Site Development Pre-Application Meetings
Purpose of the Meeting
At a pre-application meeting (not to be confused with the pre-construction meeting that is scheduled with City Inspectors), representatives from various divisions are all available to discuss a proposed site plan, determine if there would be any major hindrances to the proposal, and clarify required approvals and permits.
Typical representatives: Development Services, Planning (Zoning/Land Use), Traffic, Landscape, Building Inspection, Drainage, and Fire Inspection
NOTE: Other disciplines will be invited to the meeting if deemed necessary (DIA, Historic, Office of Economic Development, etc.)
NOTE: If you are looking to schedule a PRE-CONSTRUCTION MEETING (PRE-CON) please email rowwork@coj.net for further instructions.
NOTE: If you are simply looking for just zoning information (IE what can I do with this property?), please contact the Zoning Section or the Current Planning Division.
Why Should I Schedule a Site Development Pre-Application Meeting?
A pre-application meeting should be scheduled if:
- You are in the beginning phases of a project and would like feedback from the City regarding the site design,
- You applied for a building permit and were directed to schedule a pre-application meeting by City Staff
- You are seeking clarification on the required approvals and permits necessary for your proposed scope of work
How to Submit a Site Development Pre-Application Meeting?
STEP 1: Proceed to the JaxEPICS website
STEP 2: Click on "Applications" at the top of the screen. Then hover over "Start Meeting Application" and then click on "Site Development Pre-Application"
STEP 3: Proceed to follow the instructions that pop-up on the screen to complete the application
NOTE: Once you schedule a meeting time, a calendar invitation will be sent by email to all contacts entered on the request. Please note that these meetings are VIRTUAL and limited to 25 minutes. If you need additional time, we suggest that you schedule a second meeting following the first meeting time OR reply to the email invite requesting for an extended meeting.
NOTE: Attachments uploaded to the pre-application meeting (PAM) request must be PDF. Staff is unable to view JPEGs.
What Should I provide for the Site Development Pre-Application Meeting?
At the minimum, a survey/site plan of the property should be provided. The survey/site plan will provide reviewers with the overall site information they will need in order to determine what all will be necessary for the project to be completed. If no survey/site plan is provided, it will limit how much feedback the City is able to provide to the applicant.
Please ensure that the documents uploaded for the site development pre-application meeting are PDFs and not JPEGs. Staff is unable to view JPEGs. If you are unable to upload the document, please reach out to ReviewGRP@coj.net and Staff will upload the document on your behalf.
Who All Should Attend the Site Development Pre-Application Meeting?
The property owner and the design professional(s) (Architect, Engineer, etc.) should be in attendance. The feedback provided by City Staff may be specific, and if the property owner attends the meeting by themselves, they may not know how to correctly translate that information to the design professional who will be required to submit the correct documentation. The property owner is recommended to attend as they can provide answers to Staff questions that the design professional may not know.
What to Expect During a Site Development Pre-Application Meeting?
During the meeting, the facilitator will ask the applicant(s) to share their screen and provide a brief summary of their proposed scope of work. If the applicant(s) can not share their screen, the facilitator will share their screen using the plans submitted with the meeting request. Afterwards, the facilitator will call on City Staff members who are in attendance to provide the applicant(s) with their comments. After the Staff member provides their comments, there will be a moment for the applicant(s) to ask follow up questions. If more in-depth information is needed, the applicant can reach out to the Staff member individually after the meeting.
At the end of the meeting, Staff members will input the same comments discussed during the meeting into JaxEPICS within the notes section. When all Staff members have input their comments, the contact(s) listed on the meeting request will receive an email from JaxEPICS letting them know the comments are completed and their project number (JAX-XX-XXXXXX.000). Please note that you do not need to write down everything discussed at the meeting because it will be within the meeting notes provided to you.
The project number (JAX-XX-XXXXXX.000) is essentially a large folder for all your applications/permits within JaxEPICS to be housed under. It is recommended that you link all associated permits and COJ applications to the project number so it is easier for COJ staff to provide their reviews.
Typical Next Steps
(1) CIVIL PLANS REQUIRED: If civil plan review is required, the applicant should reach out to the Concurrency and Mobility Management System Office to obtain a City Development Number (CDN). Afterwards, the applicant will need to submit for civil plan review using JaxEPICS.
(2) SITE WORK PERMIT REQUIRED: If no civil plan review is required, but a site work permit is, the applicant's next steps are to apply for a site work permit (AKA Landscape Permit) through JaxEPICS. Site work permits are reviewed by the Landscape Section and are typically necessary when there are site changes that do not involve drainage or traffic review.
Commercial Redevelopment
The following situations are the most common reasons commercial redevelopment might require civil plan review. Sometimes civil plans are not required even if one of the below reasons applies, as it depends on how much of the existing site does or does not meet current code.
- The addition of impervious area
- Changes to the vehicle use area (VUA)
- Cumulative renovation cost is equal to at least 60% of the assessed value of the existing lot improvements as of two years ago (Ord. 2025-448-E)
- Cumulative square footage expansion of 60% or greater
- The construction/erection of any new structure(s)
Click HERE for a handout that briefly summarizes the information on this page.
Updated 8/25/2026