Camarillo Municipal Code Ch. 18.100 Hillside Development Standards

The intent and purpose of this chapter is to implement the goals and policies of the general plan and the various elements contained therein as they relate to the development of the hills, mountains and natural land forms within the city and to ensure the maintenance of open space, the retention of scenic resources of the city, and addressing the general design, which includes cut-and-fill slopes, soil stabilization and drainage to further enhance the public health, safety and welfare by regulating development in hillside areas.

(Ord. 682 § 2 (part), 1988.)

A. In addition to the foregoing provisions of Title 18 relating to subdivisions, this chapter shall also apply to any subdivision upon which there exists a developable open space of land which has any portion of the natural undeveloped land with slopes of fifteen percent or greater. This chapter shall not apply to administrative lot line adjustments.

B. The hillside development standards set forth in this chapter shall be considered as part of a parcel map or tentative tract map application in order to avoid the creation of undevelopable parcels of land.

C. Any subdivision of land proposed in areas falling wholly or partially under the provisions of these hillside development standards shall not be divided into such a fashion as to preclude the reasonable use of any resulting parcel(s). Developable land may not be divided from land substantially undevelopable under the provisions of these development standards unless:

1. The undevelopable parcels are to be held in common by the owner(s) of the resulting developable parcel(s); or

2. The undevelopable parcel(s) is conveyed to and accepted by an appropriate public agency or other party (e.g., homeowners' association) to be used for other than residential purposes, such as, but not limited to, parks, flood control facilities, campgrounds, agriculture, or other uses consistent with the open space element of the general plan; and

3. An open space easement over the undevelopable, parcel(s) specifying the allowable nonresidential or, alternatively, the prescribed uses, is dedicated to the city or other appropriate agency;

4. If a parcel of land is proposed for division into two or more parcels, each parcel shall have a proportionate share of the total developable land;

5. Any parcel created pursuant to the provisions of these development standards and entirely in fifteen percent or greater slope, or designated as open space in the general plan, shall be ten acres or greater in size.

(Ord. 652 § 2 (part), 1988.)

The following development standards will be used by the planning commission and/or the city council in evaluating and reviewing hillside development proposals and to determine consistency with the general plan and hillside development standards. Should these development standards conflict with any other provisions of the city's municipal code or other standards adopted by the city, the stricter of the standards shall prevail.

A. Grading Standards. Proposed grading shall respect the natural contour of the subject terrain wherever possible. In addition, the city's general plan and various elements contained therein that apply to hillside development, as well as other applicable grading requirements, shall be used. The following grading standards shall apply to all grading of land (if more than one thousand cubic yards):

1. Manufactured slopes should not exceed thirty feet in height. Slopes may exceed thirty feet in height if no feasible alternative exists; and

2. Where grading is necessary, the following principles of contour grading should be employed:

a. Manufactured slopes should be rounded and shaped to simulate the natural terrain,

b. Grading should follow the natural topographic contours as much as possible,

c. Manufactured slopes should blend with naturally occurring slopes at a radius compatible with the existing natural terrain,

d. Grading on naturally occurring slopes of fifteen percent grade or more which has a vertical height of more than thirty feet shall not occur unless such grading becomes necessary and is specifically approved by the planning commission and/or the city council after making the appropriate findings as part of the parcel map or tentative tract map review. A detailed plan for slope stabilization shall be submitted by the applicant,

e. No manufactured slope shall have a slope angle steeper than two horizontal to one vertical (2:1). Shallower slope angles may be required if detailed soils and geologic investigations indicate such, and

f. Manufactured slopes shall be landscaped to screen views under or behind buildings.

B. Drainage Standards. Natural habitats and vegetation shall be considered and preserved wherever possible. To this extent all proposed drainage facilities shall respect the natural (before development) hydrologic characteristics of the subject terrain; where feasible, drainage channels shall be preserved in the natural state; where preservation is not feasible, drainage channels shall be designed in such a manner as to simulate the natural environment and preserve the public health, safety and welfare. The provisions of the following standards shall apply to all land subject to these regulations, and shall be in addition to the provisions of the adopted version of the city master drainage plan, and any other applicable drainage requirements:

1. Alterations to the drainage courses may be allowed if the application of this section will result in upstream or downstream flooding hazards for which there is no other feasible means of mitigation consistent with the findings. In order to preserve natural habitat and vegetation, replanting may be required upon recommendation of the director of planning and community services in conjunction with the director of engineering services, or their designees.

