This chapter is known as the City's "Grading Ordinance."
(Ord. 564 § 3, 2019)
This chapter:
A.
Establishes
minimum requirements for grading, excavating and filling of land;
B.
Provides
for the issuance of permits for grading, excavating and filling of
land;
C.
Provides
for the enforcement of its provisions;
D.
Supplements
the subdivision and zoning code of the City; and
E.
Must
be read and construed as an integral part of the subdivision and zoning
codes regulations and the land development patterns and controls established
thereby.
(Ord. 564 § 3, 2019)
The intent of the City Council in adopting the grading code
is to protect life and property, promote the general welfare, enhance
and improve the physical environment of the community, and preserve
and protect the natural scenic character of the City. In administering
these provisions, the following goals are established:
A.
Ensure
that future development of land occurs in the manner most compatible
with surrounding natural areas to have the least adverse effect upon
other persons, land, or the general public;
B.
Ensure
that soil will not be stripped and removed from lands leaving barren,
unsightly, unproductive land subject to erosion, subsidence and faulty
drainage;
C.
Encourage
design and development of building sites to provide the maximum in
safety and human enjoyment, while adapting development to and taking
advantage of the natural terrain; and minimizing adverse visual impacts
caused by major land form modifications;
D.
Encourage
and direct special attention toward retaining natural plantings and
maximum number of existing trees;
E.
Ensure
that the objectives and policies of the adopted General Plan for the
City are met and that the grading guidelines expressed therein are
maintained.
(Ord. 564 § 3, 2019)
A.
Nothing
in this chapter precludes the inclusion of any condition, provision
or requirement concerning the grading of land in any zoning permit,
subdivision approval, waiver, review or other approval issued or approved
pursuant to City ordinances.
B.
Nothing
in this chapter precludes the requirement for the owner or applicant
to obtain any other permit or approval required by the City Engineer
or by law from any public or private party or agency.
C.
Nothing
in this chapter changes the requirements of any other provision of
this code requiring permits, fees or other charges, or any provisions
concerning the granting of franchises by any other person, body or
agency.
(Ord. 564 § 3, 2019)
In this chapter the following definitions apply:
means a written professional opinion by the responsible principal
of record concerning the satisfactory progress and completion of the
work under his or her purview unless it specifically refers to the
City Engineer.
means the most current grading plans which bear the signature
or stamp of approval of the City Engineer.
means a person who does scientific study of material remains
of past human life and activity.
means the surface and subsurface conditions and configuration
upon completion of grading.
means in-place solid rock.
means a relatively level step excavated into earth material
on which fill is to be placed.
means earth material acquired from an off-site location for
use in grading on a site.
means premises from which soil, sand, gravel, decomposed
granite or rock are removed for any purpose.
means excavation created by the surface mining of rock, unconsolidated
geological deposits, or soil to provide material (borrow) for fill
elsewhere.
means that portion of an embankment and/or excavation contained
within an area bounded by a line five feet outside the foundation
footing for a building.
means that portion of an embankment and/or excavation containing
the building pad(s) and lying within an area bounded by the top of
slopes and/or toe of slopes within the lot or parcel.
means a signed written statement that the specific inspections
and tests required have been performed and that the works comply with
the applicable requirements of this chapter, the plans and the permit.
means the Director or the person appointed by the City Manager
or Director to fulfill the functions of City Engineer required by
law, this code, or assigned by the City Council, City Manager, or
Director.
means a professional engineer registered in the State to
practice in the field of civil engineering.
means the application of the knowledge of the forces of nature,
principles of mechanics, and the properties of materials for evaluation,
design and construction of civil works for the beneficial uses of
the population.
means the removal of vegetation (grass, brush, trees and
similar plant types) above the natural surface of the ground.
means densification of a soil or rock fill by mechanical
or other acceptable procedures.
means grading which creates, or results in, land surfaces
which reflect the pre-graded natural terrain or that simulates natural
terrain, i.e., rounded nonplanar surfaces and rounded, nonangular
intersections between surfaces.
means a contractor licensed by the State to do work under
this chapter. A contractor may be authorized to act for a property
owner in doing such work.
means the Engineering Department of the City of Santee and
any subsequent title for this department.
means the standards published by the City for land development
activities, which standards may be published in a single document,
or a combination of documents, and may be updated as needed to comply
with industry practice or changes in the law.
means the Director of Engineering of the City of Santee and
any subsequent title for this department head, the City Engineer,
or designee. In the event that this position is vacant or eliminated
by the City, the Director shall be the City Manager or designee.
means any rock, natural soil, or fill and/or any combination
thereof.
is any act by which earth, land, gravel, rock, or any other
material is deposited, placed, pushed, dumped, pulled, transported
or moved to a new location and the condition resulting therefrom.
