The subdivider shall construct all required improvements both on and off-site according to approved standards or approved conditions of approval, as determined by the planning commission.
No final map or parcel map shall be filed with the county recorder until the subdivider either completes the required improvements, or enters into an improvement agreement with the county agreeing to do such work.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
Proper subdivision improvements ensure that important social and economic interests of Lassen County and its citizens will be protected. Safe and adequate access for vehicular and pedestrian traffic is a fundamental part of land development projects and a requirement for county approval. To ensure these basic principles, the county has developed and implemented minimum standards commensurate with various land uses and road locations.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
(a) 
"Design" means:
(1) 
Street alignments, grades and widths;
(2) 
Drainage and sanitary facilities and utilities, including alignments and grades thereof;
(3) 
Location and size of all required easements and rights-of-way;
(4) 
Fire roads and firebreaks;
(5) 
Lot size and configuration;
(6) 
Traffic access;
(7) 
Grading;
(8) 
Land to be dedicated for park or recreational purposes; and
(9) 
Such other specific physical requirements in the plan and configuration of the entire subdivision as may be necessary to ensure consistency with, or implementation of, the General Plan or any applicable specific plan.
(b) 
"Improvement" refers to:
(1) 
Any street work and utilities to be installed, or agreed to be installed, by the subdivider on the land to be used for public or private streets, highways, ways, and easements, as are necessary for the general use of the lot owners in the subdivision and local neighborhood traffic and drainage needs as a condition precedent to the approval and acceptance of the final map or parcel map thereof; and
(2) 
Any other specific improvements or types of improvements, the installation of which, either by the subdivider, by public agencies, by private utilities, by any other entity approved by the local agency, or by a combination thereof, is necessary to ensure consistency with, or implementation of, the General Plan or any applicable specific plan.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
Road patterns must be planned in accordance with area-wide plans of the county, affected cities and the state. The department of planning and building services, department of public works, the transportation commission and city and/or state officials are involved in approving public street patterns. The coordination of approvals for road improvement plans by the various agencies and signing of individual plans is the responsibility of the subdivider or consulting engineer.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
Certain areas of the county have been identified by the county zoning title (Title 18 of the Lassen County Code) as being appropriate for residential and agricultural-residential development, which are not presently served by paved county maintained access routes. In an effort to increase safe and adequate access opportunities for residents of the county who reside in established or designated residential or agricultural-residential areas, the board of supervisors has established the following policies:
(a) 
Existing and future paved county maintained roads will be maintained in a reasonable manner by the county if currently maintained by the county or if accepted into the county maintained road system.
(b) 
The public works department/road division may recommend to the subdivider that participation in the maintenance of unpaved county maintained roads may be required when such roads are to be used for access to the subdivision, regardless of the required road standard for circulation within the proposed subdivision.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
Completion of improvements shall be in accordance with Section 16.32.370 of this chapter. The construction of improvements shall conform to current standards adopted by the county of Lassen, which may include, but not be limited to, the following:
(a) 
Street and Frontage Improvements. The street and frontage for each lot shall be improved in conformance with currently adopted county standards, including street structural section, curbs, sidewalk and driveways. Such improvements shall be required for all project streets.
(b) 
Drainage. In all cases, regardless of proposed lot or parcel areas, natural or engineered drainage shall be sufficient to eliminate any threat to the public health and safety. Stormwater runoff from the subdivision shall be collected and conveyed by an approved storm drain system. The storm drain system shall be designed for the foreseeable total development of the watershed. The storm drain system shall also provide for the protection of abutting and off-site properties that would be adversely affected by any increase in runoff attributed to the development; off-site storm drainage improvements may be required to satisfy this requirement.
(c) 
Sanitary Sewers. Each unit or lot within the subdivision shall be served by an approved individual or community sanitary sewer system.
(d) 
Community Sewer Systems. All community sewer systems shall be reviewed and approved by the director of public works or designated representative and the county environmental health department.
(e) 
Water Supply.
(1) 
Each unit or lot within the subdivision shall be served by an approved individual or community domestic water system.
(2) 
If a community water system is to be established or if the subdivision is to be served by an existing mutual, community water system, all new improvements must be constructed to the standards of the appropriate governmental agency. Plans for such water systems shall be reviewed and approved by the director of public works or designated representative for local requirements.
(f) 
Utilities.
(1) 
Public electric and telephone facilities shall be available to each unit or lot within the subdivision. Except in the case of a segregated homesite and the creation of agricultural parcels in excess of one hundred sixty acres, when a proposed subdivision is located in an area where public telephone and electric utilities are not available, the project may be approved provided that it shall be a condition of approval that a statement of ineligibility for construction of any residential, commercial or industrial structure or building (excluding agricultural buildings), on any such parcel which sets forth remedial action required to rectify such deficiency shall appear upon the map or map waiver document and deed or other instrument transferring ownership of any such parcel.
