Sec. 72A. Site plan review.
1. To promote the orderly development of certain activities
in the City of Charlottesville, and to ensure that such activities
are developed in a manner harmonious with surrounding
properties and in the interest of the general welfare, site
plans and site plan review shall be required in addition to
other applicable portions of the City Code before building and
occupancy permits may be issued for the following uses.
(a) A multiple-dwelling, or multiple-dwellings or multiple-dwelling
projects, in accordance with this section and
regulations contained in sections 16, 17, 18, 19 and 52 of this
chapter.
(b) Town houses, in accordance with this section and
regulations contained in section 19.6 of this chapter.
(c) Churches, schools or colleges, public buildings or institutions,
park, playground or community building, country
club or golf course, museum, library or art gallery, airport
or other public area.
(d) Hospitals, clinics and nursing homes.
(e) Hotels, motels or motor courts.
(f) Business buildings, commercial buildings or industrial
buildings if such buildings are to contain more than one
thousand (1,000) square feet of floor area.
(g) Filling stations, in accordance with this section and
regulations contained in section 25.4 of this chapter.
(h) Drive-in banks, in accordance with this section and
regulations contained in section 21.3 of this chapter.
(i) Drive-in restaurants in accordance with this section
and regulations contained in section 25.6 of this chapter.
(j) Automatic car washes, in accordance with this section
and regulations contained in section 25.16 of this chapter.
(k) Self-service car washes, in accordance with this section
and regulations contained in section 25.17 of this chapter.
(l) Parking garages, in accordance with this section and
regulations contained in section 21.2 of this chapter.
2. The planning department may waive the requirements
for site plan review for additions to buildings or projects already
approved, if, in the opinion of the department, such
addition does not substantially affect the conditions of the
original approval.
3. In review and approval of site plans, the planning department
shall examine the proposed development with respect
to the traffic and circulation patterns, internal and external;
relation to major thoroughfares; utilities, drainage
and community facilities, existing or proposed; surrounding
development, existing or future; grading of the site; the preservation
of trees and/or historic sites; provision for open
space and in general with the objective of insuring a durable,
harmonious and appropriate use of the land in accord with
the objectives of the comprehensive plan.
4. Such site plan shall contain all the information required
by applicable laws and ordinances of the City of Charlottesville
and, in addition, shall show the following:
(a) The proposed title of the project and the name of
the engineer, architect, landscape architect or surveyor and
the name of the developer.
(b) The north point, scale and date.
(c) Existing zoning and zoning district boundaries.
(d) The boundaries of the property involved, all existing
property lines, existing streets, buildings, watercourses,
waterways or lakes and other existing physical features in
or adjoining the project.
(e) Topography of the project area with contour intervals
of five feet or less.
(f) The location and sizes of sanitary and storm sewers,
water mains, culverts and other underground structures in
or near the project, including existing and proposed facilities.
Such information shall be provided to the applicant by the
City of Charlottesville engineering department.
(g) The location, dimensions and character of construction
of proposed streets, alleys, loading areas (including
number of parking and loading spaces), outdoor lighting
systems, storm drainage and sanitary facilities, sidewalks,
curbs and gutters and all curb cuts. Such information shall
be provided for the site itself and for an area within fifty
(50) feet of any property line of the site, except that additional
area may be required to be shown to indicate connections
to major utilities.
(h) Location with respect to each other and to lot lines
of all proposed buildings and structures, accessory and main
or major excavations.
(i) Location, height and material of all fences, walls and
screen planting.
(j) Location of all trees on the site with a caliper of
eight (8) inches or greater, except for heavily wooded areas
which shall be designated by symbols coincident with the area
of trees; and an indication of which trees are to be retained
and which are to be removed.
(k) Proposed location and character of nonresidential
uses, commercial or industrial uses, accessory or main.
(l) Location, character, size and height and orientation
of proposed signs, as proposed to be erected in accordance
with chapter 28 of the City Code.
