Chapter 18.110
GEOLOGIC HAZARDS ORDINANCE
Sections:
18.110.030 General provisions.
18.110.060 Hillsides/slopes protection.
18.110.070 Wetlands protection.
18.110.080 Stream corridor protection.
18.110.090 Wildlife habitat protection.
18.110.100 Application and approval procedure.
18.110.010 Purpose.
The general purpose of the geologic hazards ordinance is to provide standards, guidelines and criteria that will help minimize flooding, erosion and other environmental hazards as well as protect the natural scenic character of the hillsides, wetlands, stream corridors and wildlife areas within Riverton City boundaries. The standards contained herein are intended to accomplish the following purposes:
(1) Encourage development designed to reduce risks associated with natural hazards from stormwater runoff and erosion by requiring drainage facilities and the minimal removal of vegetation.
(2) Minimize the threat and consequential damages of fire in hillside areas by establishing fire protection measures.
(3) Preserve natural features, wildlife habitat and open space.
(4) Preserve public access to mountain areas and natural drainage channels.
(5) Retain natural topographical features such as drainage channels, streams, ridgelines, rock outcroppings, vistas, trees and other natural plant formations.
(6) Preserve and enhance visual and environmental quality by the use of natural vegetation and prohibition of excessive excavation and terracing.
(7) Assuring adequate transportation systems for sensitive areas to include consideration of the Riverton City street master plan. This system design will consider densities and topography with minimal cuts, fills or other visible scars.
(8) Establish on-site and off-site traffic facilities that ensure ingress and egress for vehicles, including emergency vehicles, into all developed areas at any time.
(9) Encourage a variety of development designs and concepts that are compatible with the natural terrain of sensitive areas and will preserve open space and natural landscape.
(10) Establish land use management criteria that will encourage protection of natural features while allowing a harmonious and high quality residential environment.
(11) Encourage location, design and development of building sites to provide maximum safety and human enjoyment while adapting the development to the best use of natural terrain.
(12) Encourage the use of creative design teams composed of professional landscape architects, engineers and others.
(13) Preserve the visual and aesthetic qualities of the foothills, including prominent ridgelines, which are vital to the attractiveness of foothill areas. [Ord. 16-28 § 1 (Exh. A); Ord. 5-19-98-1 § 1 (Exh. A § 12-250-005). Code 1997 § 12-330-005.]
18.110.020 Definitions.
“Clustering” means a development technique that concentrates buildings in specific areas on a site to allow the remaining land to be used for recreation, common open space, and preservation of environmentally sensitive areas.
“Critical value wildlife habitat” means sensitive use areas necessary to sustain the existence of one or more species of high interest wildlife during critical periods of their life cycles. Examples of critical value habitats are: concentration areas for big game on winter ranges, important movement corridors, breeding and rearing complexes, developed wetlands, and riparian habitats critical to high interest wildlife. High interest wildlife are all game species, any economically important species, and any species of special aesthetic, scientific or educational significance which may include all protected wildlife. Threatened or endangered species are defined separately.
“Development credit” is a potential entitlement to construct one dwelling in a designated cluster area, which can only be exercised when the development credit has been transferred pursuant to the provisions of this chapter from a donor to a receiver parcel and other requirements of law are fulfilled.
“Drainage corridor” means an aboveground swale, gully or impression in the landscape that carries stormwater runoff or spring water.
“Environmental hazard” means any hazard created by a condition of the environment such as fault line, liquefaction, sloped terrain in excess of 30 percent (17 degrees) grade, flood danger, etc., and property which lies within a slope setback.
“Grade” such as a “slope grade” or “grade of terrain” refers to the steepness of the slope or terrain under review. Grade is the relationship of vertical rise to horizontal run, expressed as a percentage from the “toe” to the “top” of a slope. For example, a 50 percent slope has 100 units of vertical rise for 200 units of horizontal distance (vertical/horizontal in this example results in 100/200 which equals 0.50, or 50 percent). A grade described in submittals such as engineers’ analyses of a grade may also be described in degrees. A slope grade of 50 percent also features 26.6 degrees of slope.