(2) 
When a subdivision is located within the service area of one or more cable television services, the design of the subdivision shall provide an opportunity for one or more cable television systems to construct, install and maintain, on land identified on the map as dedicated or to be dedicated to public utility use, any equipment necessary to extend cable television services to each residential parcel in the subdivision.
(g) 
Underground Utilities.
(1) 
All utilities within a subdivision designated by the General Plan for urban residential, estate residential, rural residential, commercial or industrial land use, or identified by the planning commission as being consistent with such designations, shall be placed underground. Undergrounding may be required along peripheral streets.
(2) 
The developer may request that the undergrounding requirement be waived by the planning commission for parcels larger than three acres in size in those instances where the utility company, which is responsible to provide electrical or telephone service to the project, certifies to the planning commission at the public hearing held to consider approval of the project that, due to technical or physical limitations relating to the site or the utility system, the undergrounding of on-site utilities would be impractical. As a condition of waiving the undergrounding requirement the planning commission may accept a fee in lieu of undergrounding such utilities or require other appropriate action.
(h) 
Landscaping. Landscaping shall be required as follows for projects located:
(1) 
In design review districts, as specified in Title 18 of this code, and where the architectural review committee has adopted standards for landscape improvement; or
(2) 
In commercial or industrial districts which require design review pursuant to Title 18 of this code and where the architectural review committee has adopted standards for landscape improvement; or
(3) 
In areas designated for density of over one residential dwelling unit per acre, front yard landscaping, as approved by the architectural review committee. The subdivider may ensure the future construction of such landscaping by any means approved by the architectural review committee, including a recorded statement of covenants, conditions and restrictions.
(i) 
Street Names and Street Signs. All roads and streets with an improvement shall be named by the developer subject to the approval of the director of public works or designated representative. Street name signs shall be furnished and erected by the developer and shall conform to the requirements of the Lassen County department of public works.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
(a) 
"Right-of-way" means a recorded road easement connecting a newly created parcel with an existing publicly maintained street or highway. Such deeded road easement shall be secured prior to submittal of an application for division of real property. Widths of required road easements shall be consistent with the requirements of this chapter. An application for the subdivision of property which is contiguous to existing substandard road easements or which propose to utilize such an existing easement for access to the project shall be required to add sufficient property to said road easement to create an easement which meets the minimum applicable standard.
(b) 
Rights-of-way within or through the parcel(s) created shall be offered for dedication to the county. Such rights-of-way may not be accepted by the county unless and until such time as the roads are improved to the required county road standard. Nothing contained herein shall be construed to require approval or acceptance of any roads into the county maintained road system.
(1) 
A variance may be granted from the right-of-way width requirements of this chapter by the planning commission upon making a finding that the strict application of the right-of-way standards would create easements in excess of what is necessary for the maximum potential improvement of the project site and surrounding properties, when the current county General Plan is considered.
(2) 
A variance from the road construction standards contained in this chapter may be granted by the planning commission:
(A) 
After conducting a public hearing on the project, finding that the weight of the evidence contained in the record indicates that the granting of such a variance would not be detrimental to the health, safety or general welfare of the citizens of Lassen County and that the approval of the requested variance would not be inconsistent with the county General Plan.
(B) 
Should the board of supervisors consider a request for variance of the road standards set forth in this chapter upon an appeal of the decision of the planning commission, it shall be required to make the findings set forth in the section. Appeals shall be limited to a review of the record which was presented to the planning commission and other evidence which could not have been presented to the planning commission.
(c) 
No approval shall be given for access based on a claim of prescriptive right, where such right does not appear of record, provided that where the fact of unapproved access to each parcel affected is disclosed upon the final map or parcel map, this defect shall not by itself, constitute grounds for disapproval of such map, where each resulting parcel served by such unapproved access is not less than forty acres in gross area. In such cases, it shall be a condition of approval that a statement of ineligibility for construction of any residential, commercial, or industrial structure or building on any such parcel which provides for remedial action shall appear upon the map or map waiver document and deed or other instrument transferring ownership of any such parcel.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
(a) 
General. The subdivider shall design and construct all subdivision roads and streets in conformance with: (1) the current Standard Specifications and Highway Design Manual of the State of California, Department of Public Works, Division of Highways; (2) special provisions provided by the county; (3) special provisions provided by the subdivider's engineer and approved by the county; or (4) any combination of the above as required by the county. Where guidance is provided in the county General Plan or any area plan thereto, road and street standards shall conform to the level of improvement designated therein.
(b) 
Relation to Topography. Topographic conditions shall, to the greatest extent possible, determine the general pattern of blocks and alignment of streets, highways and ways.
