Title/Name/Summary
Development Petition Process Improvement and Escrow Accounts
History
In order to provide the best service to our residents and developers, the Development Services Department is continually evaluating processes for development review and permitting. Recently, the development entitlement process was reviewed with the intent to reduce the overall timeline from initial submittal through final approval. The goals include reducing time (and therefore cost) to the develop while also providing reliable review time estimates so that petitioners can accurately incorporate the process into timing for their project.
In addition, the proposed process improvement would include the provisions for developers to submit a pre-payment for external landscaping, engineering and legal reviews. These fees are currently passed through to petitioners and are paid to the consultant by the Village; with the Village collecting the fee from the petitioner. Creating a pre-payment escrow account for each project that is replenished throughout the project avoids the Village collecting fees, providing a faster transition from approval to permit as well as ensuring Village collection of fees, especially in cases where a project does not proceed to construction.
The proposed changes are applicable to any project which requires a public hearing at the Plan Commission, review by the Committee of the Whole, and approval by the Village Board of Trustees. Projects requiring a public hearing must adhere to very specific time frames that are delineated by state statute. The proposed changes will not affect any of the statutory requirements, but will offer a more efficient timeline for approval.
The existing petition process is outlined as follows:
The petitioner begins the process by scheduling a pre-concept meeting with staff. The pre-concept meeting is intended to provide an overview of the development process and to discuss the applicable code requirements. Once a concept ...
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