THE FINAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

INTRODUCTION:

Your planned development district has just been approved by the Springfield City Council. What is the next step before you may develop your property? This page discusses what must be done.

THE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT:

The planned development contains two major components. The first, the preliminary development plan, is the ordinance just approved by City Council. The ordinance contains the standards and requirements for your development. The ordinance also describes the form of the second major component, the final development plan. This plan must be approved as described by the ordinance before any development, or any improvements related to the development, can begin.

WHAT IS THE FINAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN?

The final development plan is a site plan that shows the City of Springfield that the proposed development will conform to all of the standards and requirements in the preliminary development plan ordinance approved by City Council.

The site plan must contain the following information:

The uses, or use categories, to be allowed on the site or within the district;
The intensity of development (i.e., the proposed building square footage, number of dwelling units, etc.);
The bulk, area and height of development (i.e., setbacks, building heights, amount of impervious surface and open space, exterior design of structures, etc.);
The required public improvements (i.e., street and intersection improvements, sanitary sewers, storm sewer and detention improvements, topography, additional right-of-way, etc.);
The access to public thoroughfares (i.e., location, number and design of vehicular access to public streets, etc.);
Parking (i.e., location, number and design of off-street parking facilities);
Signage (i.e., location, number and design of permitted signs);
Perimeter Treatment (i.e., landscaping, fencing, etc.);
Exterior lighting (i.e., location, number and design of exterior lighting to demonstrate that surrounding property will not be adversely affected). Light distribution curve data may be submitted separately from the site plan;
Project phasing (i.e., planned stages of development, staging of required improvements).

REVIEW PROCEDURE:

Your planned development ordinance establishes the approval procedure of the final development plan. It may have to be returned to the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council for approval or be approved administratively by the Administrative Review Committee or, if the Final Development Plan is a subdivision, by Commission and City Council. Check Exhibit 1 of your planned development ordinance under the heading "Final Development Plan" to see your requirement. Regardless of which body is charged with approving the final development plan, it must first be reviewed by the Administrative Review Committee. Start this process by submitting an application, fee, and seven copies of the proposed final development plan to the Zoning Administrator in the Planning and Development Department.

COMMON QUESTIONS:

May you make changes from the ordinance on the final development plan? Very minor changes may be permitted provided the site plan shows substantial conformance to the ordinance. City Council can approve a larger number of minor changes than the Administrative Review Committee. If the change is not in substantial conformance with the ordinance, the change may require an amendment to your planned development. Remember that this will require a new set of public hearings before the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council and the same time frame as was spent on the first approval of the preliminary development plan.

When must you submit the final development plan? When you are ready to proceed with the development of the property. Like the approval of a typical rezoning case, the new zoning classification is permanent and does not expire with inaction.

Is there any cost for the approval of the final development plan? Yes. Check with the Zoning and Subdivision Services office for the current fee.

Who do you contact if you have other questions? The Zoning and Subdivision Services office of the Planning and Development Department (Southwest corner of the ground floor of the Busch Municipal Building at 830 Boonville).

Last Updated: August 1997

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