[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
Before submitting a preliminary plan and plat, the applicant is encouraged to confer with the Administrator and the Planning and Zoning Board and other official units of government affected thereby as well as those providing services to the area in question to initiate preplanning activities and obtain information and guidance before entering into binding commitments or incurring substantial expense in the preparation of detailed plans, surveys and other data.
A. 
No land within the subdivision jurisdiction of the City, other than land that is specifically exempted from the requirements of this chapter as provided in § 230-9, shall be subdivided or developed except in compliance with the regulations of this chapter and the applicable provisions of state law. No lot in any subdivision shall be conveyed until:
(1) 
The portion of the subdivision in which the lot is located has been improved in accordance with the requirements of this article or until a performance bond or other security has been posted to assure the completion of such improvements; and
(2) 
The final plat of the subdivision has been approved by the City Council and recorded in the office of the County Recorder of Deeds.
B. 
No building permit shall be issued to allow construction on any lot conveyed in violation of this section.
Minor subdivisions, as defined in § 230-7, may be exempted from the procedures and requirements for preliminary plats and the subdivider may proceed to filing of the final plat for review. Final plat procedures and requirements shall be as specified in Article IV, § 230-31 and § 230-32.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
A. 
Subdivider. The subdivider shall file with the City at the office of the Administrator 10 copies of the preliminary plan and plat at least 10 days prior to the regularly scheduled Planning and Zoning Board meeting. Such application shall include the following:
(1) 
Requested information. A written request to the Planning and Zoning Board for preliminary review of such subdivision and a general description of the location and size of the tract to be platted; the intent as to character type and use of the property and structures to be developed; the deed restrictions proposed, if any; a statement of mineral rights; the extent and character of the improvements to be made by the subdivider; the zone district classification(s) of the territory and compliance of the proposed subdivision thereto; if appropriate, a description of any unique hardship or difficulty limiting the physical development of the property under consideration and a description of any past history of the property under consideration which is pertinent thereto.
(2) 
Documentation. The necessary documentation in accordance with the requirements of this chapter. (See § 230-17.)
(3) 
Filing fee. A filing fee sufficient to cover the engineering inspection fees to be incurred by the City.
B. 
Procedure.
(1) 
Distribute copies. The Administrator shall immediately distribute a copy to the City Superintendent of Public Works; a copy to the School Superintendent; a copy to the Natural Resources Conservation Service; a copy to the City Engineer; a copy to the Mayor; two copies to the Planning and Zoning Board; and a copy to the Fire Chief.
(2) 
Time constraints. The Planning and Zoning Board shall review the preliminary plat within 60 days from the date of application or the filing by the subdivider of the last item of required supporting data, whichever date is later, unless such time is extended by written mutual consent and shall determine whether the preliminary plat shall be approved as submitted, shall be approved subject to certain conditions or modifications or shall be disapproved.
(3) 
Planning and Zoning Board review. The action of the Planning and Zoning Board shall be noted in writing; and if such preliminary plat is disapproved or is conditionally approved, the Planning and Zoning Board shall furnish written notice of such action to the applicant, setting forth the reasons for disapproval or conditional approval and specifying with particularity the aspects in which the preliminary plat fails to conform to the City's Code, including the Comprehensive Plan.
(4) 
City Council review. The City Council shall accept or reject the preliminary plat within 30 days after its next regularly scheduled meeting following the action granting approval of the preliminary plat by the Planning and Zoning Board, unless such time is extended by written mutual agreement of the City Council and the applicant or such preliminary plat will be deemed to be approved. The City Council shall indicate by letter whether the preliminary plat is approved or disapproved as submitted. If the preliminary plat is disapproved, the letter shall state the reasons for disapproval.
(5) 
Official approval. A certified copy of the letter of approval or disapproval by the City Council shall be attached to the preliminary plat and shall be filed with the City Clerk; one such copy shall be filed with the Administrator and one copy shall be returned to the subdivider. Approval of the preliminary plat shall not qualify the preliminary plat for recording with the County Recorder of Deeds.
(6) 
Rights and privileges of subdivider. Preliminary plat approval shall confer upon the subdivider the following rights and privileges:
(a) 
That the preliminary plat approval will remain in effect for a one-year period. The applicant may, during this period, submit all of or part or parts of said preliminary plat for final approval. In the event that the subdivision is being developed in stages, the applicant may, by written mutual agreement with the Planning and Zoning Board, have final approval of the last part of the plat delayed for a period not to exceed three years from the date of the preliminary plat approval. Any part of a subdivision which is being developed in stages shall contain a tract of land at least one block in length.
(b) 
That the general terms and conditions under which the preliminary plat approval was granted will not be changed.
