When a preliminary site plan is submitted, the municipal planner determines if it meets zoning (land development) codes and ordinances relating to use, intensity, density, height, and setback requirements for proposed structures. (In some cases, it is appropriate to consider factors that might not be specified in the zoning ordinance, for example, the adequacy of buffers between incompatible uses and the connectivity between developments, although such items may be difficult to require if not explicitly specified.) The planner will determine whether it becomes necessary for the community or the developer to provide public improvements, such as road expansion, sewer line extensions, or even park development. If so, a decision should include whether such improvements, and the costs associated with them, are in the community's best interests. It may be appropriate to consider a site plan in the context of other community plans, such as those for downtown revitalization, neighborhoods, various types of overlay plans, or capital improvements. The reviewers may impose reasonable conditions based on other plans. If not specified in a municipal legal document, the reviewer must be prudent and not try to set a precedent.

Large parking lots divided into landscaped sections minimize the extent of continuous impermeable surfaces. A subdivision's storm water run-off should be accommodated within a property's boundaries, since most codes do not permit drainage patterns to be altered beyond the site. A storm water retention pond (to hold water) or detention pond (to detain and release water) will minimize problems after heavy rains or snowmelt and provide a satisfying visual amenity. A landscape plan should use naturally occurring species; nature's method of trial and error has shown which trees and planting materials are most suitable for development. Appropriate landscape features can take many years to develop as nature intended.

In most cases, the planner forwards proposed site plans to other departments where staff is asked to respond within a relatively short time span (two to three weeks) so the coordinating planning staff person can consolidate and coordinate the comments and prepare a full report for the applicant in a timely manner.