The purpose of Land Development is to ensure that plans for proposed projects conform to the minimum land development requirements as required by the City of Monroe Engineering Standards and conform to accepted engineering practice. Plan review includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- site drainage
- erosion control
- driveway and street connections to existing or proposed public streets
- street design
- watershed compliance
- stream buffer and jurisdictional waters compliance
General steps for the Erosion and Sedimentation Control approval process:
- After the site plan has been approved through Planning, seven sets of Erosion and Sedimentation Control plans are presented to the Engineering Department for review and approval. Plans are distributed to the Water Resources Department and Energy Resources Department for comment. Plans shall be sealed and signed by a registered professional engineer, landscape architect or surveyor. Submittals shall include calculations, a Financial Responsibility Form, and a checklist, all in accordance with the City of Monroe Specifications and Detail Manual. Review fees are listed in the fee schedule below.
- After plans are reviewed, a letter of approval or disapproval is issued and sent to the applicant, along with comments from the other reviewing departments.
- If the plans are approved, a preconstruction conference is scheduled by the applicant with the City at the site to discuss plan requirements and to introduce the contractors to the City inspector. It is the applicant’s responsibility to schedule the conference. The official Grading Permit along with one set of stamped approved plans is presented at that time.
- If the plans are disapproved, the letter of disapproval will outline the requirements to bring the plans into conformance. Seven additional revised sets will be required for re-submittal. A letter of approval will be issued upon completion of the review, and a preconstruction meeting can be scheduled, at which time the Grading Permit and stamped approved plans will be presented.
- If design revisions are made to the plans after approval, provide seven sets of revised plans along with a review fee of $200.00.
When do I need to apply for a grading permit?
The City of Monroe is delegated to issue grading permits for projects located within the
jurisdictional limits of Monroe, including the City’s extraterritorial jurisdiction areas. Grading permits are required for those projects in which disturbed areas equal or exceed 12,000 square feet for commercial projects or one acre for single-family residential projects.
What is the cost for a grading permit?
The permit costs are $300 for the first acre and $50.00 per additional acre or any fraction over. For instance, a 1.5 acre tract would cost $300 + $50.00 = $350.00.
What is a “best management practice” or BMP,
and when are they required?
BMP’s or best management practices are site measures installed to control the amount of pollutants discharged from impervious surfaces, such as parking lots, and carried by rainwater into the stormdrain systems where it discharges into the creeks and streams. They are required when parcels of land contained within the two protected watershed areas of Monroe are developed beyond the allowable limits of impervious surfaces. They are required under State law and City Ordinance. Refer to the State BMP Manual to view the design manual.
What are the necessary forms to obtain a driveway permit?
If the driveway into a commercial site connects to a City street, submit one copy of the City of Monroe Driveway Permit application, which can be found on-line in the City of Monroe Specifications and Detail Manual. There is no cost for the permit.
If the driveway connects to a North Carolina Department of Transportation maintained street, submit five copies of the site plan along with five copies of the NCDOT Driveway Permit application to the City Engineering Department for approval and forwarding to the NCDOT. The form and design manual for driveways can be found on-line at NCDOT Driveway Info
How long does it take to review plans once they are submitted for approval?
Generally speaking, if the submittal package is complete and there are not many complicated features which require a large expenditure of time, most plans can be reviewed within 10 working days after receipt, dependent upon the complexity of the project.
