Preliminary Site Plans

Planning Commission and City Council Approved

Process Description:
This preliminary site plan approval process is an established procedure for the review of site plans, in the form of a public hearing, for selected types of developments by policy making bodies (Planning Commission and sometimes the City Council ) because of the substantial impact these types of plans have on surrounding properties. This process establishes a means of generating public input related to special types of projects and involves notification of adjacent property owners in accordance with zoning regulations in City Code Part 10 Chapter 2 Section 2132.2. Project types that can not be processed administratively are reviewed by this process. Some preliminary site plans may be final approved by the Planning Commission and some may require final approval by the City Council after a Certified Recommendation is made by the Planning Commission. A preliminary site plan must be approved prior to client moving forward with obtaining any type of building or grading permit review. City staff may determine that the project can be reviewed using the administrative preliminary site plan approval process instead or may not require preliminary approval at all and may be submitted directly for building or grading permit review. See the general list below for types of plans that fall into the public hearing category.

The Department of City Planning is responsible for the intake and processing of Preliminary Site Plans requiring Planning Commission and/or City Council approval pursuant to City Code Part 10 Chapter 2 Section 2132.2. When plans are submitted to the City, a coordinating planner is assigned to manage the review. Plans will be reviewed by a team of staff with expertise in Planning, Transportation, Urban Design, Comprehensive Planning, Transit, Stormwater, Utilities, Fire, Zoning, Zoning Enforcement, Forestry and Greenways. Additional staff may be utilized depending upon the type and location of the project.

Review comments will be sent to the client, designer, or project coordinator and the property owner from the coordinating planner in the form of email correspondence. The client will be required to address each of these comments in writing and re-submit a set of revised plans for review. Staff will review all plans in accordance with regulations in the City Code Part 10 Chapters 2 and 3 (Planning and Development) as well as policies, procedures and regulations adopted in the Comprehensive Plan, Public Utilities Handbook, Public Works Streets, Sidewalk and Driveway Access Manual and the Solid Waste Handbook. The Planning Commission and City Council review projects in accordance with eight (8) site plan approval standards found in the City Code Part 10 Chapter 2 Section 2132.2.

During the review process, the client will be assigned a date to attend the required Development Review Committee meeting of the Appearance Commission. During this meeting, the plans are evaluated for aesthetics as listed in the preliminary site plan application (.doc) or (.pdf ).

It is recommended that the client attend the local Citizen Advisory Council (CAC) meeting to discuss their project, but it is not required.

At the end of the review process, the coordinating planner will assign a date for the client to attend a Planning Commission meeting. Client should refer to the project review comments sheet to prepare for the Planning Commission meeting. Representatives of the owner and the designer or project coordinator should be in attendance at the public hearing.

After a decision is made by the Planning Commission and/or City Council, a letter of decision will be sent to the client listing the action of the Planning Commission or City Council and any conditions of approval. Appeals may be made to any final action of the Planning Commission. If an appeal is requested regarding a decision of the Planning Commission, it will be referred to the City Council for final action.

Summary of the Types of Plans Requiring Planning Commission Site Plan Approval - (See City Code Part 10 Chapter 2 Section 2132.2 for a complete set of requirements.)

Shopping Centers less than 130,000 sf and located more than 400 feet from a residential use or zone
Retail uses located within 400 feet of a residential use or zone
Banks with drive thru less than 25,000 sf; Banks, offices, institutions, hotels, motels greater than 25,000 sf; Parking lots/garages as a primary use greater than 80 spaces or 25,000 sf surface area
Residential institutions (churches, schools, etc.) in a residential zoning district when criteria for administrative approval are not met
Residential developments exceeding 15 du/ac in O&I-1 and O&I-2, SC and exceeding 20 du/ac in Thoroughfare district
Certain multi-family residential and group housing projects less than five (5) acres in size located in residential districts
Substantial expansions to the above

Summary of the Types of Plans Requiring City Council Site Plan Approval - (See City Code Part 10 Chapter 2 Section 2132.2 for a complete set of requirements.)

