If amendments in the text of this chapter are proposed by the Township
Board or the Planning Commission, the application form for such an
amendment shall not be required. If a text amendment is proposed by
the Township Board, the Planning Commission shall convene a hearing,
with the required notice, and shall recommend to the Township Board
as to whether the amendment should or should not be adopted or whether
it should be adopted with specified changes.
If a text amendment is proposed by an interested person, the applicant
shall complete and submit an application form, with the required fee,
and make the required deposit in a zoning escrow account for reimbursement
to the Township of its expenses in the matter. If the Zoning Administrator
determines that the proposed amendment is of sufficiently general
application in the Township, the application fee and/or the zoning
escrow account deposit may be waived.
An application by an interested person for a text amendment shall
state the reasons and grounds for the proposed amendment and its anticipated
effect, if adopted. The application may include other information
offered in support of the proposed amendment.
If amendments in the Zoning Map of this chapter are proposed by the
Township Board or the Planning Commission, the application form for
such an amendment shall not be required. If a Zoning Map amendment
is proposed by the Township Board, the Planning Commission shall convene
a hearing, with the required notice, and shall recommend to the Township
Board as to whether the amendment should or should not be adopted
or whether it should be adopted with specified changes.
If an amendment in the Zoning Map of this chapter is proposed by
an interested person, the applicant shall complete and submit an application
form, with the required fee, and make the required deposit in a zoning
escrow account for reimbursement to the Township of its expenses in
the matter.
An application by an interested person for a Zoning Map amendment
shall state the reasons and grounds for the proposed amendment and
its anticipated effect, if adopted. The application may include other
information offered in support of the proposed amendment.
The application shall include a fully dimensioned drawing showing
the land proposed for rezoning, a legal description of the land, the
current zoning district of the land and the zoning district(s) of
the abutting lands.
After a complete application for an amendment in this chapter has
been submitted, and following review thereof by the Zoning Administrator,
a public hearing by the Planning Commission on the proposed amendment
shall be scheduled; provided, however, that if the amendment is a
text amendment proposed by an interested person, the Planning Commission,
after consideration at a public meeting, may determine not to convene
a public hearing thereon, and thereby not consider further the proposed
text amendment.
The required notice of a Planning Commission public hearing shall
be given as to applications for amendments on which the Planning Commission
determines to convene a public hearing. The Commission shall convene
a public hearing on all applications for amendments in the Zoning
Map.
The Planning Commission shall hold the public hearing. The Commission
shall receive such public comment and review such reports and other
materials as it deems appropriate in the circumstances. In considering
a proposed amendment, the Commission may make changes therein, except
such changes which are so substantially material that another public
hearing, with revised public notice, should be convened.
After the public hearing, the Planning Commission shall make a recommendation
to the Township Board as to whether the amendment should be adopted,
not be adopted or adopted with specified changes.
After receiving the Planning Commission's recommendation on a proposed
amendment, the Township Board shall consider the amending ordinance
at a public meeting.
The Township Board may hold a public hearing on the amending
ordinance if it determines to do so, but a hearing shall be held in
the case of an amendment for the rezoning of land to a planned unit
development.
If the Township Board holds a public hearing on a chapter amendment,
notice thereof shall be given in the same manner as required for a
Planning Commission public hearing on an ordinance to amend the text
of this chapter or the Zoning Map.
If an interested property owner requests a hearing by the Township
Board on a proposed chapter amendment, and if such request is in writing
and is sent by certified U.S. Mail, addressed to the Township Clerk,
then the Township Board shall convene such a hearing. In that case,
written notice of the date, time, place and purpose of the hearing
shall be given to the requesting property owner in the same manner
and to the same extent that notice of a Planning Commission public
hearing is given to an applicant, but no other notice of the Township
Board hearing need be given by publication, U.S. Mail or otherwise.
The Township Board may adopt an amending ordinance at any regular
or special meeting by majority vote of the members of the Township
Board, in the form and content as recommended by the Planning Commission
or with such amendments and other changes as the Board may determine.
Except as otherwise provided by law, an ordinance to amend this chapter
shall take effect upon the expiration of seven days after publication
of the amending ordinance or seven days after publication of a summary
of its provisions in a newspaper of general circulation in the Township,
or at such later date after publication as may be specified in the
amending ordinance. The above-stated notice of adoption shall include
the following information:
A summary of the regulatory effect of the amending ordinance
or the entire text of the amending ordinance; if the ordinance includes
an amendment of the Zoning Map, the notice shall indicate the lands
affected.