Metro East Sun

Travis Taylor, Collinsville director of Community Development, recently discussed a code amendment with the City Council.

The existing code has several exemptions for which developments do not need to have a site plan for projects: single-family homes, projects under 500 square feet, and those granted an exemption by the director.

The planning staff is proposing a simplification of the language in the code. Instead of a blanket statement that the director can waive the requirement, they want to put in two new statements to go alongside the single-family home and 500-square-foot exemptions. The exemptions would include those developments that pose no impact on surrounding properties and/or comply with previous plans for the site, or if the project can prove it complies with all planning and zoning standards and requirements.

The Planning Commission will still go through each project that needs a deviation or exemption to site plans that don’t exactly follow City code, but all projects that would meet those requirements should see a slightly more streamlined process for getting their permits approved. Staff believes that this will alleviate many issues and encourage developers to meet more of their standards.

"City staff has grown over the years and that planning staff has grown professionally," Taylor said. "There was a time when the city of Collinsville did not have the professional planning staff that it has currently. I have two professional planners on staff with Community Development and we have three professional planners in our administration and all of which have been reviewing site plans throughout their professional tenure. So we have the capped staff that are capable of verifying if a site plan checks those boxes."