A Site Plan is a detailed map, drawn to scale, of structures proposed for a particular parcel of land. A site plan depicts the locations of features such as lot lines, existing and proposed structures, major landscaping, proposed drain fields or utilities, lighting, ingress/egress to the property, parking, streets, and structures on neighboring properties. A site plan may also include other supporting documentation.
Zoning ordinances often require a property owner or developer to submit a site plan for local government review and approval of proposed industrial developments, large commercial developments, and large residential developments. Site plans are also often required for special exception uses and planned unit developments (PUDs).
The term ‘Site Plan’ is generally, but not always, reserved to describe a professionally prepared map of a proposed project – that being something prepared by a licensed engineer, architect, or professional planner. For smaller projects, such as a proposed addition to a residence, some communities require that a ‘plot plan’ be submitted for local review and approval consistent with the zoning ordinance. A plot plan is a very basic site plan that is prepared by the property owner, as opposed to a professional, and only depicts the locations of the most basic and relevant features of a proposed, small-scale development, such as additions to structures and lot lines.
Once a site plan is reviewed and approved by the local government body or designated individual the site plan becomes a part of the public record and is a legally enforceable document. Therefore, local governments require site plans in order to establish a mechanism for reviewing the proposed project for consistency with the applicable standards in the zoning ordinance (setbacks, structure size, lot coverage, etc.) and ensuring that the project will be built as proposed.
Brad Neumann, Michigan State University
