HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 7284 SITE PLAN REGULATIONS � . � , .
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, � Ord� 7284
SITE PLAN REGULATIONS
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA
Development Document #4
Augusta Planning & Development Department
Updated September 2011
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SITE PLAN REGULATIONS FOR
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA
AN ORDINANCE regulating the development of land in Augusta, Georgia; requiring and
regulating the preparation and presentation of plans for such purpose; establishing minimum
design standards; requiring minimum improvements to be made or guaranteed to be made by the
developer; setting forth the procedure to be followed by the Augusta Planning & Development
Department in applying these rules, Regulations, and standards; and prescribing penalties for the
violation of these rules, Regulations, and standards; and for other purposes.
BE IT ORDAINED by the Augusta Commission, Augusta, Georgia, that:
WHEREAS, the Augusta Commission was authorized by the Home Rule Provision of the
Constitution of the State of Georgia of 1983 to: Establish Planning Commissions; provide for
the preparation and amendment of Overall Plans for the orderly growth and development of
municipalities and counties; provide for the Regulations of structures on mapped streets, public
building sites, and public open spaces; repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission, created and organized under the terms of the �
aforementioned Home Rule Provision, has made a study and analysis of the areas of Augusta and
the said study and analysis now are complete and Site Plan Regulations for the purposes
described in the title of this Ordinance were adopted; and
WHEREAS, the Augusta Commission has held a public hearing on the proposed Site Plan
Regulations in compliance with Local Ordinances.
WHEREAS, the original Site Plan Regulations are being amended to include reference to the
Augusta Planning & Development Department;
THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Augusta Commission as follows:
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ARTICLE I General
Section 1.00 Short Title 1
Section 1.01 Content and Purpose 1
Section 1.02 Application 1
Section 1.03 Exemption 2
ARTICLE II Procedures for Approval of Site Plans
Section 2.00 Staff Conference/Sketch Plan 3
Section 2.01 Staged Approval for Site Plans 3
Section 2.02 Approval Process for Site Plans 3
ARTICLE III Data to be Submitted, Design Guidelines
and Inspections
Section 3.00 Size and Scale of Drawings 5
Section 3.01 Information to be Included 5
Section 3.02 Utility, Drainage, and Street Improvements 8
Section 3.03 Zoning Standards 8
Section 3.04 Design Guidelines 8
Section 3.05 Inspections 9
ARTICLE IV Miscellaneous
Section 4.00 Hardships and Variances 10
Section 4.01 Penalty 10
Section 4.02 Amendments 10
Section 4.03 Severability 10
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ARTICLE I
General
Section 100. Short Title. This Ordinance shall be known as the "Site Plan Regulations for
Augusta, Georgia". It is included by reference in the Augusta, GA Code at Title 8,
Chapter 8.
Section 101. Content and Purpose. These Regulations require and regulate the preparation of
Site Plans, establish minimum design standards for site development, set forth the
procedures to be followed in applying these Regulations, provide penalties for violation
of these Regulations, and set forth other matters pertaining to the development of land.
The Site Plan Regulations are adopted for the following purposes, and for other purposes:
A. To encourage the development of an economically sound stable community, so as
to help conserve and protect the natural, economic, and scenic resources of
Augusta, Georgia;
B. To protect Augusta, Georgia from the potential negative impacts of converting
land from its natural state to urban land uses;
C. To assure safe and convenient traffic access and circulation, and to minimize the
impact of land development on traffic safety and congestion;
D. To assure that all buildings and other construction within the scope of these
Regulations are provided with adequate fire protection and are accessible by all
types of emergency vehicles;
E. To assure that the aesthetic qualities of the community are not degraded by the
development of land.
F. To encourage the wise development of the community in harmony with the
Comprehensive Plan.
Section 102. A�plication. Within the jurisdiction of Augusta, Georgia, except as herein
provided, a building permit under the provisions of the Augusta, GA Code, Title 7,
Article 5, for the purpose of constructing or expanding a structure that is not a single
family house or related thereto shall only be issued upon the presentation of a Site Plan
that has been approved by the Augusta Planning & Development Deparhnent (Planning
Department). Such Site Plan shall be drawn to scale, showing accurately the dimensions
and location of the following: property lines, easements, utilities, structures, signs, off-
street parking, driveways, detention/retention facilities and any other information that
may be necessary to the administration and/or enforcement of the Ordinance. Such Site
Plan shall be submitted to the Staff of all applicable departments of Augusta, Georgia and
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other entities that are deemed appropriate and they shall review and approve said Site
Plan before it is approved by the Augusta Planning & Development Department.