2. In the event that off-site drainage facilities will be required to handle increased runoff from any development subject to these regulations, interim drainage facilities which provide for no increase in peak runoff from a calculated average fifty-year storm shall be constructed and maintained until such time as the permanent facilities are completed.

3. The overall drainage system, including interim erosion-control measures, shall be completed and made operational at the earliest possible time during construction, or shall otherwise be provided for in a manner acceptable to the city. If a development is to be phased, all downstream (including interim facilities within the project area, or required interim off-site drainage facilities) elements of the approved drainage facilities will be completed or otherwise provided for in a manner acceptable to the city before the completion of upstream phases.

C. Street Standards. The design of streets and the circulation pattern within any proposed project governed by these regulations shall be such as to minimize grading requirements; shall, to the maximum feasible extent, complement the natural contours of the land; shall serve to retain the natural features of the impacted hillsides; and shall be designed in such a manner as to reduce street mileage to a minimum.

1. Local Street Widths. In order to encourage a rural feeling, local street widths shall comply with city council Policies No. 8-1 and No. 8-3.

2. Driveway Grade Access. Where access to isolated land areas with less than twenty percent slope can be provided only by constructing a roadway traversing natural slopes in excess of twenty percent, such a roadway shall not traverse twenty percent slopes for more than a cumulative distance of one hundred feet.

3. Special Streets. Special streets, such as one-way streets, split-level streets and dead-end streets, may be acceptable when their use is justified by detailed engineering studies submitted by the applicant, approved by the city engineer and in consultation with the director of planning and community development, or their designees, and are found to be necessary for the full achievement of the findings of these development standards. The final design of these streets shall be approved by the planning commission and/or city council.

4. Applicability of City Road Standards. In all other respects, any proposed trafficways shall comply with the city road standards. Exceptions to the city road standards may be granted under these development standards if the city engineer, in consultation with the director of planning and community development or their designees, or the planning commission, or the city council, determines that the findings of these development standards serve to be furthered by such an exception and all possible plan alternatives that attempt to meet existing standards have been exhausted.

D. Design Standards. Applicants are encouraged to employ site planning and architectural techniques which implement the findings of these development standards. In general, any proposed residential land use must be planned and designed in such a fashion as to complement and preserve the hillside terrain as well as provide a safe living environment.

1. Buildings.

a. Those building styles and lot configurations which lend themselves to hillside development, or those which are easily adapted to meet the special design and terrain requirements presented by hillside areas are encouraged. The intent is to encourage building methods in ten to twenty percent slope areas which minimize terrain disruption and blend with the natural contours of the subject hillside terrain.

b. Buildings and grading should be planned in such a manner as to hide necessary grading under or behind buildings. An example of such a technique would be split-level construction.

2. Viewshed.

a. View from land subject to the provisions of these development standards should be respected through design.

b. Living areas of dwelling units should be faced onto open, green or view areas.

c. Proposed structures should be located in such a manner as to avoid as much as possible interference with the view from other existing or proposed dwelling units.

E. Ridgeline Development Standards. In order to implement the findings of these development standards, there shall be no development along ridgelines easily visible from the valley floor in order to preserve the existing backdrop to the community, and to maintain the open character of the visually prominent ridgelines surrounding Camarillo. The purpose of this section is to set forth standards for maintaining such ridgelines and their immediate adjacent slopes.

1. Areas to Remain Undeveloped.

a. Structures subject to the provisions of these development standards shall not be constructed on top of any visually prominent ridgeline, unless the planning commission and/or city council after considering evidence determines that there is no feasible alternative.

b. No point on any structure subject to the provisions of these development standards shall be closer to a visually prominent ridgeline than one hundred and fifty feet measured horizontally on a topographic map or fifty feet measured vertically on a cross-section, whichever is more restrictive, except that this requirement shall not affect the location of structures where the highest portion of the structure is below the visible elevation of a prominent ridgeline.

2. Definitions.

a. A "visually prominent ridgeline" means any hill location visible from the valley floor, measured from a distance of five hundred feet back from the toe of the slope which is a slope of five percent or less, as determined by the director of planning and community development or his designees.

F. Landscaping Standards. All hillside property subject to these development standards shall be landscaped and irrigated, where determined necessary, in such a manner to reduce fire hazard, stabilize cut/fill slopes, reduce erosion, retain moisture, and enhance the natural scenic beauty of the valley.