Shopping Centers greater than 130,000 sf or less than 130,000 sf and located within 400 feet from a residential use or zone
Free-standing retail greater than 70,000 square feet or located within 400 feet of a residential use or zone
Buildings 80 feet or more in height
Buildings in the downtown area, except six (6) or fewer dwelling units
Additional density (above that is allowed in the underlying zoning district), conversions to dwelling units or lodging units with 2-burner cook tops in Pedestrian Business Overlay District
Construction in LOCALLY DESIGNATED Raleigh Historic Districts requires special approval
Site plans within the Downtown Overlay District for new structures, additions or expansions to existing structures all in excess of 10,000 square feet

Are there any prerequisites to this process?

Property must be within Raleigh’s Jurisdiction
Property must be zoned for allowable use in its zoning district. Check for Permitted Uses and City of Raleigh Zoning Map
Parcel that the plan is proposed to be built upon must be properly recorded at the Wake County Register of Deeds with an assigned PIN (parcel identification number) and address

How do I start the process?

Meet all prerequisites above
Complete submittal package (see below)
Submit the completed plan submittal package to the Department of City Planning at One Exchange Plaza, Suite 304, Raleigh NC

What do I need to submit to the City?

Standard Submittal Package

Preliminary Site Plan Application (.doc) or (.pdf) including checklist and associated requirements
Be sure to complete the check list found on the Preliminary Site Plan Application (.doc) or (.pdf)
Ten (10) complete sets of plans
Fee payment in the form of a check made payable to: City of Raleigh
Plan sets to include but not limited to: Existing conditions, proposed work, utilities, stormwater, tree conservation, landscape and proposed building elevations and CD with pdfs
8.5”x11” separate stormwater manual see application (8) Summary of Water Quality/Quantity calculations on sheet with a separate more detailed calculation packet included
If the property has been rezoned within the last 15-20 years to a Conditional Use Zoning District, please affix rezoning conditions to front cover of the plans

Where can I find detailed information regarding submittals?

Preliminary Site Plan Application (.doc) or (.pdf)
City Code Part 10 Chapter 2
See links above in Process Description to reference the various design manuals as applicable to your project

Where do I submit my application?
Office:              City of Raleigh
Department:    City Planning
Location:          Front Desk (sign in your plans)
Address:          One Exchange Plaza, Suite 304, Raleigh, NC 27601
Adjacent to:     219 Fayetteville Street
Phone #:         (919) 516-2626
Hours:              8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

What are the keys to success?

Completely and accurately fill out the Preliminary Site Plan Application (.doc) or (.pdf)
Schedule a Pre-Submittal Conference to review issues that may come up in the formal review process
Select a single point of contact to represent the client to facilitate correspondence with the coordinating planner
Thoroughly review and confirm that the plans meet the applicable sections of City Code Part 10 Chapters 2 and 3 and the applicable design manuals (see above Process Description for list of manuals)
Provide a thorough response to city staff comments in writing when re-submitting plans for review

What fees are involved and when do I pay them?

Payment type accepted is check made payable to: City of Raleigh
Fee payments are delivered to the Department of City Planning located at One Exchange Plaza, Suite 304, Raleigh NC as part of the Submittal Package (see above)
Initial fee includes two review cycles (original review and one re-review). If additional re-reviews are required, additional fees will be required at the time plans are re-submitted for review
See Fee Schedule

How long will this process take?

Most projects require two review cycles
Each review cycle takes approximately 10-15 business days (dependent upon the complexity of the project and client’s thorough response to prior plan review comments). Plan review comments are typically sent to the client on Wednesdays via email
Typical approval process takes approximately 10-12 weeks from beginning to end including the two review cycles. An additional 10-15 business days will be required per additional review cycle, if needed

Guide Home Page

For More Information Contact:
James Marapoti
Planner II
Planning Department
One Exchange Plaza, Suite 304
Raleigh, NC 27602
919-516-2642

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