The building official shall not approve in his final inspection any structure, nor shall he issue a certificate of occupancy or give clearance for electrical and gas supply to any improvement, where the lot upon which such structure or improvement is located has been graded or the terrain thereof has been otherwise altered so as to deprive contiguous land of lateral support without satisfactory provisions being made for corrective support.
(Prior code 7G-1)
No grading, including clearing of vegetative matter, shall be done until all necessary environmental clearances are secured and a grading and drainage plan has been prepared by a civil engineer registered with the state of California and reviewed by the city. Exceptions to this requirement are:
A. 
Earthwork construction regulated by the federal, state, county, or city governments, or by a local agency as defined by Government Code Sections 53090 through 53095 (special districts); pipeline or conduit excavation and backfill conducted by local agencies or public utilities. Earthwork construction performed by railway companies. This exemption, however, shall apply only when the earthwork construction takes place on the property, or dedicated rights-of-way or easements of the above agencies;
B. 
Excavation and backfill for installation of underground utilities by public utilities or companies operating under the authority of a franchise or public property encroachment permit;
C. 
Mining, quarrying, excavating, processing, stockpiling of rock, sand, gravel, aggregate, or clay where some other authority has been obtained as required by law;
D. 
Exploratory excavations under the direction of soil engineers, archaeologists or paleontologists or engineering geologists;
E. 
An excavation which is less than two feet in depth and does not create a slope steeper than two horizontal to one vertical and does not exceed fifty cubic yards on any one lot and does not obstruct or alter a drainage course;
F. 
A fill less than twelve inches in depth and placed with a slope not steeper than two horizontal to one vertical and does not exceed fifty cubic yards on any one lot and does not obstruct or alter a drainage course.
(Ord. 4568 § 1, 1998)
Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor. Each such person, firm or corporation shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for every day during any portion of which any violations of any provisions of this chapter are permitted, continued or committed by such person, firm or corporation and shall be punishable therefor as provided for in Chapter 1.24 of this code.
(Ord. 4568 § 2, 1998)
Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter, any grading done contrary to the provisions of this chapter is deemed a public nuisance. Upon order of the city council, the city attorney is authorized to commence necessary proceedings provided by local or state law to abate, remove, and/or enjoin such public nuisance. Any grading done without graders first having complied with the requirements of this chapter, regardless of whether such failure is due to neglect or refusal, shall be prima facie evidence that a public nuisance has been committed. To implement this section, the city attorney may proceed as in a civil or criminal penalty procedure. The civil remedy may be before a court within the local jurisdiction of the city or may be an adjudicatory hearing before the city council.
(Ord. 4568 § 3, 1998)