There is nothing wrong with the committee saying they approve a project (or otherwise) in principle but subject to the usual by-laws and owners corporation approvals. Asking someone to go and get all the paperwork, by-laws and detailed design done before you even look at it is a bit much when it could say from the beginning whether or not it supports the plan and why, allowing the applicant to make adjustments or even abandon the project before they go too far down the road. The committee can’t approve major renovations and it can only place conditions on work for minor changes.
Saying that a proposal is OK subject to approval by the Owners Corporation, including relevant by-laws, doesn’t commit either party to anything, except to consider the proposal on its merits.