Whenever any subdivision or resubdivision of land is proposed, and before any contract for the sale, or any offer to sell such subdivision or any part thereof, is made, the subdividing owner or his agent, duly authorized in writing, shall proceed to secure approval of the proposed subdivision in accordance with the following steps:
A.
Sketch plan conference and Planning Board review.
B.
Preparation of preliminary plat and Planning Board review and action.
C.
Preparation of final plat and Planning Board review and action.
D.
Reimbursement of professional review fees.
[Added 12-27-1990]
(1)
The Planning Board, in the review of any application presented to it, may refer such application to any planner, engineer, environmental expert, legal counsel or other professional as such Board shall deem reasonably necessary to assist it in the review of such application as required by law. Fees charged by such professionals shall be in accord with fees usually charged for such services in Westchester County and pursuant to a contractual agreement between the Town and such professional. All such charges shall be paid by the Town upon submission of a Town voucher. The applicant shall reimburse the Town for the cost of such professional review services upon submission of a copy of the voucher or, at the discretion of the approving agency, in accordance with Subsection D(2) herein concerning the establishment of escrow accounts. Such professional review fee reimbursement costs shall bear a reasonable relationship to the average costs for applications of that type. The payment of such fees shall be required in addition to any and all other fees required by this or any other section of this chapter, or any other Town law, ordinance or regulation.
(2)
Escrow accounts. At the time of submission of any application to, and prior to the review by the Town Board, the Planning Board or the Zoning Board of Appeals, the approving agency may require the establishment of an escrow account, from which withdrawals shall be made to reimburse the Town for the cost of professional review services. The applicant shall then provide funds to the Town in two separate installments for deposit into such account in an amount to be determined by the approving agency based on its evaluation of the nature and complexity of the application. To cover the costs of the initial review of the application, deposit shall be made in accordance with the initial escrow account deposit schedule adopted by the approving agency. After such preliminary review, the applicant shall provide additional funds to the Town for deposit into the escrow account in an amount to be established by the approving agency as the full escrow deposit based upon estimates of the total anticipated review costs provided by the consultants to the approving agency and the applicant. Said estimates are for the convenience of the applicant and shall not be binding upon the approving agency. The applicant shall be provided with copies of any Town voucher for such services as they are submitted to the Town. When the balance in such escrow account is reduced to 1/2 of the full escrow deposit amount, the applicant shall deposit additional funds into such account to bring its balance up to 100% of the amount of the full escrow deposit, or to some lesser amount as deemed acceptable by the approving agency to complete the review of the application. If such account is not replenished within 20 days after the applicant is notified in writing of the requirement for such additional deposit, the approving agency may suspend its review of the application. A building permit or certificate of occupancy or use shall not be issued unless all professional review fees charged in connection with the applicant's project have been reimbursed to the Town. After all pertinent charges have been paid, the Town shall refund to the applicant any funds remaining on deposit.
(3)
In the event that a positive declaration is made in accordance with the New York State Environmental Quality Review Law (SEQR)[1] regarding the subject application, reimbursement procedures utilizing the basic escrow account established in accordance with Subsection D(2) may be suspended until after completion of the SEQR process. After all pertinent charges have been paid, the Town may refund to the applicant any funds remaining on deposit in the basic escrow account minus $100 so as to maintain said escrow account with the Town. All reimbursements of the costs of professional review fees incurred subsequent to making a positive declaration and necessary to the preparation or review of an EIS shall be made in accordance with the procedures established under SEQR and the Lewisboro Environmental Quality Review Law (LEQR).[2] Upon completion of the SEQR process or continued review of the application which is not directly related to the preparation or review of an EIS, the applicant shall replenish the basic escrow account with a deposit in an amount deemed necessary by the approving agency, but in no case in an amount greater than the full escrow deposit amount originally established by the approving agency. All subsequent reimbursements and refunds shall be made in accordance with Subsection D(2).
[1]
Editor's Note: See § 8-0101 et seq. of the Environmental Conservation Law.