“Normal high water line” means the water elevation of a drainage occurring as a result of an approximate two-year recurrence interval flow.
“Sensitive areas” are areas of land larger than one-half acre in size which include any one or more of the following features: wetlands, waterways, stream corridors, critical value wildlife habitat, one or more environmental hazards and slopes steeper than 30 percent (17 degrees) grade.
“Slope setback” is the region of terrain which runs from the bottom of the toe of a slope, which is steeper than 30 percent (17 degrees) grade, outward from said toe to a distance which cannot be impacted in a landslide event. Slope setback is also a form of an “environmental hazard” as that term is used in this chapter, unless and until the slope is stabilized in accordance with the findings of an acceptable geotechnical hazard investigation and report.
“Stream corridor” means a drainage that can support a riparian habitat and regulated by the Utah State Engineer’s Office, Division of Water Rights and/or the Army Corps of Engineers. The stream corridor also includes an area up to 60 feet beyond the high water line of the river bed.
“Waterway” means the area between the high water mark on either bank.
“Wetland” means an area inundated or saturated by surface water or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to maintain saturated conditions and to support a prevalence of vegetation. These may be either preexisting natural wetlands (e.g., marshes, swamps, bogs, cypress domes and strands, etc.) or constructed wetland systems. [Ord. 16-28 § 1 (Exh. A); amended during 2011 recodification; Ord. 5-19-98-1 § 1 (Exh. A § 12-250-010). Code 1997 § 12-330-010.]
18.110.030 General provisions.
(1) Applicability of Chapter. The development regulations found in this chapter shall apply to site plan and subdivision applications where, during the course of an application’s review by city staff, sensitive areas are identified within the boundaries or immediate area surrounding which is the subject of the application.
(2) Each development project involving an environmental hazard identified by city staff shall be required to include one or more environmental assessments by sufficiently competent experts with knowledge of the features which constitute the environmental hazard(s) present in the project under review.
(3) Trees/Vegetation. The following requirements shall apply to trees and vegetation in all types of sensitive lands:
(a) Existing Trees. The developer shall make every effort to save all healthy full-size existing trees of a species which are identified as desirable under the Riverton City tree ordinance, on property proposed for development. Existing trees which are not identified as desirable under the Riverton City tree ordinance but help to preserve a sensitive area by providing wildlife habitat or erosion control shall also be preserved, unless the planning commission finds that impacts created by their removal can be adequately mitigated. All existing trees over five inches diameter at breast height (DBH) in caliper, along with tree types and tree locations, shall be shown and submitted to the planning commission along with the landscape planting plan. In areas determined by the Riverton City fire marshal as being highly susceptible to fire hazards, vegetation up to 30 feet from the perimeter of a structure shall be selectively pruned and thinned for fire protection purposes.
(b) Replacement of Significant Trees. Where trees more than five inches in caliper are removed, the applicant or developer shall replace such trees. Replacement trees shall be maintained and guaranteed for a period of three years, except for residential lots where the period shall be one year. All replacement trees shall be determined by a licensed landscape architect. Trees shall be replaced according to the following schedule:
(i) Deciduous Trees Removed. Replace with two trees with a minimum of two-inch caliper.
(ii) Coniferous Trees Removed. Replace with two trees with a minimum height of five feet.
(4) Storm Drainage. Storm drainage shall comply with the adopted Riverton City storm drain master plan. In some cases the drainage system shall meet the requirements of the Department of Environmental Quality to accommodate a filtration system for on-site retardation. In areas not covered by the current storm drain master plan, a study of the storm drainage for the proposed development and adjacent property shall be required.
