§ 16.35. Development Plan Approval Criteria.

In order that buildings, open space, and landscaping will be in harmony with other structures and improvements in the area, and to ensure that no undesirable health, safety, noise, and traffic conditions result from the development, the planning commission shall upon review, determine whether or not the development plan meets the following criteria, unless the planning commission determines that one or more of such criteria are inapplicable, except that this section shall not apply to manufactured housing parks which shall only be required to conform to the applicable standards identified in this Ordinance and those identified in PA 96 of 1987, as amended:

A.

General. All elements of the development plan shall be designed to take into account the site's topography, the size and type of the plot, the character of the adjoining property, and the traffic operations of adjacent streets. The site shall be developed so as not to impede the normal and orderly development or improvement of surrounding property for uses permitted in this Ordinance, including those of applicable zoning district(s).

B.

Building design. The building design shall relate to the surrounding environment in regard to texture, scale, mass, and proportion. High standards of construction and quality materials will be incorporated into the new development. The building design shall meet the architectural and building material requirements of this Ordinance, if any.

C.

Preservation of significant natural features. Judicious effort shall be used to preserve the integrity of the land, existing topography, and natural, historical, and architectural features as defined in this Ordinance, in a particular wetlands designated/regulated by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

D.

Streets. All streets shall be developed in accordance with the City of Eaton Rapids Subdivision Regulations, unless developed as a private road in accordance with the requirements of the city.

E.

Access, driveways, and circulation. Safe, convenient, uncongested, and well defined vehicular and pedestrian circulation within and to the site shall be provided. Drives, streets, parking, and other elements shall be designed to promote safe and efficient traffic operations within the site and at its access points. All driveways shall meet the design and construction standards of the city. Access to the site shall be designed to minimize conflicts with traffic on adjacent streets, particularly left turns into and from the site. For uses having frontage and/or access on a major traffic route, as defined in the City of Eaton Rapids Comprehensive Plan, the number, design, and location of access driveways, and other provisions for vehicular circulation shall comply with the access management provisions of this Ordinance.

F.

Emergency vehicle access. All buildings or groups of buildings shall be arranged so as to permit necessary emergency vehicle access as required by the fire department and police department.

G.

Sidewalks, pedestrian, and bicycle circulation. The arrangement of public or common ways for vehicular and pedestrian circulation shall be connected to existing or planned streets and sidewalks/pedestrian or bicycle pathways in the area. There shall be provided a pedestrian circulation system that is separated from the vehicular circulation system. In order to ensure public safety, special pedestrian measures, such as crosswalks, crossing signals, and other such facilities may be required in the vicinity of primary and secondary schools, playgrounds, local shopping areas, fast food/service restaurants, and other uses which generate a considerable amount of pedestrian or bicycle traffic.

H.

Barrier-free access. The site has been designed to provide barrier-free parking and pedestrian circulation.

I.

Parking. The number and dimensions of off-street parking spaces shall be sufficient to meet the minimum required by this Ordinance.

J.

Loading. All loading and unloading areas and outside storage areas, including refuse storage stations shall be screened in accordance with this Ordinance.

K.

Landscaping, screening, and open spaces. The landscape shall be preserved in its natural state, insofar as practical, by removing only those areas of vegetation or making those alterations to the topography which are reasonably necessary to develop the site in accordance with the requirements of this Ordinance. Landscaping shall be preserved and/or provided to ensure that proposed uses will be adequately buffered from one another and from surrounding public and private property. Landscaping, landscape buffers, greenbelts, fencing, walls, and other protective barriers shall be provided and designed in accordance with the landscaping provisions of this Ordinance.

L.

Soil erosion and sedimentation control. The site shall have adequate lateral support so as to ensure that there will be no erosion of soil or other material.

M.

Utilities. Public water and sewer facilities shall be available or shall be provided for by the developer as part of the site development, where such systems are available.

N.

Stormwater management. Appropriate measures shall be taken to ensure that removal of surface waters will not adversely affect neighboring properties or the public storm drainage system. Provisions shall be made to accommodate stormwater which complements the natural drainage patterns and wetlands, prevent erosion and the formation of dust. Sharing of stormwater facilities with adjacent properties shall be encouraged. The use of detention/retention ponds may also be required. Surface water on all paved areas shall be collected at intervals so that it will not obstruct the flow of vehicular or pedestrian traffic or create standing water. All such measures shall comply with any applicable county drain control ordinances.

O.

Lighting. Exterior lighting shall be arranged so that it is deflected away from adjacent properties and so that it does not impede the vision of traffic along adjacent streets. Flashing or intermittent lights shall not be permitted. All proposed lighting shall be in conformance with the performance measures identified in Article XVIII of this Ordinance.

P.

Noise. The site has been designed, buildings so arranged, and activities/equipment programmed to minimize the emission of noise, particularly for sites adjacent to residential districts. All proposed uses shall be in conformance with the performance measures identified in Article XVIII of this Ordinance.

Q.

Mechanical equipment. Mechanical equipment, both roof and ground mounted, shall be screened in accordance with the requirements of this Ordinance.

R.

Signs. The standards and requirements stated in this Ordinance shall be adhered to.

S.

Hazardous materials or waste. For businesses utilizing, storing, or handling hazardous materials such as automobile service and automobile repair stations, dry cleaning plants, metal plating industries, and other industrial uses, documentation of compliance with state and federal requirements shall be provided.

T.

Other agency reviews. The applicant has provided documentation of compliance with other appropriate agency review standards, including but not limited to, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Michigan Department of Transportation, County Drain Commission, County Health Department, and other federal, state, and local agencies, as applicable.

U.

Approval process. The development shall be reviewed by the planning commission. If the commission action is disapproval, the commission shall cite reasons for such disapproval. If the planning commission finds a development plan not in conformity with this section, it may, at its discretion, return the development plan to the applicant with a written statement of the modifications necessary to obtain approval. Upon resubmission of the modified development plan, the planning commission shall review the plan. The commission may approve, disapprove, or approve subject to compliance with such modifications and conditions as may be deemed necessary to carry out the purpose of this Ordinance.