Section 27-400 ZONING FEES (see Township Fee Schedule)

Section 27-401 To assist in defraying the costs of investigating, reviewing, and administering zoning applications, appeals and rezoning requests from individual property owners, and other types of decisions which result in extra costs to the Township, the Township Board may from time to time adopt by resolution a fee schedule establishing basic zoning fees related to the following:

1. Zoning permits.

2. Special Approval.

3. Appeals to or; requests for interpretations by the Zoning Board of Appeals.
4. Classification of unlisted property uses.
5. Requests to change a nonconforming use to another nonconforming use.
6. Requests for variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals.
7. Requests for rezoning of property by individual property owners or amendments to the Zoning Ordinance text.

8. Site plan reviews.

9. Requests for a planned residential district (PRD).

10. Any other discretionary decisions by the Planning Commission or Zoning Board of Appeals.

Section 27-402 The amount of these zoning fees shall cover the costs associated with the review of the application or appeal, including but not limited to the costs associated with conducting public hearings, publishing notices in the newspaper, sending required notices to property owners, postage, photocopying, mileage, time spent by zoning staff; and time spent by the members of the Planning Commission and/or Zoning Board of Appeals.

Section 27-403 The basic zoning fees shall be paid before any application required under this Ordinance is processed.

Section 27-404 The basic zoning fees are non-refundable, even if an application or appeal is withdrawn by the applicant.

Section 27-405 There shall be no additional fee required for accessory buildings or structures included
in an appropriate application for a principal building or structure.

Section 27-406 If the Planning Commission or Zoning Board of Appeals determines that the basic zoning fees will not cover the actual costs of the application review or appeal, or if the Planning Commission or Zoning Board of Appeals determines that review of the application and/or participation in the review process or appeal by qualified professional planners, engineers, attorneys, or other professionals is necessary, then the applicant shall deposit with the Township Treasurer such additional funds in an amount determined by the Planning Commission or Zoning Board of Appeals equal to the estimated additional costs,

Section 27-407 The additional zoning fees shall be held in escrow in the applicant's name and shall be used solely to pay these additional costs.

Section 27-408 If the amount held in escrow becomes less than ten percent (10%) of the initial escrow deposit or less than ten percent (10%) of the latest additional escrow deposit and review of the application or decision on the appeal is not completed, then the Planning Commission or Zoning Board of Appeals may require the applicant to deposit additional fees into escrow in an amount determined by the Planning Commission or Zoning Board of Appeals to be equal to the estimated costs to complete the review or decide the appeal.

Section 27-409 Failure of the applicant to make any escrow deposit required under this Ordinance shall be deemed to make the application incomplete or the appeal procedurally defective thereby justifying the denial of the application or the dismissal of the appeal.

Section 27-410 Any unexpended funds held in escrow shall be returned to the applicant following final action on the application or the final decision on the appeal.

Section 27-411 Any actual costs incurred by the Township in excess of the amount held in escrow shall be billed to the applicant and shall be paid by the applicant prior to the issuance of any permit or the release of a final decision on an appeal.