Chapter 16.48
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Sections:
16.48.010 Grading permit application.
16.48.020 Grading plan requirements.
16.48.030 Soils and/or engineering geology investigation report required.
16.48.010 Grading permit application.
A. Grading permit applications shall be provided by the applicant in a form approved by the City Engineer.
B. A separate application, with plans, specifications and other supplemental data, shall be required for each grading permit. The application shall be signed by the owner or designated agent of the property to be graded.
C. A complete grading permit application shall be submitted for City review and approval along with the following items, completed and signed by the applicant or his representatives, unless otherwise waived or specified by the City Engineer or this code:
1. Transmittal letter;
2. Completed application form;
3. Grading plan including erosion control plans (six sets of prints);
4. Preliminary soils/engineering geologic investigation reports (three sets);
5. Hydrology and hydraulic report (three sets);
6. City conditions of approval (three sets);
7. Preliminary title report (three sets);
8. Initial grading plan check fees, initial and final soils review fees, and administrative fees as established by City Council resolution from time to time;
9. Letters of permission from the owners of any adjacent properties that are proposed to be graded on;
10. Haul route for import or export of excess material, including source of borrow material or disposal site; and
11. Water quality technical report for projects subject to SUSMP requirements. (Ord. 705 § 2, 2010; Ord. 683 § 64, 2008; Ord. 345, 1991)
16.48.020 Grading plan requirements.
A. A grading plan shall consist of a general set of plans on reproducible mylar sheets measuring 24 inches by 36 inches, drawn to a maximum of one-inch-equals-40-feet scale, showing the original and designed finish contours at a maximum interval of two feet, spot elevations of building pads and public improvements, slope ratios, proposed and existing drainage facilities and patterns, protective fencing, retaining walls, and any structures or buildings on adjacent properties within 15 feet of the common property lines, and the existing elevations of adjoining/adjacent properties and parcels.
B. All grading plans shall be signed by the engineer of work and the soils engineer.
C. All grading plans, regardless of the date of submittal, shall include an erosion control plan designed to limit erosion of all disturbed portions of the property and to eliminate the transport of soil onto adjacent properties or into streets, storm drains, or drainage ways to the maximum extent practicable.
D. A statement of quantities shall be on the plan, giving the estimated cubic yards of excavation, embankment, import, export, and the shrinkage or swell factor.
E. All grading plans shall include a vicinity map, clearly delineated property lines, all public and private easements, all public facilities and utilities, all drainage ways, prominent existing or natural terrain features, and setbacks from tops and toes of slopes to property lines or other features.
F. Precise grading plans shall show the footprint for all proposed structures, setback distances therefrom, detailed finish grading, finish floor elevations, yard swales and drains, and all concrete sidewalks, driveways, or flatwork which will be used for drainage or potentially obstruct drainage.
G. The title sheet of all grading plans shall show the names, addresses, and phone numbers of the site owner, the responsible civil engineer, project soils engineer and geologist, the person available on 24-hour call to provide erosion control installation, and the subdivider or developer of the property if different than the owner.
H. The grading plan shall include all standard City grading notes and show such other information as required by the City Engineer including any special conditions of approval. (Ord. 553, 2002; Ord. 345, 1991)
16.48.030 Soils and/or engineering geology investigation report required.
A. The City Engineer shall require a soils investigation and/or an engineering geology report to correlate surface and subsurface conditions with the proposed grading plan. The results of the investigation shall be presented in a report in conformance with the requirements of this code.
B. The City Engineer may require such supplemental reports and data as he deems necessary upon his review of the site and the reports and other data submitted. Such required data may include tests for soil fertility and agricultural suitability to be performed at the conclusion of rough grading by a recognized agronomic soil testing laboratory, with written analysis and recommendation, to be utilized during any required revegetation.
C. Three copies of each soils/engineering geologic report required in this section shall be submitted as part of the application for grading permit. Each report shall contain all information applicable to the project and shall be prepared accordance with generally accepted soils engineering practice to the satisfaction of the City Engineer.
D. Recommendations contained in the approved reports shall be incorporated into the grading plans and specifications and shall become conditions of the grading permit.
1. Preliminary Soils Report. The preliminary (initial) soils engineering report shall be prepared subsequent to a subsurface investigation of the site and shall include information and data regarding the nature, distribution and strength of existing soils and rock on the site, the physical properties of existing soils, slope stability analysis, fill/alluvial settlement analysis, liquefaction potential analysis, conclusions as to adequacy of the site for the proposed grading; recommendations for general and corrective grading procedures including the correction of weak or unstable soil conditions and treatment of any expansive soils that may be present, foundation and pavement design criteria, and shall provide other recommendations, as necessary, commensurate with the project grading and development.