Section 103. Exemptions. The Executive Director of the Augusta Planning & Development
Department (Executive Director) may exempt certain types of development from the provisions
of these Regulations or parts thereof if,
in his opinion, there is little or no likelihood that adverse impacts could result from the
proposed development. The Executive Director may request such information as he
deems necessary to support such a proposal. Development that may be so exempted shall
include the following:
• construction of small buildings or additions to existing buildings less than one
thousand (1000) square feet in area;
• construction of parking areas containing less than five parking spaces or
unpaved parking areas that do not provide required parking;
• signs;
• single, or individual duplex residential structures
• temporary location of manufactured buildings for use as offices, showrooms,
etc. with a maximum time limit of six months;
• construction on land owned by the United States of America or the State of
Georgia;
• development that is similar to any of the above.
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ARTICLE II
Procedures for Approval of Site Plans
Section 200. Staff Conference/Sketch Plan. Although it is not required, an owner, developer,
or contractor (applicant) may request a Staff discussion regarding a proposed project, or
he may submit a Sketch Plan. A Sketch Plan may provide whatever level of detail the
applicant feels appropriate, and he may discuss it with the Augusta Planning &
Development Department in order to obtain a better understanding of how the Ordinances
and Regulations would apply to his proposal. A Staff conference shall be scheduled by
the Staff within five working days of receiving a request. Sketch Plans shail serve as a
subject for discussion only, and they shall not be approved, denied, corrected, or
otherwise acted upon.
Section 201. Sta eg d Approval for Site Plans. If a proposal is to develop only a portion of a site
or a large tract initially, the Site Plan submitted for approval shall be accompanied by a
Conceptual Plan for the remainder of the site. The Conceptual Plan shall show at a
minimum the proposed circulation pattern, contours, buildings, and drainage plan. The
Executive Director may waive this requirement upon a finding that such a complete
layout is impractical and not necessary to carry out the intent and purpose of these
Regulations. If a site is proposed to be developed in sections as noted above, then each
section must stand on its own merit. All retention, parking, and ingress/egress facilities
needed to adequately serve a specific section shall be constructed as part of the section
that is submitted for approval.
Section 202. A�proval Process for Site Plans. The following step by step procedure for
approval of a Site Plan shall be followed:
A. Written application for approval of a Site Plan shall be made in the office of the
Augusta Planning & Development Department. This application shall be made on
forms provided for this purpose and it shall include whatever assurances,
disclosures, and other information that are required by the Staff prior to
acceptance of an application. The application shall include the appropriate
number of copies of the Site Plan, prepared and certified by a civil engineer, or
architect, drawn to the specifications found in Article III of this document, and it
shall also include an executed "indemnity" form regarding retention basins. The
application shall be accompanied by a check in the amount of the fee adopted by
the Augusta Planning & Development Department.
B. The Augusta Planning & Development Department shall have thirty (30) days
within which to make a decision on an application that was accepted by the Staff
as a complete application. The Staff may reject an application if it is deemed to
be incomplete. Such decision may be to approve, approve with conditions,
approve in part, deny, request additional information, or to require corrections. In
situations where a decision of the Augusta Planning & Development Deparhnent
results in a Site Plan being resubmitted, the Augusta Planning & Development
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Department shall have thirty (30) additional days to act on the resubmitted Site
Plan, beginning on the date of resubmission. The thirty (30) day period shall not
apply if the applicant files a letter agreeing to such with the Augusta Planning &
Development Department. The action of the Augusta Planning & Development
Department shall be expressed in writing, a copy of which shall be provided to the
applicant.
D. Approval of a Site Plan shall be valid for two years from the date of approval,
after which a new Site Plan must be submitted per Section 202 of these
Regulations. The Executive Director may exempt an applicant from certain
provisions of these Regulations if some development of the site has occurred, the
applicable rules are essentially unchanged from the time of approval, and no more
than four years have passed since the initial approval.
If no development of the site has occurred, the Developer may request, and the
Augusta Planning & Development Department may grant, an extension of time for
good cause; however, an approval of a Site Plan shall never extend for a period
of more than five (S) years from the date of first approval. The Augusta Planning
& Development Department shall terminate an approval of a Site Plan after two
(2) years unless formal request for an extension of time is made.
E. Eleven (11) complete sets Site Plan shall be filed with the Augusta Planning &
Development Department at the time of application. The Augusta Planning &
Development Department shall thereafter forward for review such copies as
follows:
l. One (1) copies shall be filed with Engineering Department.
2. Four (4) copies shall be filed with the Augusta Utilities Department if the
subdivision is to be served with public water andlor sewer.
