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While many
major site plan applications have a geotechnical study as a
basis for the foundation design of the buildings, the
remainder of the site lacks detailed soils information. A
preliminary soil report, prepared by a certified
professional soil scientist, or Type 1 soil map, prepared by
the County Soil Scientist Office, would help in the design
of parking lots and streets, stormwater management
facilities and erosion and sediment control measures. The
detailed information would also assist in the evaluations
from both the: (1) County Engineer's Office for submitted
plans, especially in regard to stormwater management; and
(2) the County Soil Scientist for the suitability of the
soils on the site for the proposed use.
On April
26, 2005 the Planning Commission held a public hearing on
the proposed amendment and unanimously recommended it for
adoption by the Board of Supervisors. The Board of
Supervisors held a public hearing on June 9, 2005 and
remanded the matter back to the Planning Commission to
consider recommending a change that would better define when
minor or major site plans are required. On September 29,
2005, the Planning Commission initiated a new proposed text
amendment with the amendments requested by the Board of
Supervisors. The Planning Commission recommended adoption of
the proposed text amendment on October 27, 2005.
The Zoning
Ordinance establishes which uses require site plan approval
in Article 3, and establishes several different types of
site plan approval in Article 12. These approvals include:
(a) major site plan; (b) minor site plan; and (c) site plan
waiver.
The
different approvals require substantially different levels
of information for applications and take significantly
different periods for approval. The most involved
alternative, the major site plan, typically would take at
least 6 months for approval; detailed engineering drawings
are required and the application goes through the Engineers
& Surveyors Institute (ESI) completeness review process and
the County’s Technical Review Committee process. Bonds are
typically required.
In
comparison, a minor site plan does not necessarily require
engineered drawings. A less formal sketch plan showing
proposed improvement, dimensions and other elements is
allowed. The plan is reviewed by fewer agencies, and the
processing time is typically no more than one month.
The site
plan waiver typically requires no drawings, but only a
description of the proposed uses and any changes envisioned
on the site.
Under the
provisions of Article 12, the Director of Community
Development is given the authority to determine which type
of site plan is appropriate for a particular use; the
standards that guide his discretion are attached.
Staff has
proposed language revisions to the site plan requirements
intended to clarify for the public: 1) that site plan
waivers may satisfy the site plan requirement and 2) that
most plans with less than 10,000 square feet of disturbance
will be processed as minor site plans. In addition to the
language proposed to clarify existing regulations, staff has
proposed several substantive changes to the site plan
regulations aimed at 1) extending the ability to utilize
site plan waivers and minor site plans; and 2) simplifying
application requirements for site plan waivers and minor
site plans.
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