means a report prepared under the supervision of an engineering
geologist providing a geological map of a site, information on geologic
measurements and exploration performed on the site and surrounding
area and, providing recommendations for remedial measures necessary
to provide a geologically stable site for its intended use.
means a certified engineering geologist, registered by the
State to practice engineering geology.
means the application of geologic knowledge and principles
in the investigation and evaluation of naturally occurring rock and
soil for use in the design of civil work.
means the process by which the ground surface is worn away
by the action of water or wind.
means any combination of desilting facilities, retarding
basins, and erosion protection, including effective planting and the
maintenance thereof, to protect adjacent private property, watercourses,
public facilities and receiving waters from the deposition of sediment
or dust.
means any soil with an expansion index greater than 20, as
determined by the Expansive Soil Index Tests (UBC Std. 29-32).
means the search for minerals by geological, geophysical,
geochemical or other techniques, including, but not limited to, sampling,
assaying, drilling, or any surface or underground works needed to
determine the type, extent or quantity of minerals present.
means any earth, sand, gravel, rock or other similar material
which is cut into, dug, quarried, uncovered, removed, displaced, relocated,
or bulldozed by people and the conditions resulting therefrom.
means a fracture in the earth's crust along which movement
has occurred. An active fault is one that exhibits separation in historic
time or along which separation of Holocene deposits can be demonstrated.
If Holocene deposits are not offset, but numerous epicenters have
been recorded on or in close proximity to the fault, a classification
of active may be used.
"Nonstructural fill" means any embankment on
which no soil testing was performed or no compaction reports or other
soil reports were prepared or submitted.
means any geologic feature capable of producing structural
damage or physical injury.
Geologic hazards include:
Landslides and potential slope instabilities resulting from
bedding faults, weak claystone beds, and oversteepened slopes;
Deposits potentially subject to liquefaction, seismically-induced
settlement, severe ground shaking, surface rupture, debris flows,
or rock falls resulting from fault activity;
Deposits subject to seepage conditions or high groundwater table.
means a report which contains all appropriate soil engineering,
geologic, geohydrologic, and seismic information, evaluation, recommendations
and findings. This type of report combines both engineering geology
and soil engineering reports.
means the elevation and cross-sections established for the
finished surface. All grades must be based upon the official datum
of the City.
means any excavating or filling or combination thereof.
means a permit issued pursuant to this chapter.
means the removal of roots and stumps.
means a designed compacted fill placed in a trench excavated
in earth material beneath the toe of a proposed fill slope.
means making excavations and embankments on private property
and the construction of slopes, drainage structures, fences and other
facilities incidental thereto.
means a landscape architect, registered by the State, who
performs professional work in physical land planning and integrated
land development, including the design of landscape planting programs.
means the downward and outward movement of soil, sand, gravel,
rock or fill or a combination thereof.
includes the surface, subsurface and groundwater of an area
in which surface mining operations will be, are being or have been
conducted, including private ways and roads appurtenant to any such
area, land excavations, workings, mining waste, and areas in which
structures, facilities, equipment, machines, tools, or other materials
or property which result from, or are used in, surface mining operations
are located.
are any naturally occurring chemical element or compound,
or groups of elements and compounds, formed from inorganic processes
and organic substances, including, but not limited to aggregate, coal,
peat, and bituminous rock, but excluding geothermal resources, natural
gas and petroleum.
includes the residuals of soil, rock, mineral, liquid, vegetation,
equipment, machines, tools or other material or property directly
resulting from or displaced by, surface mining operations.
means the lay of the land prior to any grading.
means those earth material moving activities (such as excavation,
grading, compaction, and the creation of fills and embankments) which
are required to prepare a site for construction of structures, landscaping,
or other land improvements if resultant excavations, fills, grades,
or embankments are beneficially modified by such construction of structures,
landscaping or other land improvements. Excavations, fills, grades
or embankments that of themselves constitute engineered works such
as dams, road cuts, fills, catchment basins, or levees are not considered
to be surface mining operations. Earth material moving activities
in areas either on or off-site where the results are modified by construction
of structures, landscaping or other land improvements, and that do
not of themselves consist of land improvements, and that do not of
themselves consist of engineered works are deemed to be surface mining
operations unless exempted under the Surface Mining and Reclamation
Act.
means any person who is engaged in grading operations him
or herself, or who contracts with others to conduct operations on
his or her behalf.
means soil, rock or other materials that lie above a natural
deposit or in between deposits, before or after their removal.
means any person, agency, firm or corporation having a legal,
possessory or equitable interest in a given piece of real property.
means a person who holds an advanced degree, who is affiliated
with a recognized institution such as a museum or university and who
is actively engaged in the research of prehistoric life through the
study of plant and animal fossils.