(5) Sensitive areas consisting of delineated wetlands and stream corridors shall be considered undevelopable. Sloped areas are developable in accordance with standards described in RCC 18.110.060. However, the development potential of sensitive areas such as areas within a slope setback, hillsides and wildlife habitat will vary according to the measure of sensitivity and may be eligible for a transfer of density which would ordinarily be assigned to the area. Mitigation efforts for wildlife habitation areas shall be as according to requirements set forth in RCC 18.110.090. Uses in the hillside areas shall be according to the following requirements:
(a) Residential land uses shall be allowed on areas up to 30 percent slope at discounted rates relative to the basic density limits described in the zoning for the property; provided, that the development meets all the requirements of this chapter. Slopes 30 percent or greater and property lying within the slope setback shall be considered undevelopable.
(b) Commercial and office uses shall be allowed in areas with slopes of up to 15 percent (nine degrees).
(c) Light industrial uses shall be allowed in areas with slopes up to 10 percent (six degrees).
(d) Special considerations may be made for restaurants, hotels, resorts, recreational facilities and other similar uses where it can be shown that the development will blend into the natural landscape and negative effects can be mitigated. [Ord. 16-28 § 1 (Exh. A); Ord. 5-19-98-1 § 1 (Exh. A § 12-250-015). Code 1997 § 12-330-015.]
18.110.040 Conditional use.
Repealed by Ord. 16-28. [Amended during 2011 recodification; Ord. 5-19-98-1 § 1 (Exh. A § 12-250-020). Code 1997 § 12-330-020.]
18.110.050 Clustering.
Clustering of development by transferring development credit to sloped areas below 10 percent grade and areas lying outside of a slope setback is strongly encouraged and may be required by the planning commission to meet the requirements of this chapter. Clustering cannot be applied to allow multifamily use onto the lot of a parcel originally zoned for single-family use.
(1) Criteria for Reduction of Lot Size. Minimum lot size may be reduced through clustering of development if the planning commission makes the following findings:
(a) The clustering proposal, compared with a more traditional site development plan, better attains the policies and objectives of this chapter, such as providing more open space, preserving sensitive environmental areas such as slide areas, including areas within a slope setback, and steep slopes;
(b) The applicant has agreed to adopt appropriate mitigation measures such as landscaping, screening, hillside preservation or stabilization where recommended, berming, roadway designs to mitigate flooding impacts and other design features as recommended by the planning director to buffer and protect adjacent properties from the proposed clustered development;
(c) Property, to the extent it is encumbered by ditches, canals, creek channels, cannot be used as a basis to transfer density credit or otherwise cluster a development project.
(2) Transfer Process. The allocation of dwelling units may be transferred from one parcel (donor) to the land remaining within the project site (receiver), if the planning commission finds clustering in the context of a given land use application meets the objectives of this section. A receiver parcel cannot receive an allocation of dwelling units from a donor parcel unless the donor parcel and receiver parcel are contiguous and under common ownership. Where clustering occurs, the development density per donor site/parcel shall not be calculated according to Table 18.110.060 (Land Capacity Schedule), but shall rely on the base density of the zone in which the donor parcel is found. Resulting development rights may be transferred to a predetermined receiver site/parcel which is contiguous to the donor parcel and also a part of the development project. Any parcel identified as a donor parcel shall be labeled on an applicable plat as “undevelopable as per transfer of density credit” and identify lots created as a result of said transfer of density credit. Parcels which are not ultimately dedicated to the city as provided herein shall be owned and maintained in perpetuity by a homeowners’ association created for the benefit of the subdivision/development project where clustering and density credit transfers occur, or shall be dedicated to the city as provided herein. Documents created to form said homeowners’ association must be approved by the city attorney and recorded with the applicable plat.
(a) Development Agreement. The transfer of development credits may be subject to a development agreement and/or any other appropriate legal agreement or other documentation where transfer density credit results in dedication of open space to the city which must be improved prior to dedication.
(b) Planning Commission Authority. Development credits may be authorized when the planning commission finds that the receiver parcel has sufficient area to accommodate development otherwise permitted by this chapter, plus the development credits to be transferred and that such total development meets all of the applicable requirements of the city’s general plan and all provisions of this section. The planning commission shall retain discretion to determine the lot sizes available within the receiver parcel of ground when approving a transfer of density credit. Unless a density bonus is involved as provided in the following subsection, a development project may not increase clustering in a project’s developable land density over its original density by a factor of more than two.