1. Retention of Vegetation. Wherever possible, well-adapted, drought-resistant natural flora shall be retained.

2. Major Tree Planting. The planting of major trees in areas to remain in natural open space should include, but not be limited to, the following native species:

a. Juglans California hindsi (California Black Walnut);

b. Plantanus racemosa (California Sycamore);

c. Quercus agrifolia (California Live Oak);

d. Quercus lobata (Valley Oak).

3. Landscaping in Application Area. Landscaping in application area should be integrated with other elements of the proposal and comply with other guidelines for the preservation of natural topographic features, the view of ridgelines from the valley floor and the preservation of vistas.

(Ord. 652 § 2 (part), 1988.)

At the time of submittal for subdivision application, certain technical reports and materials shall also be submitted in addition to those required by Section 18.10.030. No application for a subdivision will be accepted as complete until all required reports and materials have been submitted. Such reports and materials will be used to determine the suitability of the subject site for development and to suggest special construction and design measures necessary to mitigate identified problems which may endanger the public health, safety and welfare. The report and materials shall include the following:

A. Site Plan and Elevations. The applicant shall submit, as part of the subdivision application, adequate samples of materials, elevations, drawings and site plans necessary to make a determination as to the extent to which the development standards are being met. The site plan shall show all property lines, existing and proposed building locations, driveways, open space areas, parking and landscaped areas. The site plan shall also show the topography of the lot, abutting streets, highways, topographic features located within one hundred fifty feet of all lot lines and any additional data which may be required by the commission to determine compliance with this chapter. The building elevations shall be dimensioned and show all walls, buildings and structures along with samples of the colors and materials.

B. Slope Analysis. The applicant shall submit as part of the subdivision application an analysis of the existing slope of the property. The slope analysis will be used to determine the appropriate slope of any land, and the square footage or acreage within any slope category. "Slope" means and is defined as the relationship between the change in elevation (rise) of land and the horizontal distance (run) over which that change in elevation occurs. The percentage of any given slope is determined by dividing the rise by the run on the natural slope of land, multiplied by one hundred.

1. Slope Map Requirements. For the purpose of determining the amount and location of land falling into each slope category, the applicant shall submit to the department of planning and community development at the time of application a base topographical map of the subject site prepared by a registered civil engineer licensed to survey or land surveyor. Such a map shall have a scale of not less than one inch to one hundred feet and a contour interval of not more than two feet, provided that the contour interval may be ten feet when the slope is more than twenty percent. This base topographical map shall include all adjoining properties within one hundred fifty feet of the site boundaries. Slope bands in the range of zero to ten percent, ten to fifteen to twenty percent, and twenty percent or greater shall be shown on the map. The base topographical map shall also include, or be accompanied by, a tabulation of the land area in each slope category, specified in acres. The exact method for computing the percent slope and area by percent slope category should be sufficiently described and presented so that a review can be readily made.

2. Slope Mapping Method.

a. The percent slope of any particular piece of land shall be plotted on the slope map by dividing the vertical rise between the contours employed by the horizontal distance between the same contours, multiplied by one hundred. The minimum contour interval employed shall be two feet and the maximum contour interval employed ten feet, with the ten-foot interval being preferred.

b. In preparing a slope map, isolated slope areas (i.e., surrounded by a flatter or steeper slope category) with a horizontal run of less than one hundred feet and a vertical rise of less than thirty feet shall be disregarded and the area thereof classified as being within the adjacent category.

c. In preparing a slope map, those portions of ravines, ridges and terraces of less than one hundred and fifty feet in width at their widest measurement which are in an area generally sloping at twenty percent slope or greater shall be regarded as being of twenty percent slope or greater, and shall be included as part of the bordering twenty percent slope or greater band.

C. Geotechnical Reports. The applicant shall submit, as part of the subdivision application, a geotechnical study in accordance with Chapter 16.38.

D. Drainage. The applicant shall submit, as part of the subdivision application, a drainage plan, including text, calculations, maps and diagrams. The director of engineering services in consultation with the director of planning and community development, or their designees, shall review these submissions for completeness, adequacy and conformance with the above and other applicable standards.

1. The report shall include, but not be limited to the hydrologic conditions on the site, possible on-site flood inundation, downstream flood hazards, identification of natural drainage courses, conclusions and recommendations regarding the effect of hydrologic conditions on the proposed development, opinions and recommendations covering the adequacy of the sites to be developed, and design criteria to mitigate any identified hydrologic hazards consistent with these regulations.

2. The investigation and report shall be completed by a registered civil engineer experienced in the science of hydrology and hydrologic investigation.

