Any informal interpretation or determination, or any statement made outside the declaratory ruling process according to SDC 5.1.1100 or outside the process for approval or denial of a Type 2 or 3 application in conformance with SDC 5.1.400 is considered to be only a statement of opinion and not a final action. Such informal interpretations, determinations, or statements are not deemed to constitute final City action affecting a change in the status of a person’s property or conferring any rights, including any reliance rights, on any person.
(6443)
The City has established 3 pre-development meeting processes to assist prospective applicants through the application review process.
(A) 
Development Initiation Meeting (DIM). The purpose of a development initiation meeting is to give a prospective applicant the opportunity to discuss a limited number of development topics with City staff. The discussions can be general or specific depending on the questions submitted with the application. The development initiation meeting is voluntary, unless specifically required elsewhere in this code.
(B) 
Pre-Application Meeting. A pre-application meeting is highly recommended for complex applications or for applicants who are unfamiliar with the land use process. The purpose of the meeting is to acquaint the applicant with the substantive and procedural standards of the Development Code and to identify issues likely to arise in processing an application. The pre-application meeting is required for a Master Plan application as specified in SDC 5.13.115.
(C) 
Application Completeness Check Meeting. The purpose of the completeness check meeting is to determine whether the proposed development application is complete prior to acceptance of the application for processing by the City. A complete application is required for the review process. The completeness check meeting will examine if the submittal standards of SDC 5.1.220 are met. A completeness check meeting is required for some Type 1 and most Type 2, 3 and 4 applications in accordance with provisions of the SDC. The completeness check meeting is required even if the meetings specified in subsections (A) and (B) above have been utilized. For any application that requires a completeness check meeting, completeness review will be conducted according to SDC 5.1.405.
(6443; Ord. No. 6482, 7/1/2024)
(A) 
General. The submission of any materials by any party including application materials, supplemental information, written comments, testimony, evidence, exhibits, or other documents that are entered into the record of any land use application must be submitted either at the offices of the Director or at a public hearing, unless specified otherwise by the hearing notice or Hearings Authority prior to the close of the record. Materials are considered submitted when received in compliance with the requirements of this subsection, or in the case of materials submitted at a public hearing, placed before the Hearings Authority.
(B) 
Electronic Materials.
(1) 
When application or appeal materials are over 20 pages in length, an applicant or appellant must provide an identical electronic version and hard copy of the submitted materials. Any other party submitting materials into the record that are over 20 pages is also encouraged to submit identical electronic and hard copies. Any electronic materials must be in a portable document format (PDF). This provision should not be interpreted to prohibit electronic submittals of materials less than 20 pages in length. The Director will scan submitted materials upon request for a fee set by Resolution of the Council.
(2) 
When electronic materials over 20 pages in length are submitted by any party for inclusion in an application record, an identical hard copy of the materials must also be submitted unless this requirement is waived by the Director.
(C) 
Deadline. Where any materials, including both hard and electronic copies, are required to be submitted to the offices of the Director subject to a date-certain deadline, the materials must be received by the Director by 5:00 p.m. on that date.
(6443)
(A) 
Property Owner. For the purposes of this section, the term “property owner” means the owner of record and does not include a person or organization that holds a security interest.
(B) 
Applications must:
(1) 
Be submitted by the property owner or a person who has written authorization from the property owner as defined herein to make the application;
(2) 
Be submitted to the Director;
(3) 
Be completed on an application form prescribed by the Director;
(4) 
Contain all applicable information requested on the application form;
(5) 
Include supporting information required by this code;
(6) 
Be accompanied by the appropriate filing fee or documentation of an approved fee waiver as provided in this code;
(7) 
Provide proof of ownership in the form of a deed, or other recorded document; and
(8) 
Include concurrent applications where a proposal involves more than 1 application for the same property.
(C) 
The following applications are not subject to the ownership requirement set forth in subsection (B)(1) above:
(1) 
Applications submitted by or on behalf of a public entity or public utility having the power of eminent domain with respect to the property subject to the application;
(2) 
Applications for development proposals sited on lands owned by the State or the Federal government; or
(3) 
Applications for development initiation meetings.