(c) Density Bonus. Where a development transfers title of donor parcels to the city, the city may grant up to a 10 percent density bonus over the base density of the donor parcel. Land proposed to be dedicated to the city must be formally accepted by the Riverton City council before the planning commission can grant final approval to a subdivision plat which utilizes a density bonus. The planning commission shall forward the development proposal to the city council following grant of a preliminary plat approval, solely to consider acceptance of the dedicated open space.
For the purpose of calculating this 10 percent cluster density bonus, the base density permitted in the underlying zone shall be calculated based on net developable acreage. Density bonuses shall not be allowed if a proposed dedication or transfer of land to the city is declined by the Riverton City council, at the council’s sole discretion. [Ord. 16-28 § 1 (Exh. A); amended during 2011 recodification; Ord. 5-19-98-1 § 1 (Exh. A § 12-250-025). Code 1997 § 12-330-025.]
18.110.060 Hillsides/slopes protection.
(1) Boundary Delineation. A sensitive hillside or slope area shall be delineated where any slope is 10 percent or greater. However, a certified soils report that reveals unstable soils or, in contrast, the presence of bedrock, may vary the delineation of the sensitive area overlay subject to approval by the city engineer.
(2) This subsection correlates the steepness of the terrain with limitations on development intensity, where transfer of development credit from a donor parcel to a receiver parcel does not occur. Residential land uses shall be allowed on areas up to 30 percent slope at discounted rates relative to the basic density limits described in the zoning for the property; provided, that the development meets all the requirements of this chapter. Slopes 30 percent (17 degrees) or greater or within slope setbacks shall be considered undevelopable. The total allowable residential dwelling units shall be calculated based on the total (buildable) land area within each slope category multiplied by the capacity (discount) factor for each slope category.
(a) Using the Land Capacity Schedule. Table 18.110.060 (Land Capacity Schedule) converts the amount of gross site acres into the amount of net buildable acres based on slope measurement.
|
Slope Measurement |
Acres of Land (Gross) |
Capacity Ratio |
Adjusted Net Buildable Area (Acres × Capacity Ratio) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Under 10% |
A |
1.000 |
Ax |
|
10 – 14.9% |
B |
0.750 |
Bx |
|
15 – 19.9% |
C |
0.500 |
Cx |
|
20 – 24.9% |
D |
0.250 |
Dx |
|
25 – 29.9% |
E |
0.025 |
Ex |
|
30%-plus, or in slope setback |
F |
0.000 |
Fx |
|
Total |
(Ax + Bx + Cx + Dx + Ex + Fx) |
||
(b) Calculating Permitted Units. The maximum number of dwelling units that may be permitted in a proposed development shall be determined by multiplying the total adjusted net buildable area (Ax + Bx + Cx + Dx + Ex + Fx) above by the permitted number of allowed units per acre according to the zoning district.
(c) Exceptions. All land areas, regardless of slope, which will be subject to inundation during a 20-year storm after development has occurred shall not be included in the calculation of total allowable dwelling units.
(3) Grading. Grading in hillside areas shall be in accordance with all applicable provisions of the International Building Code. Grading requirements listed in such document shall apply to sensitive areas pertaining to hillside protection only and shall require a grading permit obtained through the city engineer.
(4) Streets and Driveways. The following restrictions shall be placed upon the development of streets and driveways in a hillside sensitive area:
(a) Maximum Slope. Streets shall be constructed at a maximum of 12 percent (seven-degree) slope. Streets in slopes between 10 percent (six degrees) and 12 percent (seven degrees) shall be no more than 250 feet in length and only upon city engineer and fire department approval. Driveways to all residential dwellings shall be constructed at a maximum of 15 percent (nine degrees). However, driveways may be approved at a slope of 18 percent (10 degrees) only if they receive approval from the city engineer and fire chief.