(c) 
Relation to Adjoining and Adjacent Street System. The arrangement of streets shall provide for the direct continuation of the centerline of the principal existing streets or highways. In general, such streets shall be improved to a standard consistent with existing streets and roads in the adjoining area. However, new streets may be required to be constructed to higher standards.
(d) 
Street Grades. Street grades for newly proposed parcels shall generally not exceed eight percent unless topographical conditions make grades in excess of eight percent necessary and appropriate, and such grades are approved of by the director of public works or designated representative. In accordance with Section 9.16.140 of the Lassen County Code, road and street grades no greater than sixteen percent shall be allowed for existing legally created parcels.
(e) 
Curves. The minimum radii of curves, measured on centerline, shall be as follows: county select and minor highways: five hundred feet, except in mountainous areas where a minimum radius of two hundred fifty feet will be accepted. Local roads and streets: one hundred feet except where topographic or other conditions make the enforcement of this minimum impractical in the opinion of the director of public works or designated representative. For central angles smaller than thirty minutes no curve is required.
(f) 
Intersections. The intersections of streets shall be at an angle of ninety degrees or as close to such an angle as is practicable, but in no case shall an intersection be at an angle less than sixty degrees.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
(a) 
The following standards represent the county minimum standards for public and private road and street construction necessary to subdivide land within the jurisdictional boundary of the county of Lassen. If, based on the record of the proceedings, it is determined to be in the public interest, the board of supervisors or planning commission may, at their discretion, require street improvements in excess of those specified herein.
(1) 
Paved Urban Streets. Paved urban streets shall be required:
(A) 
For land division applications in existing or proposed zoning districts which allow the creation of parcels of one acre or less, excepting those parcels created by segregation of homesite under Section 18.108.250 of the Lassen County Code; or
(B) 
Where the project site has been designated as urban residential by the current county General Plan.
Construction of paved urban streets shall be in conformance with the standards for Road Section Number 1, as illustrated in the diagram below, and will be considered for acceptance into the county maintained road system. The requirement for curbs, gutters and sidewalks may be met by the provision of appropriate class bicycle/pedestrian paths. Where opportunities exist within the proposed subdivision for alternative off-street parking areas, consideration may be given to a request to modify the required width. If the road is not accepted into the county maintained road system, roads of this type shall be privately maintained in accordance with Section 845 of the Civil Code, State of California. Prior to recordation of the final map, parcel map or parcel map waiver, a Private Road Maintenance Agreement shall be appropriately executed in accordance with said Section 845 detailing road maintenance requirements, snow removal, and other requirements of said section for each parcel being created that will utilize said road. The Private Road Maintenance Agreement shall be recorded in the official records of Lassen County and shall be perpetual, thus remaining in effect after any subsequent transfers or conveyances of the subject parcels.
(2) 
Typical Collector Streets. Typical collector streets will normally be designed through the special designed streets provisions of this title. Generally, a typical collector street would be required for project streets which are to serve development on surrounding properties, either at present or in the future.
Construction of typical collector streets shall conform with the standards for Road Section Number 2, as illustrated in the diagram below, and will be considered for acceptance into the county maintained road system. If the road is not accepted into the county maintained road system, roads of this type shall be privately maintained in accordance with Section 845 of the Civil Code, State of California. Prior to recordation of the final map, parcel map or parcel map waiver, a Private Road Maintenance Agreement shall be appropriately executed in accordance with said Section 845 detailing road maintenance requirements, snow removal, and other requirements of said section for each parcel being created that will utilize said road. The Private Road Maintenance Agreement shall be recorded in the official records of Lassen County and shall be perpetual, thus remaining in effect after any subsequent transfers or conveyances of the subject parcels.
(3) 
Paved Rural Streets. Paved rural streets shall be required:
(A) 
Where it is anticipated that, due to the General Plan designation of the property or lands in the area, the ultimate road standard necessary to serve the area would be a paved street; or
(B) 
For divisions of property where more than ten parcels are, or will be, served by the access road for the project.
Construction of paved rural streets shall be in conformance with the standards for Road Section Number 3, as illustrated in the diagram below, and will be considered for acceptance into the county maintained road system. If the road is not accepted into the county maintained road system, roads of this type shall be privately maintained in accordance with Section 845 of the Civil Code, State of California. Prior to recordation of the final map, parcel map or parcel map waiver, a Private Road Maintenance Agreement shall be appropriately executed in accordance with said Section 845 detailing road maintenance requirements, snow removal, and other requirements of said section for each parcel being created that will utilize said road. The Private Road Maintenance Agreement shall be recorded in the official records of Lassen County and shall be perpetual, thus remaining in effect after any subsequent transfers or conveyances of the subject parcels.
(4) 
Unpaved Rural Streets. This classification of roadway is intended to serve projects which are located in areas where it is determined by the approving body, through the discretionary consideration of the project, that it is not necessary to improve the road to a paved standard. Unpaved rural streets shall meet all of the following requirements:
(A) 
Unpaved rural streets shall be permitted for divisions of property where ten or fewer existing or proposed parcels will be served by the access road after recordation of the final map, parcel map or parcel map waiver.
