§ 4-3. PERMIT APPLICATIONS AND PLANS.

4-3.1.

General Requirements.

(A)

Submission. Unless otherwise specified, all applications for permits under this Ordinance shall be submitted by the owner of the property or the authorized agent of such owner to the Zoning Administrator. The Zoning Administrator may require reasonable proof of agency from any person submitting an application as an agent.

(B)

Form of Submission. An application for any permit under this Ordinance shall be submitted in such form, number of copies and format as required by Appendices 1 and 3, together with such fees as required.

(C)

Waiver of Submission Requirements. The Zoning Administrator may waive submission of required elements of information when, in his opinion, such information is otherwise available or is not necessary to review the application. The Zoning Administrator may refuse to process an incomplete application.

(D)

Processing. All applications for permits shall be submitted, reviewed and processed in accordance with the requirements of this Ordinance.

(E)

Approved Plans. A copy of required plans or information submitted with the application shall be returned to the applicant after the Zoning Administrator has marked the copy either approved or disapproved and attested to same. A similarly marked copy shall be retained by the Zoning Administrator.

(F)

Health Department Construction Permit Required. A permit for any building or use for which a State or County Health Department permit for installation of a well or a sewage disposal system is required or for which approval by the State or County Health Department of an existing well or sewage disposal system is required, shall not be issued until such permit or approval has been issued by the State or County Health Department.

(G)

[Detailed or technical design requirements and construction specifications.] In this Ordinance, detailed or technical design requirements and construction specifications relating to various types of improvements (roads, utilities, etc.) are set forth in one or more of the appendices to this Ordinance. It is not necessary that the application contain the type of detailed construction drawings that would be necessary to determine compliance with these appendices, so long as the plans provide sufficient information to allow the permit-issuing authority to evaluate the application in the light of the substantive requirements set forth in the text of this Ordinance. However, whenever this Ordinance requires a certain element of a development to be constructed in accordance with the detailed requirements set forth in one or more of these appendices, then no construction work on such element may be commenced until detailed construction drawings have been submitted to and approved by the NCDOT, the applicable utility provider, or other appropriate approval authority. Failure to observe this requirement may result in permit revocation, denial of final subdivision plat approval, or other penalty as provided in Article V (Enforcement).

4-3.2.

Site Plan and Plot Plan Procedures.

(A)

Applicability.

(1)

Plot Plan Required. No zoning permit for a single-family or two-family dwelling on a single lot shall be issued until a plot plan, prepared in accordance with Appendix 1, has been approved.

(2)

Site Plan Required. No other zoning, special use, or conditional use permit shall be issued on a lot until a site plan, prepared in accordance with Appendix 1, has been approved for the development. No new nor amended site plan shall be required if an adequate site plan is already on file, there is no change in the parking requirements, or there is no increase in impervious surface area.

(B)

[Waiver of Site Plan Requirement.] The Zoning Administrator may waive the requirement for a site plan if, in his judgement, it is determined that it is not necessary to complete the review of the permit application.

(1)

Timing. Site plans shall be submitted to the Zoning Administrator in conjunction with a permit application.

(2)

Site Plan Compliance. Site plans shall contain all applicable information listed in Appendix 1. A site layout meeting the requirements of Article 10-3.3(C) of this Ordinance may also serve as the preliminary subdivision plat.

(C)

Coordination With Other Procedures. To lessen the time required to obtain all necessary approvals, the site plan approval process may run concurrently with building plan review or other applications for approvals required for the particular project.

(D)

Site Plan and Plot Plan Approval.

(1)

Approval of Site/Plot Plan. The site plan or plot plan shall be approved when it meets all requirements of this Ordinance or proper waivers and/or variances are obtained.

(2)

Approval Authority.

(a)

Site plans or plot plans submitted with zoning permit applications shall be approved by the Zoning Administrator.

(b)

Site plans submitted with special use permit applications shall be approved by the Board of Adjustment.

(c)

Site plans submitted with conditional use permit applications shall be approved by the Board of Commissioners.

(3)

Conditional Approvals. If the site plan is granted conditional approval, the applicant shall revise and resubmit the site plan. The Zoning Administrator shall review the revised site plan and, if it meets all the approval conditions and is otherwise substantially unaltered, shall signify on the plan the change from conditional approval to approval. If the site plan is not revised within sixty days to meet the approval conditions, or the applicant notifies the Zoning Administrator that he is unwilling to revise the site plan, it shall be deemed denied.

(E)

Road and Utility Construction.

(1)

Plans. When required, road and utility construction plans for all public or private roads, and water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer facilities shall be submitted to the applicable authority following conditional approval or approval of the site plan. For each phase of the site plan, road and utility construction plans shall include all improvements lying within or adjacent to that section as well as all water and sanitary sewer lines lying outside that section and being required to serve that section.

(2)

No Construction Without Plan Approval. None of the improvements listed above shall be constructed until the road and utility construction plans for such improvements have been reviewed and approved by the applicable authority.

(3)

Inspections. Work performed pursuant to approved road and utility construction plans shall be inspected and approved by the appropriate authority.

(F)

Detention Ponds and Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Devices Installation. Any approved wet detention pond(s) and soil erosion and sedimentation control device(s) may be installed prior to approval of road and utility construction plans.