means all paving related operations such as surfacing, resurfacing,
curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and ramps or as otherwise described within
the City's Best Management Practices Design Manual, Priority
Development Categories.
means any person to whom a permit is issued pursuant to this
chapter.
means the Director of Planning and Building of the City of
Santee and any subsequent title for this department head, the City
Planner, or designee. In the event that this position is vacant or
eliminated by the City, the Director shall be the City Manager or
designee.
means a report prepared under the responsible supervision
of a soil engineer which includes preliminary information concerning
engineering properties of soil and rock on a site prior to grading,
describing locations of these materials and providing recommendations
for preparation of the site for its intended use.
means contiguous property in the same ownership.
means a civil engineer registered by the State. A private
engineer may be authorized to act for a property owner in doing work
covered by this chapter.
means the owner, subdivider or developer of real property
which will be benefited by the proposed land development work.
"Public property" means property owned in fee
by the City, or dedicated for public use.
means any manufactured slope which meets any one of the following
criteria:
A vertical height in excess of 15 feet;
A vertical height in excess of five feet located on the exterior
of a subdivision and exposed to view from any point outside the subdivision;
A vertical height in excess of five feet which will be visible
after completion of the buildings to be placed on the subject graded
area from any circulation element road, from any existing or proposed
public buildings, public facility, or publicly used property, from
any private property two streets or more away from the slope in question
or from any private homes existing at the time of creation of the
slope;
Any slope in the hillside overlay zone.
means property that is used frequently by persons other than
the residents and/or owners.
means public easements or dedications for streets, alleys,
drainageways and/or other uses.
means the process of land treatment that minimizes water
degradation, air pollution, damage to aquatic or wildlife habitat,
flooding, erosion and other adverse effects from surface mining operations,
including adverse surface effects incidental to underground mines,
so that mined lands are reclaimed to a usable condition which is readily
adaptable for alternate land uses and create no danger to public health
and safety, and is consistent with the General Plan, zoning ordinance
and applicable specific plans. The process may extend to affected
land and surrounding mined lands, and may require backfilling, grading,
resoiling, revegetation, soil compaction, stabilization or other measures.
means the in-place dry density (determined by ASTM D1556,
or other City Engineer approved equal) expressed as a percentage of
the maximum dry density (determined by ASTM D1557, or other City Engineer
approved equal).
means a wall designed to resist the lateral displacement
of soil or other materials.
means the condition where ground surface approximately conforms
to the design grade, generally within 0.1 feet, and all compaction
of fills and embankments have been performed to the specifications
required by the soil engineer.
means the inclined exposed surface of a fill, excavation
of natural terrain.
means earth material of whatever origin, overlying bedrock
and may include the decomposed zone of bedrock which can be readily
excavated by mechanical equipment.
means a registered civil engineer who holds a valid authorization
to use the title "soil engineer" as provided in Section
6736.1 of the California Business and Professions Code. The terms
"geotechnical engineer," "soils engineer"
and "soil and foundation engineer" are deemed to be synonymous
with the term "soil engineer."
means the application of the principles of soil mechanics
in the investigation, evaluation and design of civil works involving
the use of earth materials and the inspection and testing of the construction
thereof.
means a report prepared under the responsible supervision
of a soil engineer which includes information on site preparation,
slope heights and gradients, compaction of fills placed, placement
of rock, treatment of expansive soils, providing recommendations for
structural design and approving the site for its intended use.
means a temporary, uncompacted fill or embankment placed
by artificial means, which is designated or intended to be moved,
or relocated at a later date.
means a person, firm, corporation, partnership or association
who causes land to be divided into one or more lots or parcels for
him or herself or others as defined by those sections of the Government
Code known as the Subdivision Map Act.
means grading that conforms to Section 11.40.390 of this chapter.
means any soil or earth material which, under the criteria
of this chapter or under the criteria of an approved geotechnical
report, is suitable for use as fill or for other intended purposes.
means all or any part of the process involved in the mining
of minerals on mined lands by removing overburden and mining directly
from the mineral deposits, open-pit mining of minerals naturally exposed,
mining by the auger method, dredging and quarrying, or surface work
incident to an underground mine. Surface mining operations include,
but are not limited to:
means a relatively level step constructed in the face of
a graded slope surface for drainage and maintenance purposes.
means any soil or earth material having properties or characteristics
which, under the criteria of this chapter or under the criteria contained
in any approved geotechnical report, make it unsuitable for use as
fill or for any other intended use. These properties or characteristics
include, but are not limited to, organic content of the material exceeding
three percent, rock diameters exceeding eight inches, the presence
of concrete or asphalt, or the presence of expansive soils within
three feet of finish grade of any area intended or designed as a location
for a building.
(Ord. 564 § 3, 2019)