(B) 
The required width shall be determined by the approving body, in accordance with the following:
(i) 
When it is not anticipated that the future density of property or the surrounding area would require improvement of the roadway to a paved standard, a twenty-six foot width shall be applied.
(ii) 
When the approving body determines that there is a reasonable possibility that the roadway will require improvement to a paved standard, a twenty-eight foot width shall be applied, pursuant to the standards set forth in this chapter.
Construction of unpaved rural streets shall be in conformance with the standards for Road Section Number 4 as illustrated in the diagram below. Roads of this type shall be privately maintained in accordance with Section 845 of the Civil Code, State of California. Prior to recordation of the final map, parcel map or parcel map waiver, a Private Road Maintenance Agreement shall be appropriately executed in accordance with said Section 845 detailing road maintenance requirements, snow removal, and other requirements of said section for each parcel being created that will utilize said road. The Private Road Maintenance Agreement shall be recorded in the official records of Lassen County and shall be perpetual, thus remaining in effect after any subsequent transfers or conveyances of the subject parcels.
(5) 
Limited Access Roads. Limited access roads may be allowed for divisions of property where all of the following requirements are met:
(A) 
The project meets all applicable requirements of Chapter 9.16 (Fire Hazards) of the Lassen County Code.
(B) 
The limited access road may serve no more than four parcels after approval of the project (excluding any remainder). To allow a limited access road, the approving body must make a determination that the ultimate build-out of the road will serve no more than four parcels based on zoning, General Plan designation, topography, or other features.
Construction of Limited Access Roads shall be in conformance with the standards for Road Section Number 5 as illustrated in the diagram below. Roads of this type shall be privately maintained in accordance with Section 845 of the Civil Code, State of California. Prior to recordation of the final map, parcel map or parcel map waiver, a Private Road Maintenance Agreement shall be appropriately executed in accordance with said Section 845 detailing road maintenance requirements, snow removal, and other requirements of said section for each parcel being created that will utilize said road, unless the Limited Access Road is only serving one parcel, in which instance an agreement is not needed. The Private Road Maintenance Agreement, if applicable, shall be recorded in the Official Records of Lassen County and shall be perpetual, thus remaining in effect after any subsequent transfers or conveyances of the subject parcels.
(6) 
Any road, or portion of a road, located entirely on the parcel it serves shall satisfy the applicable road and driveway requirements detailed in Chapter 9.16 (Fire Hazards) of the Lassen County Code prior to recordation of a final map, parcel map or parcel map waiver.
(7) 
Special Designed Streets. Special designed streets shall be required for divisions of property which are zoned for commercial or industrial use, or where use of the property is to be for commercial or industrial purposes, or where the current county General Plan has designated the property as commercial or industrial. Special designed streets shall also be required for streets which are identified by the planning commission or designated by the county General Plan or any area plan as highways, major collectors, collectors, or arterial roadways or alleys. Standards for traffic index, structural section, right-of-way, maximum grade and all other technical aspects of road improvements are to be as approved on a case-by-case basis. Special designed streets shall be paved unless otherwise approved.
(8) 
Partially Paved Roads (Incremental Road Improvement). This subsection is applicable in situations where parcels are proposed to be created that would utilize an existing road that does not meet the road requirements detailed in this section at the time an application is submitted. It is the intent of this subsection for any such projects to make appropriate improvements to the access road proportional to the number of parcels proposed as compared to the number of parcels currently utilizing said road.
For land division projects which utilize roads or road networks which connect to a paved publicly maintained street or highway, and which serve more than ten existing parcels at the time an application is submitted, the project access road shall be improved to the appropriate paved standard as specified below:
(A) 
Unpaved project access road(s) shall be improved to the appropriate paved street standard detailed in this section from the paved publicly maintained street or highway to a point along the project access road where ten or fewer parcels are served by the road. The remaining section of the roadway shall be constructed to an appropriate alternate road standard; or
(B) 
If it is determined that it is not prudent to partially pave the access road as detailed above, the applicant may propose other suitable improvements to said access road. Any such proposal must be explicitly detailed in the application and be specifically approved by the approving body, otherwise the incremental road improvement requirements detailed above are applicable.
(9) 
Extent of Road Improvement. Project access roads shall be improved to the appropriate standard, as required by this title, from a publicly maintained street or highway to the project site, and shall serve all proposed parcels. In no instance shall an applicant for a land division project be required to improve a project access road from a paved publicly maintained street or highway to a point beyond the boundaries of the proposed project site in order to satisfy the minimum standards found in this chapter.
(b) 
For land division applications which require paved streets and where there are two or more accesses to paved publicly maintained streets or highways are proposed or required, at least one project access road shall be improved to the appropriate paved street standard.
