Pre-Development Meeting with City

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Scheduling a pre-development meeting with the city is one of the most important initial activities you can do to discover what you can and can't build on the site you are evaluating.  You will also find out key benefits and negatives of the site that could have a large impact on the project cost.  For example, how close existing utility lines are to your site.

 

Most cities hold these pre-development meetings periodically or by appointment to answer specific questions a developer may have about a site, and to inform the developer about the city's procedures for allowing a development to occur.  In these meetings, the city should have representatives from various departments present: planning, building, public works, storm water, engineering, fire marshal, etc.

 

You are likely going to learn things in this meeting that will cause you to have to update your development schedule.  Items like the process and timeline for rezoning, platting, city plan review, permit issuance, etc.  City plan review for permit issuance can take anywhere from two weeks to three months depending on the city.  Be sure to capture that accurate time estimate on your development schedule. 

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Below is an sample list of questions you may consider asking the city at a pre-development meeting. 

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Zoning

1. Does current zoning allow our use?

2. Are there any planned development overlays associated with the specific zoning of this site?

3. How can I get a zoning verification letter from the city?

4. Are you aware of any Deed Restrictions or Covenants, Conveyances & Restrictions that we should be aware of?

5. Are there any Floor Area Ratios we have to comply with?

 

Entitlement Process

1. Is the entitlement for this project approved at the staff, P&Z or City Council level?

2. Do we need to plat or replat?

   1. What is the plat/replat process and timeline?

3. Is there a site plan approval requirement?

4. What are our submission package requirements for entitlement?

5. What is the timeline for entitlement?

   1. Is there a city schedule with due dates and follow on meetings/hearings?

 

Site Work

1. What are the setback requirements?

2. Are there any screening/enclosure requirements for: dumpster, transformer, generator, ground mounted condensing units, etc.?

3. What are the parking ratio requirements?

4. Are there any detention/retention requirements?

5. Are there any easements we need to abandon? 

   1. What is the abandonment process and timeline?

6. Do we have to have separate dumpster enclosures for a trash dumpster and a recycling dumpster, or can we just have one trash dumpster enclosure?  

7. Does the city have a required sanitation company we have to use?

 

Traffic

1. Are there any traffic studies we might need to perform and submit to the city?

2. Do any of the roads adjacent to our site require a Department of Transportation permit to work on them?

3. Are there any new traffic signals contemplated that we would have to participate in paying for?

4. Are there any potential Right of Way takings contemplated for our site?

5. Can we maintain our existing curb cuts?

   1. Can we put in new ones? What is the approval process?

 

Building

1. Any building height restrictions?

2. Any size restrictions?

3. Any building exterior material requirements?

4. Any building exterior horizontal or vertical articulation requirements?

5. Any roof top unit screening requirements?

   1. If so, are the requirements line of sight or top of equipment?

   2. Any screening material requirements?

 

Permit

1. What is your typical permit review time?

   1. How long until the city's first round of comments based on our initial submission of plans?

2. Do you offer phased permits, and if so, which ones?

   1. Demo?

   2. Grading/earthwork?

   3. Foundation?

   4. Building?

 

Utilities

1. Where are existing city utilities (water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer) and what size are they?

2. Do we have to use city forces to tap into utilities?

3. Is there natural gas at the site?  If not, where is the closest branch? 

4. Is there electricity at the site? 

5. What is the water pressure at the site to see if we need a fire pump?

 

Fees

1. Are there any fees for any applicable entitlement processes?

2. Any impact fees and/or meter fees?  If so, how can I calculate?

   1. Roadway

   2. Water/sewer

   3. Police/Fire/EMS

   4. Public Parks

3. How can I calculate permit fees?

   1. Fee schedule online?

   2. Online fee calculator?

 

Public

1. Do you anticipate there would be any public opposition to this development?

2. Would you recommend we hold a townhall meeting to inform neighbors of our development plans and try address any concerns they may have?

 

Fire Marshal

1. Do we need to install the fire lane before going vertical with construction?

2. What are the fire lane turning radius requirements?

3. Any special requirements or inspections for a generator?

4. Are there any Fire Department Connection placement requirements (i.e., on the building or remote)?

5. Do we need to make a fire loop around the site or building?

6. Do we need two sources of water?

7. What is water pressure?  Do we need a fire line booster pump for this project?

8. What are Knox Box placement and location requirements?

9. For covered drop-off canopies at our building, if we don’t touch the building with the canopy, can we not sprinkle the canopy?

10. If we make the drop-off canopy out of non-combustible material, can we not sprinkle the canopy? 

 

Landscape

1. What are landscape requirements?

 

Signage

1. What is the signage approval process?

2. What is the signage variance process?

 

Incentives

1. Is there any Economic Development Committee or Tax Incremental Funding money available for this development?

2. Can we apply for any relief from permit or impact fees for this development?

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Next Page: Impact Fees