Every preliminary plat shall be prepared by a land surveyor registered in the State of Illinois. The preliminary plat to be provided by the subdivider shall meet and include the following specifications and supporting data:
A. 
Proposed name of the subdivision and location.
B. 
Small key map showing the relation of the proposed subdivision to Section or U.S. Survey Lines and to platted subdivisions and dedicated streets within 300 feet of the proposed subdivision.
C. 
Names and addresses of the owner, subdivider, land planning consultant and the Illinois registered land surveyor who prepared the preliminary plat.
D. 
Existing and proposed streets or alleys and rights-of-way on and adjoining the site of the proposed subdivision; showing the names and including street roadway and right-of-way widths, approximate gradients, types and widths of pavement, curbs, sidewalks, crosswalks, planting strips and other pertinent data, including classification of all streets as to function as established herein.
E. 
All lot lines adjacent to and abutting the subdivision.
F. 
Layout of lots, showing approximate dimensions, numbers, lot area and zone district classification(s).
G. 
Parcels of land, if any, proposed to be dedicated or reserved for schools, parks, playgrounds or other public, semi-public or community purposes and use(s) of the area to be subdivided.
H. 
Easements, existing and proposed, showing locations, widths and purposes.
I. 
Building setback lines and dimensions.
J. 
Location and size of existing public utilities and drainageways or facilities within or adjoining the proposed subdivision and the location and size of nearest water trunk mains, interceptor sewer lines and other pertinent utilities.
K. 
Location, type and approximate size of utility improvements to be installed.
L. 
Tract boundary lines, showing dimensions, bearings, angles and references to known land lines.
M. 
The gross area and net area acreage of the proposed subdivision, the acreage of streets and of any areas reserved for the common use of the property owners within the subdivision and/or for public use.
N. 
Where the topography has a significant bearing upon the street grades, the plan of public utilities and drainageways or facilities in the proposed subdivision and, when it would be difficult for the Planning and Zoning Board or the City Council to understand the relation of the plat to the existing topographic conditions, contour lines at not greater than two-foot intervals shall be shown. Contour lines shall be shown for all hillside areas and other areas of significant slope.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
O. 
Location of major watercourses, ponding areas, natural drainageways and flood hazard areas.
P. 
The preliminary plat shall be drawn to a scale of not greater than 100 feet to one inch; provided, however, that if the resulting drawing would be over 42 inches square, a scale of up to 200 feet equals one inch may be used.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
Q. 
North arrow and date.
R. 
Whenever a large tract is intended to be developed in stages and only part of that tract is to be submitted for final plat approval, a preliminary plat for subdivision of the entire tract shall be submitted.
The subdivider shall conform to the following principles and standards of land subdivision in the design of each subdivision or portion thereof. No preliminary plat shall be approved unless it conforms to the following minimum standards of design.
A. 
Streets and alleys.
(1) 
The street and alley arrangement shall be such as to not impose undue hardship upon the owners of adjoining property when they plat their own land and seek to provide for convenient access thereto. Reserve strips controlling access to streets are prohibited, except where their control is placed with the City Council.
(2) 
The arrangement of rights-of-way in a subdivision shall provide for the continuation of the existing streets or rights-of-way in adjoining areas, unless the Planning and Zoning Board deems such continuation undesirable for reasons of topography or design. Where subdivision streets or rights-of-way are continuations or extensions of existing streets or rights-of-way, the width thereof shall be of the same or greater width as the existing street or right-of-way, except that in no case shall the street or right-of-way in the subdivision be of less width than hereinafter provided.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
(3) 
Where, in the opinion of the Planning and Zoning Board, it is desirable to provide future street access to adjoining areas, the streets and rights-of-way in the subdivision shall be extended to the property line. If deemed necessary by the Planning and Zoning Board, any temporary dead-end street shall be provided with a temporary turnaround. In no case shall access be denied to any parcel or part of a parcel of ground by the subdividing of land.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
(4) 
Streets shall intersect as nearly as possible at right angles.
(5) 
Local street curb intersections shall be rounded by radii of at least 20 feet; intersections involving collector or arterial streets shall have radii of not less than 25 feet.
(6) 
Street jogs with center-line offsets of less than 125 feet are prohibited.
(7) 
Unless topography indicates a need for a greater length, dead-end streets designed to be so permanently shall be no longer than 500 feet and shall terminate in a circular open space having a radius at the outside of the pavement of at least 42 feet and a diameter at the outside of the right-of-way of at least 100 feet.
(8) 
Local streets shall be designed so as to discourage through traffic.