(c) 
The applicant shall construct other project access roads to the appropriate alternate standard unless the planning commission finds that, because of public health and safety concerns, a paved public street shall be required.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4; Ord. 2025-04, 7/22/2025)
(a) 
The planning commission may consider deviations from the road standards of this chapter, when the subdivision of land is in conjunction with a planned development permit application (pursuant to Lassen County Code Chapter 18.116), and a homeowners' association is to be formed, which has, as one of its responsibilities, charge of all road construction and maintenance responsibility.
(b) 
The planning commission may consider deviations from the road standards of this chapter, when the applicant demonstrates through statements, plans and other evidence all of the following:
(1) 
That there are exceptional or extraordinary circumstances, or conditions applying to the land, or use referred to in the application(s), which do not apply generally to land, and/or uses in other areas of Lassen County;
(2) 
That the granting of the waiver is necessary for the preservation and enjoyment of substantial property rights of the applicant;
(3) 
That the granting of such application will not, under the circumstances of the particular case, materially affect adversely the health or safety of persons residing or working in the neighborhood of the property of the applicant, and will not, under the circumstances of the particular case, be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to property or improvements in said neighborhood.
(c) 
In no case shall deviations approved by the planning commission reduce road standards below the level required by the Lassen County Fire Hazards Ordinance (Chapter 9.16 of Lassen County Code).
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4; Ord. 2025-04, 7/22/2025)
Structural section design shall be in conformance with the latest edition of the California Department of Transportation Highway Design Manual. A minimum traffic index of 5.0 shall be used in the design criterion. In the case of unpaved standards, a minimum A.C. (asphalt concrete) section of 0.2 ft. shall be assumed to achieve the minimum traffic index once paved.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
Improvement agreements for parcel map improvements which are valued at less than ten thousand dollars shall be reviewed and approved by the director of public works or designated representative together with acceptable security. Improvement agreements in excess of ten thousand dollars shall be processed in accordance with Section 16.32.130.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
A subdivision improvement agreement shall be prepared and signed by the director of public works or designated representative, signed by the subdivider, approved as to form by the county counsel and approved by the board of supervisors. The agreement shall provide for:
(a) 
Construction of all improvements according to the approved plans and specifications on file with the director of public works or designated representative;
(b) 
Completion of improvements within the time specified by Section 16.32.350;
(c) 
Right of the county to modify plans and specifications to ensure public health, safety and welfare;
(d) 
Warranty by subdivider that construction will not adversely affect any portion of any adjacent properties;
(e) 
Payment of inspection fees in accordance with the county's resolution establishing fees and charges;
(f) 
Payment of in-lieu fees for undergrounding of utilities on peripheral streets, payment of in-lieu fees for parkland dedication;
(g) 
Payment of drainage district or area fees;
(h) 
Improvement security as required by this title;
(i) 
Maintenance and repair of any defects or failures and causes thereof;
(j) 
Release of the county from all liability incurred by the development and payment of all reasonable attorney's fees that the county may incur because of any legal action arising from the development;
(k) 
Any other deposits, fees or conditions as required by county ordinance or resolution and as may be required by the director of public works or designated representative.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
(a) 
Where remainders are made part of a final map or parcel map, the subdivider may enter into an agreement with the county to construct improvements within the remainder at some future date and prior to the issuance of a permit or other grant of approval for the development of a remainder parcel. The improvements shall be at the subdivider's expense. In the absence of an agreement, the county may require fulfillment of the construction requirements within a reasonable time following approval of the map, upon a finding that fulfillment of the construction requirements is necessary for reasons of:
(1) 
The public health and safety; or
(2) 
The required construction is a necessary prerequisite to the orderly development of the surrounding area.
(b) 
In accordance with Section 66424.6(d) of the Subdivision Map Act, a designated remainder or any omitted parcel may subsequently be sold without any further requirement of the filing of a final map or parcel map, but the local agency may require a certificate of compliance or a conditional certificate of compliance.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
The design and layout of all required improvements both on and off-site, private and public, shall conform to generally acceptable engineering standards and to such standards as approved by the director of public works or designated representative.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
(a) 
The design of a subdivision for which a tentative map is required, pursuant to Chapter 16.12 of this title, shall provide, to the extent feasible, for future passive or natural heating or cooling opportunities in the subdivision.
(b) 
Examples of passive or natural heating opportunities in subdivision design include design of lot size and configuration to permit orientation of a structure in an east-west alignment for southern exposure and to take advantage of shade or prevailing breezes.
(c) 
In providing for future passive or natural heating or cooling opportunities in the design of a subdivision, consideration shall be given to local climate, to contour, to configuration of the parcel to be divided, to other design and improvement requirements, and such provisions shall not result in reducing allowable densities or the percentage of a lot which may be occupied by a building or structure under applicable planning and zoning in force at the time the tentative map is filed.