(b) Criteria for Traversing Steep Slopes. Streets, roads, private access roads, driveways, and other vehicular routes shall not be allowed to traverse slopes between 30 percent (17 degrees) and 50 percent (27 degrees) unless specifically authorized by the city council upon recommendation from the planning commission. Any driveway so authorized shall meet the following criteria:
(i) No alternative location for access is feasible or available;
(ii) No individual segment of the street, road, private access road, driveway or other vehicular route that will cross slopes between 30 percent (17 degrees) and 50 percent (27 degrees) shall exceed 100 feet in length or 10 percent of the total length of the street, road, private access road, or other vehicular route; and
(iii) No significant adverse visual, environmental, or safety impacts will result from the crossing.
(c) Fifty Percent Slope Traversings. Under no circumstances shall any street, road, private access road, driveway or other vehicular route cross slopes greater that 50 percent (27 degrees).
(d) Natural Contour. Streets, roads, private access roads, driveways and other vehicular routes shall follow the natural contour lines as much as possible.
(e) Grading for streets, roads, private access roads, and other vehicular routes shall be limited to the roadway portion of the right-of-way, plus up to an additional 10 feet on either side of the roadway as needed, except that when developing access on slopes in excess of 25 percent, only the roadway portion of the right-of-way shall be graded, plus the minimum area required for any necessary curb, gutter, or sidewalk improvements. The remainder of the access right-of-way shall be left undisturbed to the maximum extent possible.
(f) Other Roads. Roads, other vehicle routes, or trails may be required to provide access or maintain existing access to adjacent lands for vehicles, pedestrians, emergency services, and essential service and maintenance equipment.
(g) Shared Driveways. Driveways may be shared by no more than two residential units, or by two or more principal nonresidential uses provided such nonresidential uses together do not exceed a total of 25,000 square feet of gross floor area. Shared driveways are strongly encouraged.
(5) Fire Protection. The following fire protection measures shall be taken when developments are placed in hillside areas:
(a) Each development site and building permit for private lots, rear lots, and lots where the front setback is greater than 50 feet shall be reviewed by the city fire marshal to see that it complies with all applicable provisions of the International Fire Code. Access requirements shall comply with the city standards.
(b) Spark arrestors shall be installed in every fireplace constructed indoors or outdoors. Screen openings in such arrestors shall not be in excess of one-fourth inch diameter.
(c) Development adjacent to environmentally sensitive lands shall provide access for fire protection vehicles and equipment. Access shall be a minimum of the following:
(i) Lots backing against sensitive lands must be separated by an access road every 500 feet.
(ii) Fire hydrants located at the entrance to each access road every 500 feet.
(iii) A minimum of a 20-foot access road to be placed behind home abutting the sensitive land areas.
(6) Preservation of Ridgelines. Development shall be architecturally designed to protect the natural ridgeline. Working with the planning director, development shall aim to be set back below the ridgeline or behind the natural crest of the hill. Methods to mitigate disturbance of the ridgeline shall include, but not be limited to, steep rooflines, heavy vegetation and the use of materials that blend with the natural environment. [Ord. 16-28 § 1 (Exh. A); amended during 2011 recodification; Ord. 5-19-98-1 § 1 (Exh. A § 12-250-030). Code 1997 § 12-330-030.]
18.110.070 Wetlands protection.
(1) Boundary Delineation. Unless previously delineated by Salt Lake County, boundaries for wetlands shall be delineated according to the following provisions:
(a) Boundary delineation for wetlands shall be established using the current version of the Federal Manual for Identifying and Delineating Jurisdictional Wetlands. A 20-foot buffer, which shall be undevelopable, shall surround all wetland areas.
(b) Applicable Agencies. The following agencies, other than Riverton City staff, may review and approve any proposed plan, if needed:
(i) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
(ii) Environmental Protection Agency.
(2) Density. Wetland areas of the OV-SA zone shall not be allocated building entitlements.
(3) Grading. No surface grading shall be done that shall impact any wetland areas or within 100 feet of any wetland area.