3. One (1) copy shall be filed with the Traffic Engineer.
4. One (1) copy shall be filed with the Fire Deparhnent.
5. One (1) copy shall be filed with the Soil Conservation Service.
6. One (1) copy shall be filed with the Board of Health.
7. One (1) copy shall be filed with the Trees and Landscape Department.
8. One (1) copy shall be retained by the Planning Commission.
Seven (7) copies shall be submitted once the Site plan has been reviewed and
approved and the Site Plan shall be stamped in accordance with the approval of
the Augusta Planning & Development Department, and the copies shall be
distributed as follows:
1. Two (2) copies shall be returned to the applicant at the Pre-Construction
conference
2. Three (3) copies shall be retained by the Engineering Department
3. One (1) copy shall be submitted to the NPDES Inspector for inspections
purposes
4. One (1) copy shall be retained by the Augusta Planning & Development
Deparhnent
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F. Reports shall be submitted to the Augusta Planning & Development Department
by all departments and agencies to which Site Plans are directed, and such reports
shall become part of the findings of the Augusta Planning & Development
Department.
G. All requests for Site Plan approval shall be accompanied by an 18 months
warranty agreement and deed(s) of dedication for all streets, land, easements,
storm drainage, sanitary sewer systems and water systems that are to be conveyed
to Augusta, Georgia. The form of these documents shall be approved by the City
Attorney. These documents shall be fully executed by the grantor with the date
blank to be filled in by the Augusta Commission with the date of acceptance of
the deeds of dedication. Acceptance of streets and other improvements shall be
accompanied by executing the deeds of dedication.
H. A pre-construction conference may be required by the City Engineer at his
discretion. A notation on the Site Plan will be made to that effect when such a
conference is required. Construction pursuant to the Site Plan shall not
commence until the conference has been held.
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ARTICLE III
Data to be Submitted, Design Guidelines, and Inspections
Section 300. Size and Scale of Drawin�s. Site Plans shall be drawn to scale no smaller than
one inch equals 100 feet. Where large sites are being planned, they may be drawn on one
or more sheets. No drawing shall exceed 36 inches by 48 inches in size.
Section 301. Information to be Included. The following information shall be included on each
Site Plan.
• Name of development, type of business, building square footage and parking
required and parking provided.
• Owner (name, address, and telephone number).
• Developer (name, address and telephone number).
• Date of survey, date plan drawn, and revision dates as applicable.
• Seal and signature of a registered engineer.
• North arrow with reference.
• Scale (no less than 1" = 100')
• Tax parcel number
• Zoning classification
• Use and zoning of all adjacent parcels with owner(s) name(s)
• Location of proposed business signage
• Existing and proposed elevations referenced to mean sea level, with a contour interval
of 2 feet, accurate to one-half contour to indicate surface drainage patterns.
• Source of datum (benchmark used: GS benchmark, if available), and location of BM or
TBM at the site.
• Existing and proposed pavement width and right-of-way width of any existing streets
adjacent to the development and distances to nearest intersection.
• Acreage of property and acreage of area to be developed.
• Location sketch (scale no less than 1" = 2000').
• All boundaries heavily lined with bearings and distances shown, accurate reference to
Augusta and/or geodetic control points which are defined by state plane coordinates
unless the sum of the length of the lines constituting the boundary of the site is greater
than the traverse distance along public roads to such control. If such reference is not
furnished, then a locator tie, defined as a bearing and distance tie from a property corner
to a point that can be accurately spotted on the ortho photo maps shall be furnished.
• Plan and profile of storm sewers on a scale of no less than 1" = 100' horizontally, 1" _
10' vertically. Elevation based on mean sea level.
• Detail plan of all entrances, driveways, roadways, etc., that connect to existing county
roads. (Connections to State Highways will require permits from Georgia Deparhnent
of Transportation.)
• Minimum building lines (front, side and rear), existing easements and proposed
easements shown.
• Acreage of all on-site and off-site drainage areas contributing to flow through the
project.
• Storm water management plan.
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• Heavy outline of 100 year flood plain and note thereof. Any disturbances within flood
plain limits must comply with the Augusta Flood Ordinance. If the property is not in a
100 year flood plain then write a note stating that.
•Finished flooY elevation of buildings a minimum of 3.0 feet above established 100 year
flood elevation, if applicable.
• Sanitary sewers and manholes.
• Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Plan required for any site over 1.1 acres. A
statement from local Tax Official that ad valorem taxes owed and due have been paid is
required. A SESC Plan Review Checklist is required. A Soil Erosion and Sediment
Control Plan is recommended for all sites.