(d) 
The requirements of this section do not apply to condominium projects which consist of the subdivision of airspace in an existing building when no new structures are added.
(e) 
For the purposes of this section, "feasible" means capable of being accomplished in a successful manner within a reasonable period of time, taking into account environmental, social and technological factors.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
Improvement plans shall be prepared under the direction of and signed by a registered civil engineer licensed by the state of California and submitted to the director of public works or designated representative for approval. Improvement plans may include, but not be limited to, grading, drainage, landscaping, streets, utilities, rights-of-entry and related facilities. The consulting engineer is responsible for obtaining the approval and necessary permits of governmental or municipal agencies when their facilities are involved.
Improvement plan standards required for plan approval by the director of public works or designated representative will be available in the director of public works' office. The standard to which the plans will be judged as acceptable will be based on the construction requirements of the improvements with respect to the California Department of Transportation's Standard Plans, Highway Design Manual, and Standard Construction Specifications and to generally recognized standards of the profession.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
The improvement plans shall show complete plans, profiles and details for all required improvements to be constructed, both public and private, including common areas. Reference may be made to the county of Lassen, state, or other local agency standard specifications in lieu of duplicating the specific details at the director of public works or designated representative's discretion.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
Hydrology, hydraulic plans and calculations, bond estimates and any structural calculations as may be required, shall be submitted with the improvement plans to the director of public works or designated representative. All calculations shall be legible, systematic and signed, dated and stamped by a registered civil engineer licensed by the state of California and in a form approved by the director of public works or designated representative.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
The subdivider shall submit a minimum of two sets of the improvement plans and all computations to the director of public works or designated representative for review. Upon completion of the review, one set of the preliminary plans, with the required revisions indicated, will be returned to the subdivider's engineer.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
(a) 
After completing all required revisions, the subdivider's engineer shall transmit the originals of the improvement plans to the director of public works or designated representative for signature.
(b) 
Upon finding that all required revisions have been made and that the plans conform to all applicable county ordinances, design review requirements and conditions of approval of the tentative map, including signed approval by agencies as identified by those conditions, the director of public works or designated representative shall sign and date the plans. The originals will be returned to the subdivider's engineer.
(c) 
Approval of the improvement plans shall not be construed as approval of the sanitary sewer, water, gas or electric service construction plans, specifically non-county owned and maintained facilities.
(d) 
Approval by the director of public works or designated representative shall in no way relieve the subdivider or the subdivider's engineer from responsibility for the design of the improvements and for any deficiencies resulting from the design or from any required conditions of approval of the tentative map.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
(a) 
(1) 
By Subdivider. Requests by the subdivider or by the subdivider's engineer for revisions to the approved plans appearing necessary or desirable during construction shall be submitted in writing to the director of public works or designated representative and shall be accompanied by revised drawings showing the proposed revisions. The original proposal shall not be eradicated from the plans, but shall be lined out. In the event that eradicating the original proposal is necessary to maintain clarity of the plans, approval must first be obtained from the director of public works or designated representative. If the revision is acceptable, the originals shall be submitted to the director of public works' office for initialing. The originals shall be returned to the subdivider's engineer and the revised plans shall be immediately transmitted to the director of public works or designated representative. Construction of any proposed revision will not be permitted to commence until revised plans have been received and forwarded to the director of public works or designated representative. Minor changes which do not affect the basic design or contract may be made upon the authorization of the director of public works or designated representative, but said changes must be shown on "record" plans when the contract is completed.
(2) 
By Director of Public Works. When revisions are deemed necessary by the director of public works or designated representative to protect public health and safety, or as field conditions may require, a request in writing shall be made to the subdivider and the subdivider's engineer. The subdivider's engineer shall revise the plans and transmit the originals to the director of public works or designated representative for initialing within the time specified by the director of public works or designated representative.
(b) 
Upon receipt of the initialed originals, the subdivider's engineer shall immediately transmit revised drawings to the director of public works or designated representative. Construction of all or any portion of the improvements may be stopped by the director of public works or designated representative until revised drawings have been submitted.
(c) 
The subdivider may appeal revisions required by the director of public works or designated representative to the board of supervisors by filing an appeal with the county clerk within two working days following receipt of the request to revise the plans.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
Costs incurred by the county for the checking of plans or calculations or inspection as a result of revisions to the approved plans shall be borne by the subdivider at actual cost. A deposit, when required, shall be submitted with the revised prints and applied toward the actual costs.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
The consulting engineer shall keep an accurate record of all approved deviations from the plans and shall provide two copies of these records to the director of public works or designated representative upon completion of the work before final approval of the completed subdivision improvements.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
(a) 
Any improvement, agreement, contract or act required or authorized by the Government Code of the State of California for which security is required, shall be secured in accordance with Section 66499 of the Government Code and as provided below.