(4) Disturbance of Wetlands. No activity will be permitted which will disturb, fill, dredge, clear, destroy or alter any area, including vegetation, within wetlands and their setbacks as set forth in this chapter, except where approved by the Army Corps of Engineers. [Ord. 16-28 § 1 (Exh. A); Ord. 5-19-98-1 § 1 (Exh. A § 12-250-035). Code 1997 § 12-330-035.]
18.110.080 Stream corridor protection.
(1) Boundary Delineation. Unless previously delineated by Salt Lake County, boundaries for stream corridors shall be delineated according to the following provisions:
(a) There shall be two classifications of drainages considered in Riverton City. They are:
(i) Streams, Creeks and Rivers. These shall not be piped, covered, altered, moved or destroyed in any way, except for a public roadway crossing. Irrigation ditches that do not follow the natural channel are not considered stream corridors unless the majority of the stream flow has been diverted from the natural channel to accommodate water delivery.
(ii) Washes, Drainages, and Swales. These types of waterways may be considered for piping if it is agreed to have a minimal impact and adequate conveyance as approved by the Salt Lake County Flood Control District.
(b) Stream corridors shall be delineated at the top of the stream or river bank where the bank is at a slope of 20 percent or greater. Where the stream or river bank is less than 20 percent slope, the stream corridor shall be delineated 30 feet from the normal high water line, as defined in this chapter, plus 40 feet. Stream corridors shall not include irrigation ditches or any ditch that does not contribute to the preservation and enhancement of fisheries or wildlife.
(c) Applicable Agencies. Approval may be required from the following agencies, other than Riverton City staff, for any proposed plan:
(i) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
(ii) Utah State Engineer’s Office, Division of Water Rights.
(iii) Environmental Protection Agency.
(iv) Salt Lake County Flood Control District.
(2) Density. Development densities in stream corridor areas of the OV-SA zone shall be one dwelling unit per acre, excluding that area defined as the waterway. If development adjacent to a stream corridor is clustered, lot density may be increased accordingly using the one dwelling unit per acre of the area which is in the stream corridor. However, waterway areas of the stream corridor shall not have building entitlements.
(3) Grading. No grading shall be done within the stream corridor that will disturb the natural vegetation or natural terrain of the area.
(4) Streets and Bridges.
(a) Streets. No streets or roads shall encroach upon the stream bank as defined in this chapter or as determined by the applicable agencies.
(b) Crossings. The construction of crossings over a stream corridor and within the stream setback area is permitted, provided such crossings are planned and constructed so as to minimize impacts on the stream corridor to the maximum extent possible. Bridges shall be constructed where they reach from the top of the bank to the top of the bank on the other side of the waterway, as approved by the city engineer. Natural rock bottoms may be required where it is found that the velocity of water flow would cause erosion of surrounding banks.
(5) Filling or Dredging of Waterways. Filling or dredging of watercourses, stream or creek beds, rivers, washes, drainages, swales, wetlands, gullies, or other stormwater runoff channels is prohibited unless approval is received by all applicable agencies listed in this chapter and the city engineer. [Ord. 16-28 § 1 (Exh. A); Ord. 5-19-98-1 § 1 (Exh. A § 12-250-040). Code 1997 § 12-330-040.]
18.110.090 Wildlife habitat protection.
All developments subject to this section, to the maximum extent possible, shall incorporate the following principles when locating site elements in relation to wildlife habitat:
(1) Applicable Areas. Any critical habitat as defined by the Division of Wildlife Resources and the adopted Utah Sensitive Species List (see UAC R657-48).
(2) Maintenance of Buffers. Buffers shall be maintained between areas dominated by human activities and core areas of wildlife habitat, with more intense human activities, such as automobile and pedestrian traffic, relegated to more distant zones away from the core habitat areas.
(3) Facilitation of Wildlife Movement. Development shall facilitate wildlife movement across areas dominated by human activities by:
(a) Maintaining connections between open space parcels on adjacent and nearby parcels;
(b) Minimizing fencing that inhibits the movement of wildlife species; and
(c) Minimizing the visual contrast between human-dominated areas, including individual lots, and less disturbed terrain in surrounding areas (for example, by retaining or planting native vegetation and trees around a house or accessory building).