2. Preliminary Engineering Geology Report.
a. Engineering geologic reports shall be required for all grading on hillside sites where geologic conditions are considered to have a substantial effect on existing and/or future site stability or where the height of cut slopes exceeds six feet unless the requirement is waived by the City Engineer. This requirement shall be extended to other sites suspected by the engineering geologist, geophysicist, geologist or City Engineer of being adversely affected by faulting, or by landslides.
b. The preliminary (initial) engineering geology report shall include a comprehensive description of the site topography and geology including a geology map, an opinion as to the adequacy of the proposed development from an engineering geologic standpoint, an opinion as to the extent that known or reasonably inferred instability on adjacent properties may adversely affect the project, a description of the nearest active faults and their locations, a description of the field investigation and findings, conclusions regarding the effect of geologic conditions on the proposed development, and specific recommendations for plan modification, corrective grading and/or special techniques and systems to facilitate a safe and stable development, and shall provide other recommendations as necessary, commensurate with the project grading and development. The preliminary engineering geology report may be combined with the preliminary soils engineering report.
c. Seismicity Report.
i. A seismicity report shall be required as a condition for issuance of a grading permit and/or building permit for all subdivisions (tracts) and all sites for public and semipublic structures (fire stations, nursing homes, etc.) and major structures, as determined by the City Engineer. Additionally, sites containing earthquake-sensitive earth materials and/or sites that are located on or near potentially active or active faults shall also require a seismicity report, as determined by the City Engineer.
ii. The seismicity report shall be prepared by an engineering geologist, geophysicist, or a geologist with expertise in earthquake technology and its application to buildings and other civil engineering works. The scope of the report shall be commensurate with the proposed development and shall reflect the state of the art. The seismic report may be combined with the soils and engineering geology reports. (Ord. 345, 1991)
16.48.040 Revegetation.
A. Revegetation shall be required for, but not limited to, all graded slopes, and for all graded areas determined by the City Engineer to be susceptible to erosion, within all residential, commercial and industrial development, subdivisions, lot divisions, condominium projects, planned developments, borrow areas, disposal areas, and other graded areas, unless such requirement is waived or amended by the City Engineer or City Landscape Architect in writing.
B. Revegetation shall consist of, at a minimum, hydroseeding with a native and/or naturalizing seed mix with provisions for temporary watering to provide for adequate ground cover and root growth to resist erosion of the soil.
C. The planting and irrigation shown on the plan shall conform to the City’s adopted Guide to Landscape Requirements (latest edition) and accepted industry standards with special consideration for soil conditions encountered within the project area. Extraordinary effort shall be made to develop water conservation programs throughout the planting, irrigation, and maintenance plans and specifications. (Ord. 705 § 2, 2010; Ord. 345, 1991)
16.48.050 Haul route.
A. If the grading project includes the import or export of earth material in an amount considered substantial by the City Engineer, the permittee shall submit the haul route for review and approval by the Development Services Department. Alternate routes or special requirements in consideration of the possible impact on the adjacent community environment, or the effect on the public right-of-way itself, may be prescribed by the City Engineer as a condition of the grading permit.
B. Deviation from this designated haul route shall constitute a violation of the conditions of the permit issued under this division.
C. The City Engineer may further specify load limits where, in his opinion, the standard load capacity of vehicles used in such hauling would cause excessive damage to streets on the designated route. Any grading or hauling contractor moving earth materials in violation of this division shall be financially responsible for any damage to the public streets done by the hauling vehicles, and shall pay to the City the cost, including reasonable overhead charges as determined by the City Engineer, of repairing such damage.
D. At least 24 hours before hauling is to commence, the applicant shall also be required to notify the City’s Project Engineer. The City Engineer may require traffic-control devices to be provided by the applicant where reasonably necessary to protect public health, safety and general welfare.
E. The permit may specify other conditions, including the posting of a cash bond, which may be determined necessary in order to minimize disruption of normal traffic activities and public inconvenience, and to prevent or minimize damage to public or private streets or improvements. (Ord. 518, 1999; Ord. 345, 1991)
16.48.060 Other data.
A. Unless waived by the City Engineer, the applicant shall submit hydrology and hydraulic calculations and drainage area maps to determine the quantity of runoff generated by or tributary to the site, and its effects on the site or upon upstream or downstream properties. Erosion and sediment transfer studies, and other supporting data may be required.
B. Limits of inundation on the subject property during specified storm frequencies may be required to be delineated on the grading plan, along with the submittal of supporting calculations.
C. The civil engineer responsible for preparation of the plans may also be required to certify that the building pads to be created through any proposed grading are free from inundation from runoff from specified storms and to provide floodplain elevations and widths, sheet flow depths, floodway elevations and widths, and any other data required by the City Engineer, or by any applicable County, State or Federal flood protection insurance program or requirement.
D. The civil engineer or applicant may also be required to prepare and submit suitable studies and data regarding percolation and permeability characteristics of the soils and their suitability for the use of septic tanks, groundwater hydrology studies, data, and tests regarding the quantity and quality of groundwater which can be produced from properties not served by City water systems, and its adequacy for domestic and agricultural use and for fire protection. (Ord. 345, 1991)