Colfax Municipal Code Art. VII Permit Requirements

The city engineer will issue a grading permit if the grading plans satisfy the provisions of this chapter and all of the conditions imposed. The city engineer shall identify the provision, requirement or condition which has not been met or performed by the applicant in the event the issuance of a grading permit is denied.

(Ord. 483 (Exh. A) (part), 2005)

(a) No permit shall be granted unless the project conforms with the Colfax area general plan, and specific plans adopted thereto, and applicable city ordinances including the zoning ordinance and hillside development guidelines.

(b) Where a proposed grading project requires the filing of a tentative map or the intended use requires approval of a discretionary permit, no grading permit shall be granted prior to the issuance of all needed discretionary permits.

(c) The permit shall be limited to work shown on the grading plans as approved by city engineer. In granting a permit, the city engineer may impose any condition deemed necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public, to prevent the creation of a hazard to public or private property, and to assure proper completion of the grading, including but not limited to:

(1) Mitigation of adverse environmental impacts disclosed by any environmental document findings;

(2) Improvement of any existing grading to comply with the standards of this chapter;

(3) Requirements for fencing or other protection of grading which would otherwise be hazardous;

(4) Requirements for dust, erosion, sediment and noise control, hours of operation and season of work, weather conditions, sequence of work, access roads and haul routes;

(5) Requirements for safeguarding watercourses, whether natural or man-made, from excessive deposition of sediment or debris in quantities exceeding natural levels;

(6) Requirements for safeguarding areas reserved for on-site sewage disposal;

(7) Assurance that the land area in which grading is proposed and for which habitable structures are proposed is not subject to hazards of land slippage or significant settlement or erosion and that the hazards of flooding can be eliminated or adequately reduced;

(8) Requirements for safeguarding existing water wells.

(d) The city engineer may require the submission of improvement security as provided in Article 9 below.

(Ord. 483 (Exh. A) (part), 2005)

No permit shall relieve the permittee of responsibility for securing other permits or approvals required for work which is regulated by any other department or agency of the city, Placer County, or other public agency, or for obtaining any easements or authorization for grading on property not owned by the permittee. Proof of receipt of applicable public agency permits will be required prior to issuance of grading permit.

(Ord. 483 (Exh. A) (part), 2005)

When a grading project proposes importation of soil from offsite or exportation of soil from the project site to another location, the following requirements shall be included in the grading plan:

(a) The plan shall specify the volume of soil material to be imported or exported, the estimated of truck trips involved and the route proposed for transport of the material;

(b) The plan shall identify the specific property which is the proposed source of the soil to be imported or the target site for the placement of the soil removed from the project site;

(c) The plan shall include evidence satisfactory to the city engineer that all requisite permits have been obtained for the removal of soil from the source site in the case of importation or the placement of soil at the target site in the case of exportation;

(d) The plan shall include such other information as the city engineer may require relating to the proposed soil transport;

(e) The city engineer may impose conditions to mitigate the impacts of such transport including (without limitation) the following:

(i) Conditions with respect to the trucking, including time of operation, route, types of trucks used, etc.,

(ii) Requirements for street cleaning,

(iii) Payment of a mitigation fee to reimburse the city for the damage to city streets caused by the truck traffic.

(Ord. 483 (Exh. A) (part), 2005)

The applicant shall use reasonable effort to determine property lines prior to grading and shall keep all grading within the property on which the grading has been authorized. Whenever the location of a property line or easement or the title thereto is disputed during the application process or during a grading operation, the city engineer may stop the work and require a survey by a licensed land surveyor or civil engineer or resolution of title (all at the expense of the applicant )prior to recommencement.

(Ord. 483 (Exh. A) (part), 2005)

(a) The permittee shall perform and complete all the work required by the permit within time limits specified in the permit. If the work cannot be completed within the specified time, a request for an extension of time setting forth the reasons for the requested extension shall be presented in writing to the city engineer no later than thirty (30) days prior to the expiration of the permit. The city engineer may grant additional time for the work.

(b) If all the permit work required is not completed within the time limit specified in Subsection (a) above, no further grading shall be done without renewing the permit. A written request for renewal shall be submitted to the city engineer who may require a new application and fees depending on the time between the expiration date and the renewal request, revisions in the city regulations, or changed circumstances in the immediate area. Any revised plan shall be submitted to the city engineer for review, and any costs thereof shall be at the applicant's expense.

(c) Winter Season Shut Down. No grading shall be undertaken or continued during the winter season after November 1st until May 1st of each year, unless the city engineer finds in writing that exceptional circumstances require that grading occur or continue during that period and special protections are imposed. Commencing October 15th of each year, the permittee shall commence shut down of the work and winterization in accordance with the requirements of the city engineer to minimize erosion and sedimentation during the Winter Season.

(Ord. 483 (Exh. A) (part), 2005)

Applications for permits for grading projects that require a tentative map or the intended use requires approval of a discretionary zoning permit, shall not be granted a grading permit unless the project complies with the provisions of this Grading Code, procedures, of this grading ordinance and the following requirements:

(a) Separate grading plan shall be submitted for review and approval by the city engineer. This plan shall conform to the requirements of this grading ordinance and any applicable conditions placed on the project as a result of any formal discretionary permit process. The applicant shall acknowledge that any additional grading of revisions to work necessitated by conflicts discovered during the improvement plan check or subsequent construction will be corrected at the applicant's expense;

(b) Revegetation and winterization plan shall be submitted for review and approval by city engineer. This plan shall include a performance contract with the city of Colfax which includes a specific schedule for performance of the subject grading, an engineer's estimate of cost for implementing the plan, and cash or other approved form of security to ensure timely performance of the plan;

(c) Plan check and inspection fee deposit shall be required in the amount of the full plan check fee applicable at the time of submittal and a deposit of one hundred (100) percent of the full inspection fee at time of grading permit approval;

(d) Drainage report shall be required as per the requirements of the grading ordinance.

(Ord. 483 (Exh. A) (part), 2005)

No permit issued under this chapter may be transferred or assigned in any manner whatsoever, without the express consent of the city engineer.

(Ord. 483 (Exh. A) (part), 2005)