(4) Referral Requirements and Planning Commission Action. The following considerations shall apply when applications are made in or adjacent to critical habitat areas:
(a) Review by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Site development applications subject to this section shall be referred to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources for review, comment and recommendations. Comments and recommendations from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources shall be incorporated into the staff report or in some other way transmitted in writing to the planning commission and city council prior to final action on submitted proposals.
(b) Special Consideration for Wildlife. The planning director, planning commission and city council shall give special consideration to wildlife habitats that are determined by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in their review to be of unique or critical value and may require project modifications or special conditions recommended to mitigate impacts on critical wildlife habitat.
(c) Denial Based on Significant Adverse Impacts. The city council upon recommendation from the planning commission may deny a development proposal if it finds that the proposed development will have significant adverse impacts on critical wildlife habitat that cannot be adequately mitigated.
(d) Definition of “Significant.” For the purposes of this section, “significant adverse impact” shall mean the elimination, reduction, and/or fragmentation of wildlife habitat to the point that viability of an individual species occurring within the Riverton City boundaries and the diversity of wildlife species occurring within Riverton City boundaries is reduced. [Ord. 16-28 § 1 (Exh. A); amended during 2011 recodification; Ord. 5-19-98-1 § 1 (Exh. A § 12-250-045). Code 1997 § 12-330-045.]
18.110.100 Application and approval procedure.
Application shall be made by the property owner or an authorized agent on a form prescribed for this purpose by the city. Applicants for development approval must provide complete and accurate information regarding the specific site and the proposed use on the application. No application shall be processed until it has been reviewed for completeness and accepted by the planning department. Incomplete applications shall not be processed under any circumstance.
(1) Preapplication Conference. Prior to a complete application, a preapplication conference shall be held between the applicant and the planning staff, once the applicant can provide the following:
(a) Concept plan fees.
(b) Site Analysis. A site analysis is a plan view drawing demonstrating land constraints and existing features. These existing conditions may consist of the presence of boulders, existing manmade features, significant trees, canal or ditches, access points or public right-of-way and existing conditions within 200 feet from the property line.
(c) Conceptual Development Plan. A conceptual development plan may be a hand-drawn or preliminary drawing that will outline the building footprint, the area devoted to landscaping and the general concept of storm drainage.
(d) Conceptual elevations.
(e) Vicinity map.
(2) Application and Submittals. All applications for development in a sensitive area shall abide by the following:
(a) Residential Development. All residential development within a sensitive area shall abide by the requirements of RCC Title 17, Subdivisions. In addition to the said requirements, the applicant shall submit the following:
(i) Environmental Analysis. An environmental analysis shall include:
(A) Sensitive land delineation according to the requirements of this chapter.
(B) A detailed list of flora and fauna within the site area.
(C) A soils report of the entire area within the sensitive area.
(ii) Traffic Impact Study. A traffic impact study (completed by a certified traffic engineer) shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(A) An analysis of the average daily trips generated by the proposed project.
(B) An analysis of the distribution of trips on city street systems.
(C) A description of the type of traffic generated.
(iii) Grading Plan. A grading plan shall include the following:
(A) The current topography of the property being developed.
(B) The proposed grading plan with calculations for cut and fill loads.
(b) Commercial Development. All commercial development within sensitive areas shall abide by the requirements of Chapter 18.215 RCC, Site Plan Review and Standards. In addition to the said requirements, the applicant shall submit the following:
(i) Environmental Analysis. An environmental analysis shall include:
(A) Sensitive land delineation according to the requirements of this chapter.
(B) A detailed list of flora and fauna within the site area.
(C) A soils report of the entire area within the sensitive area.
(ii) Grading Plan. A grading plan shall include the following:
(A) The current topography of the property being developed.
(B) The proposed grading plan with calculations for cut and fill loads. [Ord. 16-28 § 1 (Exh. A); Ord. 5-19-98-1 § 1 (Exh. A § 12-250-050). Code 1997 § 12-330-050.]