[Ord. No. 3639, 3-20-2023[1]]
A.
Applicability. The following application types are subject to the requirements of this Article: rezoning, preliminary development plan, special use permit, and Code amendments to Code under Title IV — Land Use.
B.
Process. The following steps are required for all development applications (rezoning, preliminary development plan, and special use permit):
1.
Pre-Application Meeting. Prior to submitting a formal application, the prospective applicant shall contact the Community Development Department to schedule a pre-application meeting. The pre-application meeting shall include appropriate City staff. The purpose of the pre-application meeting is to discuss the proposed application, appropriate requirements and procedures, the Comprehensive Plan, and provide the potential applicant with direction and make aware any potential concerns.
3.
Completeness Review. Once the formal application and fee has been submitted, staff will perform a high-level review of the submittal to confirm that it appears to be complete. No application shall be deemed complete until all items required to be submitted in support of the application have been submitted to the Department in the form and containing the information required by Code. Upon receipt of a complete application, the Department shall note the filing date on the application and shall make a permanent record thereof. If the applicant fails to submit any portion of the required information, the application will not be considered complete, the application shall not be processed. The filing, formal review, notification and advertising processes will not begin until all required information has been submitted in the format required.
4.
Formal Review. City staff shall review all applications, plans, information and data submitted in support of an application by the applicant. City staff shall have two (2) weeks from the date the application was considered complete to review and provide any comments back to the applicant. If there are no corrections the item may be scheduled and noticed for public hearings before the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of Aldermen. However, if there are correction items, these items must be addressed to staff's satisfaction prior to be heard. Staff shall have up to two (2) weeks to review subsequent resubmittals.
5.
Notices. Notification of public hearing items (rezoning, preliminary development plan, and special use permit) shall be completed via three (3) methods:
a.
Newspaper Publication. Notice of such hearing shall be published in one (1) issue of the official newspaper of the City, such notice to be published not less than fifteen (15) days prior to the date of said hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission and shall contain dates and times for both the Planning and Zoning Commission as well as the Board of Aldermen hearings.
b.
Mailed Notice. Mailed notice shall be sent via certified mail to the last-known owner of record of all property within one hundred eighty-five (185) feet from the boundaries of the property for which the application is being considered. The notice shall state the time and place of the hearings, and include a general description of the proposal, a location map of the property, the general street location of the property subject to the proposed change, and a statement explaining that the public will have an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. Failure to receive mailed notice shall not invalidate any action taken on the application.
c.
Posting of Notice Sign(s). All public hearing items shall have a sign posted on their premises, by either the applicant or staff at least fifteen (15) days prior to the date of the hearing informing the general public of the time and place of the public hearings. The City shall furnish the sign to the applicant for posting. The applicant shall make a good faith effort to place and maintain the sign on the property for at least fifteen (15) days immediately preceding the date of the hearing, through the hearing, and through any continuances of the hearing. The sign shall be placed within five (5) feet of the street right-of-way/property line, or as close thereto as possible, in a central location on the property that is the subject of the hearings. The sign shall be readily visible to the public. If the property contains more than one (1) street frontage, one (1) sign shall be placed on each street frontage so as to face each of the streets abutting the land. The sign may be removed at the conclusion of the public hearings and must be removed at the end of all proceedings on the application or upon withdrawal of the application.
6.
Public Hearings. Each development application (rezoning, preliminary development plan, and special use permit) shall be first heard before the Planning and Zoning Commission before being heard by the Board of Aldermen.
a.
Planning And Zoning Commission. The Planning and Zoning Commission shall review the application as presented in staff's report, based upon the criteria contained within the applicable zoning and subdivision regulations and the comprehensive plan. The recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission is advisory. The Planning and Zoning Commission shall act upon the item before them in one (1) of the following ways:
b.
Board Of Aldermen. The recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission is forwarded to the Board of Aldermen. The Board shall hear the item and take such action as it deems appropriate, including: 1) approval, 2) approval with conditions, or 3) denial.
c.
Rules Pertaining To Continuances. Any applicant or authorized agent shall have the right to one (1) continuance of a public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission, or Board of Aldermen, provided that a written request for continuance is filed with the Director prior to opening the public hearing. Additionally, the Planning and Zoning Commission or Board of Aldermen may grant a continuance. A majority vote of those members of the official body present at the meeting shall be required to grant a continuance. The record shall indicate the reason for the continuance and any stipulations or conditions placed upon the continuance. If a continuance provides the date on which the matter will be heard, re-publication of notice is not required. If a continuance does not specify a date on which the matter will be heard, public notice pursuant to this Article shall be provided prior to the date on which the matter is heard.
d.
Protest Petitions. Rezoning, special use permit and preliminary development plan applications are subject to protest petitions in accordance with the following:
(1)
A protest petition may be filed with the City Clerk at any time prior to the commencement of the public hearing by the Board of Aldermen. To be considered a valid protest, a protest petition must be timely filed and duly signed and acknowledged by the owners of thirty percent (30%) or more either of the areas of the land (exclusive of streets and alleys) included in such application or within an area determined by lines drawn parallel to and one hundred eighty-five (185) feet distance from the boundaries of the property included in the application.