(b) 
No final map or parcel map shall be recorded until all improvement securities required by this section have been received and approved.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
(a) 
The form of security shall be one or the combination of the following at the option of and subject to the approval of the county:
(1) 
Bond or bonds by one or more duly authorized corporate sureties;
(2) 
An instrument of credit from one or more financial institutions subject to regulation by the state or federal government and pledging that the funds necessary to carry out the act or agreement are on deposit and guaranteed for payment;
(3) 
Cash deposit.
(b) 
The provisions of the bond or bonds shall be in accordance with Sections 66499.1 and 66499.2 of the Government Code.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
(a) 
A performance bond or security in the amount of one hundred percent of the estimated construction cost to guarantee the construction or installation of all improvements shall be required of all subdivisions.
(b) 
The estimate of improvement costs shall be as approved by the director of public works or designated representative and shall provide for:
(1) 
Twenty-five percent of the total construction cost for contingencies;
(2) 
Increase for projected inflation computed to the estimated midpoint of construction;
(3) 
All utility installation costs or a certification acceptable to the director of public works or designated representative from the utility company that adequate security has been deposited to ensure installation;
(4) 
In addition to the full amount of the security, there shall be included costs and reasonable expenses and fees, including attorney's fees, incurred in enforcing the obligation secured.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
Upon acceptance of the subdivision improvements by the county, the subdivider shall provide security in the amount as required by the director of public works or designated representative to guarantee the improvements throughout the warranty period. The amount of the warranty security shall be not less than ten percent of the cost of the construction of the improvements, including the cash bond which shall be retained for the one-year warranty period.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
The director of public works or designated representative may authorize in writing the release of a portion of the security in conjunction with the acceptance of the satisfactory completion of a part of the improvements as the work progresses upon application by the subdivider, but in no case shall the security be reduced to less than ten percent of the total improvement security given for faithful performance. The amount of reduction of the security shall be determined by the director of public works or designated representative; however, in no event shall the director of public works or designated representative authorize a release of the improvement security which would reduce security to an amount below that required to guarantee the completion of the improvements and any other obligation imposed by this title, the State of California Government Code, or the improvement agreement.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
(a) 
Performance Security. The performance security shall be released only upon acceptance of the improvements by the county and when an approved warranty security has been filed with the director of public works or designated representative. If warranty security is not submitted, performance security shall be released twelve months after acceptance of improvements and correction of all warranty deficiencies.
(b) 
Material and Labor Security. Security given to secure payment to the contractor, subcontractors and to persons furnishing labor, materials or equipment may, ninety days after the completion and acceptance of the improvements by the director of public works or designated representative, be reduced to an amount equal to the amount of all claims previously filed and of which notice has been given to the director of public works or designated representative. The balance of the security shall be released upon the settlement of all such claims and obligations for which the security was given.
(c) 
Warranty Security. The warranty security shall be released upon satisfactory completion of the warranty period provided:
(1) 
All deficiencies appearing on the warranty deficiency list for the subdivision have been corrected;
(2) 
Not less than twelve months have elapsed since the acceptance of the improvements by the director of public works or designated representative.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
(a) 
The construction methods and materials for all improvements shall conform to the Standard Specifications of the Department of Transportation, state of California, and applicable county and local standards. The general provisions of the standard specifications shall apply to the subdivider where applicable. All construction methods and materials for all improvements shall conform to Subchapter 4, Construction Safety Orders, Chapter 4, Division of Industrial Safety, Division 1 Department of Industrial Relations, Title 8 Industrial Relations, of the California Code of Regulations.
(b) 
Construction shall not commence until required improvement plans have been approved by the director of public works or designated representative subject to requirements of Section 16.32.350.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
The consulting engineer shall be responsible for advising the contractor to give the following notices and have in his/her possession the following permits and plans:
(a) 
Contractor shall be in receipt of official county approved plans prior to construction;
(b) 
Contractor shall notify all utility companies involved in the development prior to beginning of work;
(c) 
Contractor shall notify "Underground Service Alert of Northern California" (USA North, phone 811) two working days in advance before any digging;
(d) 
Contractor shall be responsible for the protection of all existing survey monuments as required by Section 8771(a)—(f) of the Business and Professions Code (Professional Land Surveyors' Act) and shall notify the county surveyor of any damaged or removed county, state or bureau monuments. If any monument is disturbed by construction activities, it shall be reset by or under the direction of a California registered civil engineer authorized to practice land surveying or by a California licensed land surveyor;
(e) 
The contractor shall verify all street names with the department of public works and county surveyor before ordering street signs;
(f) 
Contractor shall be responsible for conducting operations entirely outside of any floodplain boundaries unless it is part of the plan. Floodplain boundaries shall be clearly delineated in the field prior to construction;
(g) 
Contractor shall be responsible for conducting operations entirely outside of any no-grading area. These areas shall be clearly delineated in the field prior to construction;
(h) 
Where work is being done within an off-site easement, the contractor shall notify the property owner forty-eight hours prior to commencing work.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
(a) 
Inspection Requirements. Any improvements intended for county assumption of maintenance responsibility shall be inspected during construction by the director of public works or designated representative. Each phase of construction shall be inspected and approved prior to proceeding to subsequent phases.
