The Site Permitting Process-Breaking Ground
The Site Permitting Process-Breaking Ground
Plan Review
City Policies, standards and regulations on land use and development are designed to help ensure the health, safety, and welfare of its residents. Plan review by the city allows staff to focus on factors that have impacts on public health and safety while ensuring long-term maintenance needs are met. These reviews also verify that the proper infrastructure is in place to service your development’s success.
The ultimate responsibility for the construction documents rests with the design professional preparing the plan. There are other state and federal permits that may be required when developing property. For example, along floodplains or state highway connections. It is the applicant’s responsibility to comply with all state and federal regulations.
Permit Summary
Development projects typically include infrastructure work on the site. In addition to actual work on structures. To start work on the project, two (2) general permits are required:
Site Permit
This permit is for work that is generally located out of the building pad or footprint. This would include all grading, paving, utility, detention, stormwater, landscaping, irrigation, screening, etc. that is located on public or private property as reflected on the Civil Plan Set, and Site Plan Set.
Building Permit
This permit is for work on actual building or other components not covered by the site permit.
The processes for both permits are coordinated to ensure completeness and compatibility. In general, a Site Permit must be obtained prior to, or at the same time, as a Building Permit. A Building Permit may not be issued before a Site Permit.
A Site Permit will be issued by the Public Works Department after:
Appropriate plans have been approved,
Applicable fees are paid, and
A Pre-Construction Meeting is held with City Staff.
The Building Permit process is similar:
A building permit is a legal document that gives you permission to start construction of a building project in accordance with approved drawings and specifications.
Building Permitting is the process through which the city ensures compliance with all codes and ordinances, relative to the construction of buildings and building sites. Generally, such permits will fall into one of the two categories: 1) residential (including add-on construction), or 2) commercial.
In each case, the process will include the review and approval of construction and site plans, the payment of Permit fees, the issuance of a Building Permit, scheduled inspections of the work in process, and approval at its completion.
When is a Building Permit needed?
Any new construction or alteration to an existing structure in the City of Venus requires a permit. Some examples of work requiring permits are:
- New homes.
- Carports.
- Fences.
- Pools/Spas.
- Water Heaters.
- Garage Conversions.
- HVAC Systems (heating/AC).
- Plumbing Systems.
- Additions.
- Storage buildings.
- Sprinkler Systems.
- Commercial projects
Note: the above list is not all-inclusive of work requiring a permit.
Submitting Construction Plans and Reports
Plans and supporting documentation for a Site Permit need to be submitted appropriate departments for review. These departments are Planning, Building, and Public Works. Plans are reviewed for compliance with good engineering practices and applicable City, State, and Federal criteria:
City of Venus
- Code of ordinances
- Chapter 8, Buildings and Building Regulation
- Chapter 14, Flood Damage Prevention
- Chapter 20, Signs
- Chapter 22, Solid Waste
- Chapter 24, Streets, Sidewalks, and Other Public Properties
- Chapter 26, Subdivision
- Chapter 32, Utilities
- Chapter 34, Zoning
- Standard Construction Details
- Public Works Design Guidelines
- Traffic Management Standards
- Thoroughfare Plan
- Landscaping/Irrigation/Screening Plan
- Tree Preservation
- US Highway 67, and applicable Interstate Highways, and County Roads Development Standards
- Water and Sewer Master Plans, if applicable
- North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) Specifications for Public Works Construction.
State of Texas
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) regulations
Federal Government
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Regulations
- US Corps of Engineers
Standard Comment and Response Procedure by Reviewing Departments
Upon receipt of the plans, each Department will indicate any comments directly on the plans. This can include mark ups on plans, and written comments. These comments will be provided back to the developer, or engineer with instructions on how to acknowledge and respond to each comment. Plans must be revised in accordance with City comments and res-submitted to the Planning Department. Plans that are re-submitted without responses to all comments will be returned without being reviewed.
How can you help in the plan approval process?
- Avoid project delays. Incomplete submittals result in extended project delays.
- Provide accurate information. The single largest reason for delay is lack of accurate information. Select a consultant /engineer based on qualifications and land development experience.
- Plan early and ahead. Site Permits, Site Plan Set, and Civil Construction Plan Set will be issued or permitted until the City Council has approved the Preliminary Plat. The platting process takes time, and it is important that you coordinate and plan accordingly.
- Be aware of stipulations and conditions attached to your site by zoning, planned development district, conditional use permit, and other previously approved plans, and or plat requirements.
- Ensure that any required studies, such as capacity analysis, utility reports, flood studies, asbestos and soils reports are submitted during the first plan submittal.
- Contact individual staff reviewers prior to resubmitting if needed to clarify specific comments or schedule a meeting with the Development Review Committee (DRC) to review multiple redlined/mark up comments. Partial submittals are not accepted.
- Applicants are responsible for obtaining plans and/or permit approval and submit a copy of the permit or letter of permission from pertinent outside agencies such as Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), FEMA, Johnson County, Ellis County, Army Corps of Engineers, etc. Documentation must be furnished to the Planning Department prior to plans being stamped, “Released for Construction”.
Obtaining the Site Permit
Upon completion of the Plan review process, the project engineer and the developer will receive an approval letter from the Planning Department describing the remaining steps to begin work on your project. The letter will identify:
- Procedure for Stamping Original Plans.
- Procedure for Scheduling the Mandatory Pre-Construction Meeting, and
- Identifying Required Fees.
Plans released for construction will be date stamped and are valid for 6 months.
A Site Permit must be obtained within 6 months from the date plans are stamped released for construction.
The Site Permit will only be issued after a mandatory Pre-Construction Meeting is held and all fees are paid.