Town of Elizabeth Site Plan Process (EMC 16.180)

(dates are based on 2006 calendar year; based on code in effect 7/2006)

TASK/ACTION:	DATE:	TIME PERMITTED or REQUIRED:	TASK BEGIN DATE:	TASK END DATE:	CUMULATIVE DAYS FROM SUBMITTAL:
1. Applicant Submits Site Plan Packet	6/1
2. Staff Reviews Packet for Completeness	6/2	20-days (not including submittal day)	6/2	6/22	22
3. Drainage Plans forwarded to Town Engineer (Not indicated in Code, but Engineer will likely review for all civil engineering issues.)	6/5 (mailed)	20-business days (assumed review time needed; not specified in code)	6/6 (day 1 of 20 business days)	7/5 (day 22 of 20 business days; intervening holiday)	35
4. Comments Sent to Referral Agencies (Not indicated in Code, but application packet should be sent to multiple agencies)	6/5 (mailed)	20-business days (assumed time needed; not specified in code.)	6/6 (day 1 of 20 business days)	7/5 (day 22 of 20 business days; intervening holiday)	35
5. Planning Commission Public Hearing Notice sent to Newspaper.	7/7 (sent)	Publication 15-days prior to hearing	Published in paper on 7/13	Published in paper on 7/13	43
6. Planning Commission Public Hearing Notice to Property Owners within 500’ and on-property (responsibility of applicant except Staff prepares documents.)	7/3	Notice 15-days prior to hearing.	by 7/13	by 7/13	49

(continued)

7. Planning Commission Public Hearing	8/1	Not indicated. Typically not realistic for PC to make a recommendation on night of hearing; body needs time to deliberate on public hearing comments, etc		8/1	8/1		64
8. Planning Commission Deliberation & written Recommendation to Board of Trustees.	8/15	See above cell.	8/15		8/15	79
9. Board of Trustees Public Hearing Notice to Newspaper.	8/4	Per Ordinance 04-11, Board of Trustees is final decision-maker on Site Plans.	8/4		8/4 (Publication date is 8/10)	68 (i.e. Board of Trustees Hearing advertised in advance-knowing that PC recommendation is pending.)
10. Board of Trustees Public Hearing Notice to Property Owners within 500’ and on-property (responsibility of applicant except Staff prepares documents.)	by 8/28	Not indicated. Public Hearing date depends on Agenda/Business load of Trustees.	by 8/28		by 8/28	92
11. Board of Trustees Public Hearing	9/12	Not indicated, but scheduling of Board of Trustee hearing dependent on their agenda load.	9/12		9/12	105

(continued)

12. Board of Trustees Decision/Ordinance

9/26

Not indicated. B.O.T. often needs further time to deliberate on rezone decisions. This matrix presumes that the rezone decision will be made at the meeting after the public hearing.

9/26

9/26

117-days (17-weeks) (3.8-months)

NOTES TO SITE PLAN PROCESS TABLE:

1. The 117-days indicated for the ‘sample’ Site Plan assumes that the process operates like ‘clockwork’. Development projects rarely work like ‘clockwork’, and any number of variables can throw the time period off. Causes for delay, often outside the control of the reviewing authority, are common. Also note that additional time will be needed for any projects demanding special studies, etc.

2. The Table provides a time-frame for Site Plan. It does not account for additional review time that will be necessary if the Site Plan is associated with a Subdivision (see Subdivision & Minor Development process charts.) Site Plans and Subdivisions can be processed concurrently, however, applicants should generally anticipate additional review time. Building permit submittal, review and issuance follows the Site Plan process.

3. Mechanisms to abbreviate the Site Plan process, for example, pre-anticipation of a Board of Trustee public hearing date when the Planning Commission has not a public hearing, nor reviewed and prepared a recommendation on the Site Plan, are not typically recommended. Unless a Site Plan is ‘simple and straightforward’ in nature (rare), the Planning Commission should be provided adequate time for a public hearing, and subsequent review and recommendation, before a Board of Trustee hearing date is fixed.