(9) 
No local street grade shall be in excess of 10% and no collector street or arterial street grade shall be in excess of 7% except as otherwise approved by the Planning and Zoning Board due to adverse topographic conditions. For adequate drainage, the minimum grade of any new street shall not be less than 0.4%.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
(10) 
The Planning and Zoning Board shall not approve streets which will be subject to frequent inundation or flooding.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
(11) 
Alleys shall be avoided in a single-family and a two-family district except as required by this section; however, alleys may be required in multiple-family districts and commercial or industrial districts unless other definite and assured provision is made for service access, such as off-street loading, unloading and parking consistent and adequate for the use proposed.
(12) 
Dead-end alleys shall not be permitted except where provided with adequate turnaround facilities at the dead-end or where such dead-end alleys provide the only access to off-street parking.
(13) 
Rights-of-way.
(a) 
Alleys, where provided, shall have a right-of-way of not less than 20 feet.
(b) 
The minimum right-of-way of local streets (minimum including marginal access streets and culs-de-sac) shall be 50 feet.
(c) 
The minimum right-of-way of secondary or collector streets shall be 60 feet.
(d) 
The minimum right-of-way of arterial or primary streets shall be 80 feet.
(14) 
Intersections of more than two streets at one point shall be avoided.
(15) 
Where the subdivision abuts or contains an existing or proposed arterial street, the Planning and Zoning Board may require that marginal access streets be provided in order that no lots front on such existing or proposed arterial street.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
(16) 
Dedication of half-streets shall be discouraged, but may be permitted whenever there is no other logical method of platting. However, wherever there exists a dedicated or platted half-street or alley adjacent to the tract to be subdivided, the other half of the street or alley shall be platted, unless otherwise permitted by the Planning and Zoning Board.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
B. 
Drainage. No plat shall be approved for any subdivision which is subject to flooding unless the plat conforms to the applicable requirements of this chapter.
(1) 
No plat shall be approved for any subdivision or part thereof which is subject to periodic flooding or which contains inadequate drainage facilities or which makes adequate drainage of streets impossible. However, if the subdivider agrees in writing to make improvements at his expense which will, in the opinion of the Planning and Zoning Board, make the area safe for human occupancy and use and further provide adequate drainage for streets, then the preliminary and final plat may be approved.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
(2) 
Stormwater drainage shall be discharged to marshlands, swamps, retention basins, treatment facilities or to established drainageways, provided they have adequate capacity. Diversion of stormwater to marshlands or swamps shall be considered by the Planning and Zoning Board for existing or planned surface drainage. Marshlands and swamps used for stormwater shall provide for natural or artificial water level control.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
(3) 
No existing ditch, stream, drain or drainage canal shall be deepened, widened, filled, rerouted or filled without written permission from the City.
(4) 
Where artificial channels must be constructed to augment the natural drainage system, such channels, as well as the natural drainageways, may be planned as a part of a recreational trail system. Channels shall be designed to be aesthetically compatible for recreational trail use.
(5) 
The drainage system shall be constructed and operational during construction or as approved by the City.
(6) 
The natural drainage system shall be used for the storage and flow of runoff as far as is feasible.
(7) 
No plat shall be recorded for any subdivision situated within 500 feet of any surface drain or watercourse serving a tributary area of 640 acres or more, until such plan or map has been reviewed by the Department of Transportation, either independently or in cooperation with federal, state or local agencies, for the purpose of determining, for the protection of persons and property, the flood hazards involved and a report thereon filed by that Department with the County Recorder.
C. 
Erosion and sediment control. The following standards shall be applied in the subdivision and construction of land areas:
(1) 
The development shall conform to the natural limitations presented by topography and soil so as to create the least potential for soil erosion.
(2) 
Natural plant covering shall be retained and protected so far as is consistent with development of the site.
(3) 
When soil is exposed, the exposure shall be for the shortest feasible period of time.
(4) 
Land shall be developed in increments of workable size, such that adequate erosion and siltation controls can be provided as construction progresses. The smallest practical area of land shall be exposed at any one period of time.
(5) 
Erosion and siltation control measures shall be coordinated with the different stages of development. Appropriate control measures shall be installed prior to development when necessary to control erosion.
(6) 
Provision shall be made to effectively accommodate the increased runoff caused by changed soil and surface conditions during and after development.
(7) 
Sediment basins, debris basins, desilting basins or silt traps shall be installed and maintained to remove sediment from runoff waters undergoing development.
(8) 
Temporary vegetation or, where appropriate, mulching or other nonviable cover shall be used to protect areas exposed during development.
(9) 
Where the topsoil is removed, sufficient arable soil shall be set aside for respreading over the developed area. The soil shall be restored to a depth of four inches and shall be of a quality at least equal to the soil quality prior to development.
(10) 
Permanent final plant covering or structures shall be installed as soon as possible.
D. 
Easements.