(6443)
(A) 
An application submitted to the Director will not be considered accepted for processing solely because of having been received. Upon receipt of an application, the Director will date stamp the application and verify that the appropriate application fee and materials have been submitted before accepting the application for processing.
(B) 
Acceptance of an application for processing will not preclude a later determination that the application is incomplete.
(C) 
An application will be reviewed for completeness according to SDC 5.1.405.
(6443)
An applicant may withdraw an application in writing at any time prior to the time a decision becomes final. If the property owner is not the applicant, no consent to withdraw the application is needed from the property owner.
(6443)
If an application was complete when first submitted, or the applicant submits additional information according to SDC 5.1.410 within 180 days of the date the application was first submitted, review of the application will be based upon the standards that were applicable at the time the application was first submitted.
(6443)
The Development Review Committee (DRC) is chaired by the Director and composed of representatives from City Departments and Divisions. When applicable, agencies including, but not limited to, Springfield Utility Board, utilities, the Lane Transit District, Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority, and the Oregon Department of Transportation may also participate. The DRC reviews development applications and provides technical assistance and input to the Approval Authority regarding the standards and criteria of this code.
(6443)
In addition to any notice required by this code, written notice must be provided to public agencies as prescribed below.
(A) 
Department of Land Conservation and Development. The City must notify the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) according to ORS 197.610 when any application proposes a change to an acknowledged comprehensive plan or land use regulation. The City must provide this notice within the time period designated by DLCD rule.
(B) 
Oregon Department of State Lands. The City must notify the Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) in writing of any development application that involves lands that are wholly or partially within areas that are identified on the Statewide Wetlands Inventory. Notice will be in writing using the DSL Wetland Land Use Notification Form, and must be sent within 5 working days of acceptance of a complete application. (See ORS 227.350)
(C) 
Department of Fish and Wildlife. The City will notify the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) in writing of any development application that involves lands that are wholly or partially within the riparian corridor. ODFW may make recommendations to the Approval Authority on strategies to avoid or replace habitat that is damaged by the proposed development, consistent with the standards and criteria of approval of this code. (See OAR Chapter 635, Division 415)
(D) 
Parks and Recreation Department. The City will notify the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) in writing of any development application that involves lands that are wholly or partially within the Willamette River Greenway.
(E) 
Lane County. The City must notify Lane County in writing of any development application or any appeal outside city limits but within the Springfield Urban Growth Boundary, except for applications for annexation to the City. Lane County will automatically be considered a party to such applications.
(F) 
Other Agencies. The City will notify other public agencies, as appropriate, that have statutory or administrative rule authority to review or issue State permits associated with local development applications.
(6443)
Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, where other provisions of the Springfield Development Code, Springfield Municipal Code, or other City of Springfield ordinances specify procedures that provide greater public notice and comment opportunities, the procedures that provide the most public notice and/or comment opportunity will apply.
(6443)
(A) 
Except when otherwise provided, the time within which an act is required to be done is computed by excluding the first day and including the last day, unless the last day is a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or any day on which the City is not open for business pursuant to a City ordinance, in which case it will also be excluded.
(B) 
For the purposes of determining whether a person has complied with a time limitation in this code for filing any document with the Director, the time prescribed by this code does not include the day on which the specific period begins to run. The designated period also does include the last day unless the last day is:
(1) 
A legal holiday or Saturday;
(2) 
A day in which the offices of the Director are closed for the purpose of filing development applications and other documents;
(3) 
A day on which the offices of the Director are closed by order of the City Manager, to the extent provided by the order; or
(4) 
A day on which the offices of the Director are closed before the end of the normal hours during which development applications and other documents may be filed.
(C) 
If the last day of a designated period is excluded under the subsection (B) of this section, the act must be performed on the next day that the offices of the Director are open for the purpose of filing pleadings and other documents.
(6443)