(m) Proposed nature and manner of grading of the site,
including proposed treatment of slopes in excess of 10 percent
to prevent soil erosion and excessive runoff.
For residential developments requiring a site plan, the
following additional information shall be required:
(n) The location and dimensions of proposed lots, setback
lines and easements, and proposed reservations for parks,
parkways, playgrounds, school sites, green area and open
spaces.
(o) The location of proposed buildings, an indication
of each dwelling type and the number of stories and height
of each building.
(p) A tabulation of total number of acres in the project
and the percentage thereof proposed to be allocated to the
several dwelling types, any nonresidential uses, off-street parking,
green area, streets, parks, schools and other reservations.
(q) A tabulation of the total number of dwelling units
of various types in the project and the overall project density
in dwelling units per gross acre.
5. Procedure for obtaining site plan approval—property
already zoned to permit use.
The following procedure is required when no zoning amendment
is necessary. The procedure for sketch site plans involving
zoning amendments is set forth in section 76.5.
(a) Preapplication conference. Prior to the submittal
of a site plan the applicant shall meet with the planning
director to discuss basic site plan requirements and to consider
preliminary features of the site and the proposed development.
(b) Submittal of site plan. Following the preapplication
conference, ten copies of a site plan shall be prepared
by a landscape architect or by a registered surveyor, civil
engineer or architect. The site plan shall show the proposed
general layout, a vicinity map showing the location of abutting
streets, existing and proposed utilities and storm drainage
systems in accordance with the site plan requirements, which
shall be submitted to the planning department.
(c) General statement. A statement describing the general
character of the intended development and the proposed
method of preserving and maintaining open space shall accompany
the ten (10) copies of the site plan.
(d) Review and recommendation. Applications for site
plan approval shall be submitted to the city planning department
a minimum of 14 days prior to the next regular meeting
date of the planning commission. The planning department
shall forward copies of the proposed plans to appropriate
departments of city government for their written recommendations.
6. Approval by the planning department and the planning
commission. The planning department shall review the site
plan for compliance with this article and with other requirements
of the City Code and shall transmit same for review
and approval by the city planning commission. The city planning
commission may hold a public hearing on the site plan
in accordance with article XIX of this chapter, or the planning
commission may waive the public hearing and accept
the findings and recommendations of the planning department
from its administrative review of the site plan, or the planning
commission may require the developer to make such
changes to the site plan as the planning commission may deem
necessary. An applicant for site plan approval may appeal
the planning department's administrative review and request
that the planning commission hold a public hearing to consider
information in addition to the administrative review
of said site plan. Further appeal may be taken before the city
council.
7. Whenever a site plan is required by the terms of this
ordinance, the site plan shall be approved or disapproved or
approved subject to changes by the planning commission at
the meeting at which it is being considered, if practicable.
However, the planning commission may, if necessary, be allowed
up to 65 days following submittal of the plan to the
planning department for approval or disapproval of same.
8. Building permits may be issued in accordance with approved
site plans, following approval by the planning commission.
The planning director may authorize the building
official to approve minor changes in site plans after approval
by the planning commission so that the building official may
issue building permits accordingly, if, in the planning director's
opinion, such changes do not substantially affect the
original approval, or the planning director may refer changes
of site plans to the planning commission for action in accordance
with the provisions of this article. Such authorization
shall be in writing to the building official.
9. A copy of the approved site plan shall be retained in the
records of the city planning department and the building
official and all building and occupancy permits shall conform
to the provisions of said site plan.
10. An approved site plan shall expire and be null and void
unless a building permit for the construction of the elements
of the site plan has been issued within a period of one (1)
year; provided, however, that the planning commission may
grant an extension of one (1) year. Thereafter, one year extensions
may be granted annually by the planning commission,
but in no case shall the total extension time exceed four (4)
years. (7-26-71; 7-17-72.)
