Program Guidelines: The Expedited Commercial Plan Review process is offered to give premium service for complete, accurate, and straightforward development plans.  Eligible review types and project scope are commercial grading, landscape, tree preservation, and tree ordinance (see exclusions). Site designers participating in this process are required to make quality submittals, which result in project approval within a maximum of two (2) submittals.  Beginning July 1, 2006 a fee applies to this program.

1. Expedited Commercial Plan Reviews are scheduled by appointment only.  One (1) slot per week.
2. Application information must be complete prior to schedule confirmation. Go to Expedited Commercial Plan Review Program Application & Checklist and complete.
3. Appointments will be confirmed by email.

Minimum submittal and plan requirements must be met and strict scheduling limits must be adhered to in order for a project review to proceed within this process. Re-submittals turned in ahead of schedule will not be reviewed until the scheduled review day. (See sample schedule).

• Sample Expedited Commercial Plan Review Calendar
• Expedited Review - First Submittal Flow Chart
• Expedited Review - Resubmittal Flow Chart

Plan Package submittal must include:

1. Completed Expedited Commercial Plan Review Application form required with each submittal and resubmittals.
2. All plans must be folded to 8 ½" x 11" with title block visible.
3. No hard cover binders.
4. Correct number of plans, separated by submittal type (landscape, grading, site, etc.) with the associated documents (i.e., Financial Responsibility Form, calculations, etc.).

All submittals are subject to a Gateway Review to ensure the submittal is complete and available for a comprehensive review.  Decisions by City staff regarding completeness of a submittal or eligibility of a project for this review process are final and cannot be appealed.     

If a site design firm using this service fails to obtain plan approval for a particular project within two submittals, fails to meet minimum submittal requirements, or fails to meet a submittal deadline twice within a 12-month period, then that site designer (Company/Organization) will not be allowed to participate in the Expedited Commercial Plan Review process for a 12-month period following the second incident.

Per project fees are calculated when plans are submitted by all disciplines (Site, Urban Forestry, Engineering, Erosion Control, CDOT, and NCDOT).  The actual acreage fee for grading and detention and the actual number of new trees for the commercial tree ordinance will be calculated and due at plan approval.  Payment methods are cash, credit card, check (payable to the "City of Charlotte"), or an established Mecklenburg County account.  The design professional is responsible for all outstanding fee payments.

• Land Development 2008 User Fee Schedule

Project Exclusions:

• Revisions to previously approved projects – must be new projects;
• Speculative grading/mass grading plans – complete site development plans required;
• Projects proposing floodway or SWIM buffer encroachments;
• Projects requiring water quality facilities;
• Projects proposing disturbance to wetlands or jurisdictional channels;
• Projects subject to the Subdivision Ordinance;
• Projects under Urban Design zonings and overlays (Including UMUD. MUDD, TOD, PED, and TS); and
• Excessively large or complex projects – determined on a case-by-case basis at the sole discretion of City staff.