(1) 
Pre-Construction Conference. Prior to commencing any construction, the subdivider shall arrange for a pre-construction conference with the director of public works or designated representative.
(2) 
Private on-site grading and drainage shall be inspected during construction by the director of public works or designated representative.
Any improvements constructed without inspection as provided above or constructed contrary to the order or instructions of the director of public works or designated representative will be deemed as not complying with county standards and will not be accepted by the county of Lassen for maintenance purposes.
(b) 
The subdivider's engineer shall notify the director of public works or designated representative when the contractor first calls for grades and staking and shall provide the director of public works or designated representative with a copy of all cut sheets.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
(a) 
Upon completion of the subdivision improvements, the developer shall apply in writing to the director of public works or designated representative for a preliminary final inspection. The director of public works or designated representative shall schedule a preliminary final inspection.
(b) 
A deficiency list shall be compiled during the inspection, noting all corrections or any additional work required. If the number of items is excessive or the subdivision appears incomplete, the preliminary final inspection may be halted and rescheduled on a date as determined by the director of public works or designated representative.
(c) 
When the preliminary final inspection has been completed, a copy of the deficiency list shall be transmitted to the subdivider for correction.
(d) 
Upon having completed all corrections or additional work as outlined by the deficiency list, the subdivider shall certify in writing that all corrections have been completed satisfactorily and request a final inspection. The director of public works or designated representative shall then make a final inspection.
(e) 
Upon finding that all items on the deficiency list have been corrected and upon receipt of as-built improvement plans, the improvements may be placed on the board of supervisors agenda for acceptance.
(f) 
The completion of corrections indicated by the deficiency list shall not relieve the subdivider from the responsibility of correcting any deficiency not shown on the list that may be subsequently discovered within the warranty period.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
(a) 
The subdivision improvements shall be completed by the subdivider within twenty-four months, or such time as approved by the director of public works or designated representative, not to exceed a period of thirty-six months, from the execution of agreement, unless an extension is granted by the board of supervisors.
(b) 
Should the subdivider fail to complete the improvements within the specified time, the board of supervisors may, by resolution and at its option, cause any or all uncompleted improvements to be completed and the parties executing the surety or sureties shall be firmly bound for the payment of all necessary costs.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
(a) 
The completion date may be extended by the director of public works or designated representative upon written request by the developer and the submittal of adequate evidence to justify the extension. The request shall be made not less than thirty days prior to expiration of the subdivision improvement agreement.
(b) 
The subdivider shall enter into a subdivision improvement agreement extension with the county. The agreement shall be prepared and signed by the director of public works or designated representative, approved as to form by the county counsel, executed by the subdivider and surety and transmitted to the board of supervisors for their consideration. If approved by the board of supervisors, the chair shall execute the agreement on behalf of the county.
(c) 
In consideration of a subdivision improvement agreement extension, the following may be required:
(1) 
Revision of improvement plans to provide for current design and construction standards when required by the director of public works or designated representative;
(2) 
Revised improvement construction estimates to reflect current improvement costs as approved by the director of public works or designated representative;
(3) 
Increase of improvement securities in accordance with revised construction estimates;
(4) 
Inspection fees may be increased to reflect current county costs.
(d) 
The board of supervisors may impose additional requirements as recommended by the director of public works or designated representative, or as it may deem necessary as a condition to approving any time extension for the completion of improvements.
(e) 
The costs incurred by the county in processing the agreement shall be borne by the subdivider at actual cost.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
(a) 
When all improvement deficiencies have been corrected and as-built improvement plans filed, the subdivision improvements shall be considered by the county for acceptance.
(b) 
Improvements for subdivisions of five or more parcels must be accepted by the board of supervisors. The director of public works or designated representative shall be responsible for the acceptance of improvements for subdivisions of four or less parcels. Acceptance of the improvements shall imply only that the improvements have been completed satisfactorily and that public improvements have been accepted for public use.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
If the subdivision has been accepted by the county, the clerk shall cause to be filed with the county recorder a notice of completion.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)
(a) 
When requested by the subdivider in writing, the county may consider acceptance of a portion of the improvements as recommended by the director of public works or designated representative. The improvements will be accepted by the county only if it finds that it is in the public interest and such improvements are for the use of the general public.
(b) 
Acceptance of a portion of the improvements shall not relieve the subdivider from any other requirements imposed by this chapter.
(Ord. 2022-12 § 4)