• Potable water distribution system plan.
• A note to the effect that "All drainage easements and disturbed areas must be
grassed and/or rip-rapped as required to control erosion."
• A note to the effect that "All construction within Augusta rights-of-way shall conform
to Augusta, Georgia Standards and Specifications."
• A note to the effect that "All silt barriers must be placed immediately following
clearing. No grading shall be done until silt barriers installation in completed."
• Note on drawings: "Contractor shall contact the Inspection Division of the Public
Works Deparhnent at least 48 hours prior to starting work on the project."
• A statement of the following: "I am the owner of the property affected by this Site
Plan. Prior to requesting a Certificate of Occupancy, I will submit a notarized statement
as follows: 'I certify that the site improvements are complete and in accordance with the
approved plans and specifications.' This certification will be based on observations of
and supervision of construction by my representative or me. I understand that the
Certificate of Occupancy will not be approved until this certification has been made."
• The location of known gravesites and cemeteries located on the property. If grave sites
or cemeteries are discovered during construction, information must be submitted to the
Augusta Planning & Development Department immediately ( See O.C.G.A. §36-72-1 et
seq.).
• The location of stop signs (and other traffic control devices as required by the Traffic
Engineer) including a statement to the effect that "The developer shall be responsible
for the initial installation of the signs."
• Fence or Indemnity Form is required for all detention or retention areas which are not
wholly contained in a parking lot.
• Provide at least one copy of pipe sizing, detention/retention sizing and other
calculations required for review of this plan.
• Landscape plan and summary sheet.
• Hydrology studies for both Public Works and Soil Conservation Service, as applicable.
• Each individual water service line shall be protected by a minimum double-check back
flow device.
• A note to the effect that "Approval by Augusta, Georgia is for the improvements shown
in the Site Plan. Any variation from the approved Site Plan must be approved by the
City Engineer."
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•For any Site Plan that includes wetlands shown on the National Wetlands Inventory
maps or subject to permitting by the US Army Corps of Engineers under Section 404
of the Clean Water Act of 1977, the following must be submitted:
An executed wetland indemnification form provided by the Augusta Planning &
Development Department accepting responsibility for activities that would be
affected by Section 404 of the Clean Water Act of 1977 and require permitting by
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers;
A delineation of any wetland areas that are shown on the National Wetland
Inventory Maps or identified through field studies. Evidence that a
preconstruction notification with the Corp. has been filed pursuant to Section 404
of the Clean Water Act, or statements from properly accredited professionals in
wetland identification as to why they are not needed must be provided before a
development plan/site plan may be approved.
• Calculations of the amount of cut and fill proposed and cross-sectional drawings
showing existing and proposed grades in areas of fill or excavation. Elevations,
horizontal scale and vertical scale must be shown on cross-sectional drawings.
• Location and detailed design of any spill and leak collection systems designed for the
purpose of containing accidentally released hazardous or toxic materials.
• Location, dimensions and area of all impervious surfaces, both existing and proposed,
on the site.
• A 24 hour local contact person.
• A descriptive note providing the following information:
• Outfall(s) Information - Location, size and shape
• Land Use - Commercial, Industrial, Residential, etc.
• Acreage of on-site and off-site drainage areas contributing to discharge from
development
• Acreage of Impervious Drainage Area
• Name of Receiving Drainage Basin
• A descriptive note describing any permanent or temporary Best Management Practices
(BMP's) used to impact or target Water Quality.
• A descriptive note as follows: "The cost of inspection by the City of Augusta-Richmond
County's Department of Public Works and Engineering, before or after regular working
hours, on Saturdays, Sundays or Legal Holidays, shall be paid for by the individual
requesting the inspection at a rate of 1%z times the regular salary per hour of the
inspector plus 7.65%from the employer's FICA/Medicare match. Approval for the
inspection outside of normal working hours shall be obtained from the County Engineer
48-hours in advance. Prior to the commencement of work requiring inspection outside
of normal working hours, the individual requesting the inspection shall sign a form
which is furnished by the Depariment of Public Works and Engineering agreeing to pay
the overtime. The individual requesting the inspection shall sign a form which is
furnished by the Department of Public Works and Engineering agreeing to pay the
overtime. The individual requesting the inspection will be billed by the Department of
Public Works and Engineering for payment."
• A general note as follows: "A preconstruction conference shall be held with the City
Engineer or his designated representative prior to beginning construction. This meeting
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shall be scheduled with the Department of Public Works at the time the notification of
work commencement is given."
