Application Submission Procedure

Planning & Development Application Process

1. Pre-Application Meeting
This meeting is a required first step to submitting an application for development. Currently held over Zoom, the pre-application meeting provides an opportunity for applicants to introduce their project to various members of staff and receive feedback prior to submitting their application. This meeting can be informal or formal depending upon the level of detail of an applicant's conceptual plan, and their wishes to hear from various departments. Please email Jan Babcock in the Planning Department with the required information to schedule your pre-application meeting. 

Please submit by email or mail the information below, prior to our setting up a preapplication meeting:
  • Name, email address, and phone number of applicant or consultant serving as point of contact, as well as for all individuals who will take part in the teleconferenced preapplication meeting.
  • Two GIS maps – one of the site using the 2022 aerial base map and one of the general vicinity of the site so we can assess where the property is and what roads and developments are near it (Sanford GIS Instructions)
  • For Design Review and very small scale projects, please draw your proposed improvements on the base map of the site unless you are providing a professionally prepared, conceptual site/subdivision plan.
  • For Site Plans or Subdivision Plans, please provide a professionally prepared concept plan, which generally lays out the proposed improvements.
 
2. Submit Application for Review
Submit three printed copies and one digital (email, CD, or thumb drive) including pdf files for all submission materials to the Planning & Development Department:
  • Completed application form with signatures and date (the project will be classified by the Planning Director at the preapplication meeting)
  • Completed checklist associated with the specific review – please note that NA is not an acceptable response; if you believe that a submission requirement is not applicable to your project, check 'request for waiver' on the form and explain why you believe the requested waiver is justified (i.e., there are no existing buildings on the site; existing public water extends to the site and no changes are proposed; etc.)
  •  Set of plans, that include submission requirements listed in the checklist – collated and bound
  •  Set of all other supporting documentation, that include submission requirements listed in the checklist – collated and bound
  •  Check for applied fees as indicated in the Pre-Application Meeting notes and listed in the posted Fee Schedule. Please make checks payable to City of Sanford and drop off or mail packet and checks to:
City of Sanford Planning & Development Department,
919 Main Street, Sanford, Maine 04073
.

3. Completeness Review
 
Following receipt of an application, plan set, and required fees, the Planning staff review the submissions for completeness. If any materials are missing or illegible, the application will be marked 'incomplete' and the applicant will be notified of the subsequent documents required for a complete application. If the submission is found to have all necessary elements it will be considered 'complete' and will be scheduled for meeting(s) with the relevant review bodies. Please note: a 'complete' application does not mean 'approved;' rather, sufficient material has been provided for staff to perform a technical review of all development regulations. It is very common that, following technical review by staff, alterations of plans or subsequent submissions of supporting documents are required to continue the application process. 

4. Review Meetings
The applicant will be notified via email at which meetings the application will be reviewed. Current review bodies include: the Site Plan Review Committee, the Design Review Committee, and the Planning Board. Certain projects, such as a request for zone change, must also be reviewed and approved by the City Council; this meeting will be scheduled following Planning Board approval. At the review meeting, applicants and their consultants will be invited to speak on behalf of the project and should be prepared to answer questions from the review committee. Each review ends with a motion to either approve, deny, or table an application and may include conditions that must be met prior to full approval. An application that is tabled will continue to appear on future agendas until the applicant has revised their submissions to the satisfaction of the board. 

If you have any questions, please email Erin Moriarty or call (207) 324-9150.