Borough Planning Commission that follows the date that the application is filed, provided that, should the said next regular meeting occur more than 30 days following the filing of the application, the said ninety-day period shall be measured from the 30th day following the day the application has been filed.
E.
Notification. The Borough Council shall notify the applicant, in writing, no later than 15 days after the date when a decision is reached by the Borough Council. When a plan is not approved, the decision of the Borough Council shall specify the defects found in the plan and shall cite the provisions of the ordinance and law that have not been met.
F.
Conditional approvals. If the preliminary or final plan is approved, subject to conditions, then the applicant shall either accept or reject such conditions in writing within a period of 15 days of receipt of such conditions. Any conditional approval shall be rescinded automatically if the applicant fails to accept or reject such conditions within the fifteen-day time period established above.
G.
Time extension. Failure of the Borough Council to render a decision and communicate it to the applicant within the time and in the manner required herein shall be deemed an approval of the application in terms as presented unless the applicant has agreed in writing to an extension of time or change in the prescribed manner of presentation of communication of the decision, in which case failure to meet the extended time or change in manner of presentation of communication shall have like effect.
H.
Public hearing. Before acting on any preliminary or final plan, the Borough Council may hold a public hearing thereon after public notice.
I.
Sketch plan. Sketch plans are not required by this chapter, but it is recommended that the applicant submit such a plan in order to establish, at an early stage in the planning of the subdivision or land development, the basic conditions required for the approval of a preliminary and a final plan.
J.
Preliminary plan. All major subdivision and land development plans filed with the Borough shall be considered the official preliminary plan. Said preliminary plan shall be reviewed to determine compliance with these regulations, and said plan shall be approved, approved with conditions or rejected or disapproved and the applicant notified accordingly. However, the applicant may proceed to final action at the first consideration of a plan for a minor subdivision in accordance with the definition herein and the procedure set forth in § 220-11.
K.
Final plan. After approval of the preliminary plan, the final plan for the entire subdivision or land development or a final plan for a section or stage of development, which has been prepared in accordance with the approved preliminary plan, shall be submitted by the applicant to the Borough. Said final plan shall be reviewed to determine compliance with these regulations, and said plan shall be approved, approved with conditions, rejected or disapproved and the applicant notified accordingly.