What is a Site Plan?
A site plan is required whenever one wishes to develop a property, and can even be necessary for simple additions to a one- or two-family dwelling. It is a scaled engineered drawing which shows the topography (physical characteristics) of the land, structures to be constructed or already existing, any pertinent features required for that construction, and the property boundaries. Pertinent features include retaining walls, driveways and parking, landscaping features, drainage and stormwater management infrastructure, possible septic systems, utility infrastructure, lighting, and any necessary re-grading of the land and slopes. The plan is usually reviewed by the township engineer (and perhaps other governing bodies) for conformance to sound engineering principals, as well verifying the site can be served by emergency vehicles, potable water, sewers, or to determine if there are easements encumbering the property. Typically, the process requires the expertise of an engineer, surveyor, architect, in some cases a professional planner or other subject matter experts, and potentially a land use attorney. Depending on the complexity of the project, the process for preliminary to final design, review, and approval can be time consuming - 2 or 3 months for a simple building addition, and 2-3 years for a property with environmental constraints. There can be several iterations of submissions, as well as appearances before the municipal land use board(s).
A zoning officer will review the plan to ensure it conforms to the requirements of the zoning code. Those requirements would include the type of use being proposed (that is, residential, business, industrial, etc.), the density of the proposed use (for example, the number of units per acre allowed for a proposed townhouse complex), or the physical dimensions of the parcel of land, such as the building lot size or width. There are physical restrictions as to where you can build on the property and these stipulations are commonly called setbacks - distances from the property lines to the actual building. If the proposed project does not conform to those requirements, an approved deviation is necessary and this is referred to as a variance, or request for relief (see Zoning Variances). There are many other nuances of the zoning code and process for relief; the local land use ordinance provides the standards, direction, and procedural requirements for review and approval.
Depending on the requirements of the town, a site plan may be necessary even for the purposes of an addition, for example, when the impervious coverage is increased to a point where various engineering stormwater management practices become required. Or, if the physical limits of the proposed structure now encroach into the aforementioned setback distances. However, a typical addition for a single lot homeowner would merely require a “normal” site plan (as opposed to major or minor), which is characterized as the “light” version – that information which is usually portrayed on the property survey. In many instances, homeowners themselves prepare and submit the application and various support documentation, as well as represent themselves at any required public hearing. Obviously the services of a professional engineer, skilled in site development, will help in this regard, and may even be mandatory (for example, providing signed and sealed drawings for a proposed retaining wall). Keep in mind that in addition to application fees, many municipalities require fees to be placed in escrow for the purposes of compensating their professionals (either employees or private consultants) during technical review.