• A note shall be added to the Site Plan as follows: The Contractor shall be required to
have on site a copy of the Georgia Department of Transportation's Standard
Specifications and Construction Standard Details, current edition.
• The sight distance and posted speed limit for every access onto an existing public or
private roadway must be indicated.
•The completed GA NDR-NPDES Checklist shall be included with the application.
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Section 302. Utilitv, Drainage, and Street Improvements.
A. Utility, drainage, and street improvements shall be designed and constructed to
conform to standards set forth in this document and in the other documents listed
in Section 304.
B. If a Site Plan includes street or road improvements, then it shall also be
considered administratively as a subdivision of land and the procedures set forth
in the Subdivision Regulations shall also apply.
C. The governmental water supply shall be utilized where governmental water supply
is available within one thousand (1,000) feet of the property, unless it can be
demonstrated to the Utilities Department that it is economically unfeasible to do
so.
D. The Site Plan shall provide for connecting to the governmental sanitary sewerage
system where a governmental sanitary sewerage system is available within five
hundred (500) feet of the nearest point of the project unless it can be demonstrated
to the Board of Health that it is economically unfeasible to do so.
E. The Augusta Commission shall not be responsible for any internal drainage or
required drainage connections to publicly maintained drainage facilities, streams,
or other outlets having constant flow. The Augusta Commission shall not be
responsible for off-site acquisition of drainage or utility easements. This does not
imply that the developer will be responsible for the maintenance of these facilities
if they are subsequently deeded to Augusta, Georgia.
F. Sidewalks must be provided for on any site plan where a project is
adjacent to an existing street that is classified as an arterial or collector in
the Highway Functional Classification System within the Augusta-
Richmond County Urbanized Area as defined by the Augusta Regional
Transportation Study. Sidewalks may also be required on other streets
where a project is in close proximity to a school, at the discretion of the
Traffic Engineer. Where installed, sidewalks shall meet the construction
standards of the Traffic Engineer.
Section 303. Zoning Standards. A Site Plan shall identify the proposed land use and use of
each specific building and other structures. The Site Plan shall conforin to all provisions
of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance as to land use, parking, setbacks, fences,
buffers, signs, driveways and other features regulated by the Zoning Ordinance.
Section 304. Desipn Guidelines. Design guidelines and construction standards are provided by
the following documents:
Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance
Land Subdivision Regulations
Site Plan Regulations
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Stormwater Ordinance
Stormwater Management Plan, Technical Manual
Street and Road Design Technical Manual
Tree Ordinance
Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance
Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Ordinance
Grading Ordinance
Groundwater Recharge Area Protection Ordinance
Water Supply and Watershed Ordinance
Augusta Utilities Department Design Standards
Rights-of-Way Encroachment for Utilities Guidelines
Section 305. Ins ep ction. After a Site Plan has been approved, periodic inspections shall be
made by the Augusta Planning & Development Deparhnent, the Department of Public
Works, the Richmond County Health Department, and other departments and agencies of
Augusta, Georgia. The purpose of these inspections shall be to assure that construction is
consistent with the Site Plan. Any variation from an approved Site Plan must be
approved by the Augusta Planning & Development Department.
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ARTICLE IV
Miscellaneous
Section 400. Hardships and Variances. Variances to certain provisions of this Ordinance may
be granted on the basis of hardship. Variances to the procedures set forth may be
granted by the Augusta Planning Commission upon a finding that such variance
would not adversely affect public health, safety and welfare, and that failure to
grant such variance would result in unnecessary hardship for the applicant.
Variances to design standards, technical specifications, and construction materials
shall be considered by the Department of Public Works under the same hardship
standards.
Section 401. Penal . Any person or corporation whether as principal, agent, employee, or
otherwise who violates any provision of this Ordinance shall be guilty of an offense and
upon conviction shall be punished as provided in Augusta, GA Code § 1-6-1.
Section 402. Amendments. Amendments to these Regulations shall be proposed by the
Augusta Planning & Development Department or shall be submitted to the Augusta
Planning Commission for approval before being adopted by the Augusta Commission.
Augusta, Georgia, may adopt amendments to these Regulations, providing that a public
hearing thereon shall first be held by the Planning Commission, public notice of which
hearing shall be given at least fifteen (15) days prior to such hearing.
Section 403. Severabilitv. Any clause or provision of these Regulations declared invalid by
any court having jurisdiction shall not affect the validity of the Regulations as a whole or
any other part thereof.
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All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are
hereby repealed. �
Duly adopted by the Augusta Commission this 6th day of
September � 201 f :
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MAYOR, AUGUSTA COMMISSION
����� AUGUSTA, GEORGIA
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