A. 
Preliminary conference. A preliminary conference with the Directors of Planning, Public Works, or their designees, is required prior to the submission of a site plan for review through the Planning Commission and, if applicable, the Board of Appeals. City staff may request the presence of representatives from other City, county or state agencies at the meeting depending upon the scope and nature of the project. The preliminary conference is informal and informational in nature. There is no fee for a preliminary conference or review.
B. 
Purpose. The preliminary conference review will serve to:
(1) 
Allow the owner/developer the opportunity to informally present the proposal to the Departments of Planning and Public Works.
(2) 
Inform the applicant of the site plan review process and required submissions.
(3) 
Identify issues that need to be addressed in future submissions.
(4) 
Make the applicant aware of any opportunities for coordinating the development with community policies, plans, programs, or facilities.
(5) 
Identify the need for any special approvals; such as rezoning, variances, or conditional uses that would require review and approval through the Board of Appeals.
(6) 
Identify all relevant reviewing agencies and application procedures relevant to the proposed development.
(7) 
Provide feedback on design and adequacy of infrastructure necessary to serve the proposed development.
(8) 
Determine the need for a traffic impact analysis (TIA) or other studies necessary to demonstrate compliance with applicable City codes.
C. 
Information required for preliminary conference. At the time of the preliminary conference, the applicant must provide a sketch of the property drawn to scale, showing the boundaries, general topography, important physical features, environmentally sensitive features, conceptual stormwater management design, and other significant information, as well as their general intentions for the development of the property. City staff must assist the applicant by furnishing information and advice to promote the best coordination between the plans of the applicant and applicable City, county and state requirements and regulations.
A. 
Establishment of fees. The Mayor and City Council may, from time to time, establish the appropriate application fees and technical review fees for site plans.
B. 
Application fee. An application for site plan review must be accompanied by a nonrefundable application fee. This fee is intended to cover the cost of the City's administrative processing of the application, including notification, advertising, mailings, transcriptions and similar costs. The fee must be paid at the time of application.
The applicant must prepare and submit a site plan review application that includes the proposed site plan and supporting documentation that meets the submission requirements set forth below.
A. 
The applicant must provide the Department of Planning with a list of names and addresses of all property owners who are adjacent to, or directly across a roadway from, where the site development is proposed. The Director of Planning, at their discretion, may require that other property owners be notified of a project to be reviewed by the Planning Commission when the project may have impacts to the broader community. All property owners on the list provided by the applicant must be notified of the date, time and place of the hearing before the Planning Commission at least 14 days prior to the meeting. Written notice of the pending application must be provided to the members of the Commission, and Board of Appeals if applicable.
B. 
At a minimum, site plans shall include all items as specified on the most recent checklist provided by the Department of Planning which is incorporated by reference and made a part hereof as though it were fully stated herein.
C. 
Within 10 days of the receipt of a formal site plan review application, the Director of Planning must review the material and determine whether or not the submission is complete. If the application is determined to be incomplete, the Department must notify the applicant in writing of this finding, must specify the additional materials required to make the application complete and must advise the applicant that the application will not be considered by the Planning Commission until the additional information is submitted.
D. 
Upon determining that the application is complete, the Director of Planning must notify the applicant in writing of the finding of completeness and schedule a hearing before the Planning Commission. The site plan will not be scheduled for review any sooner than 30 days after the Director has determined that the submission is complete. The Director, upon consultation with the Chair of the Commission, may schedule a hearing before the Commission sooner than 30 days if the project is deemed to be minor in nature.
E. 
If the application is complete, the Department of Planning must forward the application and plans to appropriate City, county and state agencies. These may include, but are not limited to, the Department of Public Works, Soil Conservation District, Critical Area Commission, Police Department, Ambulance Corps, Susquehanna Hose Company, Fire Marshal's office, Harford County Health Department, county agencies and, where applicable, the State Highway Administration. The Department of Planning receives and coordinates various agency responses for submission to the Planning Commission.
F. 
By submitting its application, the applicant agrees that City staff and the Planning Commission members may conduct an on-site inspection of the proposed development to review the existing conditions, field verify the information submitted and investigate the development proposal.
G. 
The Director of Planning must publish notice of the time, date, and place of the Planning Commission meeting at least seven days prior to the hearing on the City's website and must include a downloadable copy of the site plan and application. The agenda must also be posted in a conspicuous location at City Hall. The property that is the subject of the application shall also be conspicuously posted with a zoning notice at least 10 days before the meeting, in a form approved by the Mayor and City Council.