3. Recommendations included in the report and approved by the director of engineering services in consultation with the director of planning and community development, or their designees, shall be incorporated into the subject application and all associated plans and maps.

E. Grading. At the time of formal application, a preliminary grading plan shall be submitted detailing the extent and nature of proposed grading. Such a plan should include, but not be limited to:

1. Preliminary cross-sections detailing both the original and proposed ground surfaces, with grades, slopes and elevations needed;

2. A preliminary soil stabilization report including proposed final groundcover, landscaping and erosion control;

3. Erosion control measures to prevent soil loss when grading is in process;

4. Certification by the registered geologist who prepares the geotechnical study required by Section 18.100.040C that the proposed grading is consistent with the findings and recommendations of said report.

F. Landscape Plan.

1. A preliminary landscaping plan prepared by a registered landscape architect or contractor and acceptable to the director of planning and community development shall be submitted at the time of application. Such a plan shall outline all proposed planting in graded and nongraded areas, means of irrigation, proposed timing of landscape installation, and the manner in which landscaping will be maintained. A precise landscape plan shall be submitted prior to the issuance of a grading permit.

2. Plans and proposed programs for the ongoing maintenance of landscaped areas shall be submitted at the time of application. Such plans shall include, but not be limited to, responsible parties or agencies, the nature and extent of each agency's and party's responsibility, and the financial arrangements for maintenance. The director of planning and community development shall review these plans for completeness, adequacy and conformance with applicable standards.

G. Report Waiver. Any or all of the above required reports may be waived by the director of planning and community development in consultation with the city engineer, or their designees, under the following conditions:

1. The existence of recently completed and satisfactory reports covering the same subject matter on the same site;

2. Any or all of the above reports are included as part of an environmental impact report or negative declaration if either is required, or has been satisfactorily completed for the proposal, on the site; or

3. The proposed development is comprised of one or more residential structure(s) on a single parcel, wherein the minimum average amount of land per structure equals five acres or more, no structure is located on a fifteen percent or greater slope, and grading of land is less than one thousand cubic yards.

(Ord. 652 § 2 (part), 1988.)

In approving, conditionally approving, or denying any subdivision subject to the development standards set forth in this chapter, the planning commission and/or the city council shall consider the following:

A. That grading has been kept to a minimum in order to maintain the natural character of the hillsides and unavoidable grading complements natural land forms;

B. That mass grading of large pads and excessive terracing has been avoided;

C. That significant natural landmarks and other outstanding features have been maintained in their natural state;

D. That there is no development along prominent ridgelines easily visible from the valley floor for the purposes of preserving the existing backdrop of the community;

E. That proposed development plans have utilized varying setback and heights for buildings, building techniques, building forms, materials and colors which ensure the compatibility of structures with the surrounding terrain;

F. That street and circulation design respects the natural contours of the land, minimizes grading requirements, and minimizes the percentage of land devoted to streets;

G. Any other such matters which directly relate to the project.

(Ord. 652 § 2 (part), 1988.)

These development standards shall not apply to those subdivisions involving one or more of the following circumstances:

A. Any tentative map or parcel map approved prior to the enactment of this chapter, unless the director of planning and community development, or the planning commission on appeal, or the city council on further appeal, find any modification to the above entitlement to be a major modification of such a magnitude as to alter the original intent of the project approval;

B. Any time extension for a previously approved tentative map or parcel map valid as of the date of enactment of the ordinance codified in this chapter subject to the following conditions:

1. That such time extension has been filed and has been accepted as complete by the department of planning and community development at least thirty days prior to the expiration of the original tentative map, planned development permit, conditional use permit or any other similar entitlement,

2. That such time extension does not contain any modification to the original entitlement of such a magnitude as to alter the original intent of the project approval;

C. An existing residential dwelling unit and accessory building(s) on a legally subdivided parcel as of the date of adoption of the chapter;

D. Any residential parcel having only isolated land forms with slopes of fifteen percent or greater which have a horizontal run less than one hundred feet and a vertical rise of less than thirty feet.

(Ord. 652 § 2 (part), 1988.)

A. Each applicant receiving an approval for a subdivision shall be required to sign a form of awareness statement that the area in which the applicant is developing is subject to physical hazards of a geologic nature.

B. Each applicant receiving subdivision approval shall be required to sign a "hold harmless and indemnity agreement" regarding the approval of a subdivision in an area subject to physical hazards of a geological nature.

(Ord. 652 § 2 (part), 1988.)