(1) 
Easements of not less than 7 1/2 feet in width shall be provided on each side of all rear lot lines and alongside lot lines where necessary for storm and sanitary sewers, gas, water and other mains and for electric and telephone lines or for other public utilities. Easements of greater width may be required along or across lots when necessary for the extension of main sewers or other utilities or where both water and sewer lines are located in the same easement. A two-foot easement shall be required on one side of and adjacent to an alley to accommodate pole lines.
(2) 
Adequate easements for stormwater drainage shall be established along any natural drainage channel and in such other locations as may be necessary to provide satisfactory disposal of stormwater from streets, alleys and all other portions of the subdivision. The location and minimum widths of such easements shall be determined by the Administrator.
(3) 
No tree, shrub or building shall be placed or erected in any easement for utility or drainage purposes or within the right-of-way of any street, except at the owner's risk as to all costs for demolition, removal or reconstruction, and the proper authorities may have free access to and use of the easements at any time.
E. 
Blocks and crosswalks.
(1) 
No block shall be longer than 1,000 feet or less than 400 feet in length except where the continuity of the existing neighborhood would be disrupted.
(2) 
All blocks, whenever it is deemed essential to provide access to schools, playgrounds, shopping centers and other community facilities, shall have a crosswalk with a right-of-way of at least 10 feet in width near the center of the block. [See Subsection C(2).]
(3) 
The length, width and shapes of blocks shall be determined with due regard to building sites, land use, zoning requirements, access, safety and convenience.
(4) 
Where a subdivision adjoins an arterial or collector street, the greater dimension of the block shall generally front or back upon such arterial or collector street to avoid unnecessary ingress or egress.
F. 
Parks and other public areas.
(1) 
Where any area is specifically designated on the Comprehensive Plan of the City for a public park, playground, school or other public use and is owned by the subdivider, such area shall be reserved for such use on all subdivision plans and plats; and the acquisition of such area may then be secured by the City Council or arrangements be made for its acquisition within a period not to exceed one year from the date of approval of the final plan. The value of such lands shall be established by three qualified appraisers, one of whom shall be appointed by the Planning and Zoning Board, one of whom shall be appointed by the subdivider and one of whom shall be mutually agreed upon by the other two.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
(2) 
Should the City Council decide to take such premises, then and in that case it shall make arrangements to pay the subdivider the appraised value therefor as determined by the above-described appraisers or a sum that is mutually agreed upon. The City Council may accept any donation of land as above described should the subdivider desire to contribute the same to the City.
G. 
Utilities.
(1) 
All lots shall be served with City water and a sanitary sewer system.
(2) 
Stormwater drainage.
(a) 
Complete storm sewer system, including pipe sizes, inlets and inverts.
(b) 
A proposed surface water drainage pattern for each individual lot, block and street.
(3) 
All easements as required shall be indicated.
(4) 
Protective covenants. An outline of all proposed protective covenants shall accompany the preliminary plat and shall include a protection against the obstruction of any surface water drainage easement.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
H. 
Lots.
(1) 
Minimum size. All lots in a subdivision shall conform to the minimum lot area and dimensions requirements of the zoning district in which the subdivision is located; land that is under water or reserved for street improvements shall not be counted in determining compliance with requirements. (See Chapter 290, Zoning, of the City Code.)
(2) 
The lot arrangement and design shall be such that all lots will provide satisfactory and desirable building sites, properly related to topography and the character of surrounding development.
(3) 
All side lines of lots shall be at right angles to straight street right-of-way lines and radial to curved street right-of-way lines, except where a variation of this rule will provide a better street and lot design.
(4) 
All remnants of lots below minimum lot area size left over after subdividing of a larger tract shall be added to adjacent lots, rather than being allowed to remain as unusable land, except when designated for utility purposes or accepted for public space for park or other public uses.
(5) 
Lots with double frontage should be avoided where possible. Corner lots and lots with double frontage shall have extra dimension sufficient to permit the establishment of front building setback lines on the adjoining streets.
(6) 
The subdividing of the land shall be such as to provide each lot with satisfactory access to public streets. The Planning and Zoning Board may require additional reservation of land to ensure adequate access to prevent land locking of the adjoining territory.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
A. 
Checklist completed. In order to qualify for approval, the preliminary plan shall be accompanied by a properly executed checklist as shown in Schedule A.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Schedule A is included in Attachment 1 to this chapter.
B. 
Changes or revisions. The Planning and Zoning Board and/or Administrator may recommend, or the City Council may require, such changes or revisions as are deemed necessary in the interests and needs of the community.
C. 
Approval tentative. The approval of a preliminary plan by the Planning and Zoning Board and the City Council is tentative only, involving merely the general acceptability of the layout as submitted.
D. 
Certificate. Approval shall consist of a certificate to that effect on the preliminary plan signed by the Chairman of the Planning and Zoning Board and by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the City Council.