(2)
Once a valid protest petition has been filed with the City Clerk, it may only be withdrawn if those requesting the withdrawal reduce the land area requirement to less than thirty percent (30%).
(3)
Where a valid protest petition has been filed, an ordinance approving the application shall not become effective except by the favorable vote of two-thirds (2/3) of all members of the Board of Aldermen.
C.
Plan Submittal Contents. All development plans (rezoning, preliminary development plan, and special use permit) shall have four (4) sets of plans 24" x 36" and shall contain:
[Ord. No. 3677, 12-4-2023]
1.
A development plan showing the property to be included in the proposed development, plus the area within one hundred eighty-five (185) feet thereof.
2.
The following items shall be included on the property to be developed:
a.
Existing topography with contours at five (5) foot intervals, provided that where natural slopes are sufficiently flat, the Director may require contours at lesser intervals.
b.
Proposed location of buildings and other structures, parking areas, drives, walks, screening, drainage patterns, public streets and any existing easements.
c.
Sufficient dimensions to indicate relationship between buildings, property lines, parking areas and other elements of the plan.
d.
General extent and character of proposed landscaping.
3.
The following items shall be shown on the same drawing within the one hundred eighty-five (185) foot adjacent area:
a.
Any public streets which are of record.
b.
Any drives which exist or which are proposed to the degree that they appear on plans on file with the City except those serving single-family houses.
c.
Any buildings which exist or are proposed to the degree that their location and size are shown on plans on file with the City. Single- and two-family residential buildings may be shown in approximate location and general size and shape.
d.
The location and size of any drainage structure, such as culverts, paved or earthen ditches or storm water sewer and inlets.
4.
Architectural drawings depicting the general style, size and exterior construction materials of the buildings proposed. In the event of several buildings, a typical may be submitted. In case several building types, such as apartments and business buildings, are proposed on the plan, a separate typical shall be prepared for each type.
5.
A schedule shall be included indicating total floor area, dwelling units, land area, parking spaces and other quantities relative to the submitted plan in order that compliance with ordinance requirements can be determined.
D.
Review Criteria.
1.
In considering any application for rezoning or special use permit, the Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Aldermen may give consideration to the criteria stated below, to the extent they are pertinent to the particular application. The Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Aldermen may also consider other factors that may be relevant to a particular application.
a.
The character of the neighborhood.
b.
The existing and any proposed zoning and uses of adjacent properties, and the extent to which the proposed use is compatible with the adjacent zoning and uses.
c.
The extent to which the proposed use facilitates the adequate provision of transportation, water, sewerage, schools, parks and other public requirements.
d.
The suitability of the property for the uses to which is has been restricted under the applicable zoning district regulations.
e.
The length of time, if any, the property has remained vacant as zoned.
f.
The extent to which the proposed use will seriously injure the appropriate use of, or detrimentally affect, neighboring property.
g.
The extent to which the proposed use will adversely affect the capacity or safety of the portions of the street network impacted by the use, or present parking problems in the vicinity of the property.
h.
The extent to which the proposed use will create excessive storm water runoff, air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution or other environmental harm.
i.
The extent to which the proposed use will negatively affect the values of the property or neighboring properties.
j.
The extent to which there is a need for the use in the community.
k.
The economic impact of the proposed use on the community.
l.
The ability of the applicant to satisfy any requirements applicable to the specific uses imposed pursuant to this Chapter.
m.
The extent to which public facilities and services are available and adequate to meet the demand for facilities and services generated by the proposed use.
n.
The gain, if any, to the public health, safety and welfare due to approval of the application as compared to the hardship imposed upon the landowner, if any, as a result of denial of the application.
o.
The conformance of the proposed use to the Comprehensive Plan, the Capital Improvements Plan, and other adopted planning policies.
p.
The recommendation of professional staff.
q.
The consistency of the proposed use with the permitted uses and the uses subject to conditions in the district in which the proposed rezoning or special use is located.
2.
The Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Aldermen shall use the applicable zoning district regulations as a guide for review of the preliminary development plan. If the Planning and Zoning Commission and/or Board of Aldermen imposes conditions or restrictions on a preliminary development plan, it may designate specific requirements that must be met before an applicant may submit a final development plan application. The Board of Aldermen, in establishing conditions of approval, may require the applicant to execute a development agreement that is acceptable to both the applicant and the City. Such development agreement shall become part and parcel to the ordinance approving the rezoning of the property for which the development plan represents. In considering any preliminary development plan application, the Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Aldermen may give consideration to the following criteria:
a.
Conformance with the Comprehensive Plan, the Capital Improvements Plan, and other adopted planning policies;
b.
Development will not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of the surrounding property; and
c.
Development incorporates adequate ingress and egress and an internal street network that minimizes traffic congestion.