Nevada County Municipal Code Ch. 11 Road Standards Improvement Plans

Improvement plans, specifications and cost estimates prepared for all proposed private and public road, drainage and related improvements, including any necessary dedications, easements and rights-of-entry, shall be submitted to the Department of Public Works for approval. Approval, substantiated by the signature of the engineer, is required prior to the beginning of construction of any such improvements. The engineer shall order work to cease on any project if the contractor does not have approved plans in their possession. Enforcement/appeal of the stop work notice shall be as outlined in 16.15 of this Chapter.

The fees for the Department's review of the plans shall be based on the latest fee schedule adopted by the Nevada County Board of Supervisors.

A. Reference to Standards. The general notes and special provisions of all plans shall include the following note:

"All construction and materials shall be in accordance with the latest edition of the County of Nevada Standard Construction Specifications."

B. Plan Requirements. Two (2) sets of plans, complete and in accordance with these road standards, along with any required specifications, computations, test data, cost estimates and other material requested by the engineer shall be submitted to the Department for review.

The drafting of the plans must be heavy and large enough (hand lettering one-eighth (⅛")-inch minimum size, CAD lettering one-tenth ( 1/10 ")-inch minimum) to produce clear, sharp prints from microfilmed copies.

One (1) copy of the reviewed plans with corrections required by the engineer shall be returned to the consulting engineer. The required corrections shall be made to the original tracing and two (2) sets of the revised plans shall then be submitted to the Department along with the signature sheet for final review and signature. Any changes or additions to the plans other than those as required by the Department shall be highlighted or by some other means identified on the revised prints submitted by the consulting engineering. When approved and signed, the Department will return the signature sheet to the consulting engineer. Throughout the project the consultant will supply the County with prints as required by the County. After the project is completed, the Consultant will supply the County with one (1) reproducible set of "As-Built" drawings.

1. Standard Sheets and Scales. Improvement plans shall be prepared on plan and profile sheets twenty-four (24") inches by thirty-six (36") inches.

Scales shall be horizontal one (1) inch = twenty (20') feet;, forty (40') feet or fifty (50') feet, vertical one (1) inch = four (4') feet, eight (8') feet or ten (10') feet.

Horizontal scale of plan and profile shall match.

2. Title Sheet. A title sheet for all plans shall be prepared showing the entire project complete with any district boundaries, city limits, street names, section lines and corners; and the location within the County.

3. The title sheet shall also include an index of the sheets, the date and scale of the drawing, and signature blocks for the consulting engineer and the approvals of the engineer and other officials as required. Typical sections, construction details, etc. shall be placed elsewhere in the plans unless otherwise approved by the engineer.

Title Blocks. Each sheet shall have an approved title block showing the sheet title, number, scale, date, the consulting engineer's name and the name of the project. Samples may be obtained from the Department. The preferred location is across the bottom of the plan sheets.

4. Typical Sections. A typical section for each type of road or facility proposed within the improvement shall be included as part of the plan.

5. Right-of-way. Right-of-way lines, lot boundaries and numbers, drainage easements, utility easements, section lines and corners and temporary construction easements, both existing and proposed, shall be shown on the plans. All right-of-way and easement lines shall be properly dimensioned and labeled.

6. Topography. All pertinent topographic features which are affected by design or construction shall be shown. The tops of cuts and toes of fills shall be shown on the layout plans.

7. Profiles. The plans shall clearly show the existing and proposed profiles of all roadways, drainage ditches, storm drains and utilities. Curb returns and edge of pavement profiles shall be furnished for each intersection. Where driveways are to be built, profiles and work limits shall be shown on the plans.

Centerline stationing and elevations shall be shown at fifty (50')-foot intervals. Vertical curve lengths and tangent gradients shall also be included, and all ground lines, ditches, gutters and pipes shall be shown by distinctive symbols and labeled.

8. Bench Marks. Bench marks and datum shall be clearly shown on the plans both as to location, description and elevation. The datum shall be 1929 Sea Level Datum (USGS or USC and GS).

When there are no existing USGS or USC & GS bench marks within one thousand (1,000') feet of the project, the consulting engineer may use an assumed datum after obtaining approval from the engineer. In all cases, permanent bench marks shall be placed on each project in sufficient number and durability and efficiently placed so as not to be readily disturbed to assure the perpetuation or facilitate reestablishment of the elevation of any point in the project. The location(s) of the permanent bench marks shall be shown on the plans.

9. Basis of Bearing. The location, description and relationship of monuments used for horizontal control shall be clearly shown on the plans with reference made to supporting recorded maps or unrecorded maps on file with the Department.

10. Stationing and Orientation. Insofar as practical, the plans shall be arranged such that the north arrow is pointed toward the top of the sheet. The stationing on the plan and profile shall read from left to right. Centerlines or right-of-way lines shall be labeled with linear, angular and radial data sufficient to determine their bearings and lengths and relationship to those monuments shown on the plans.

11. Cross-Sections. Cross-sections shall be submitted with the plans and prepared at fifty (50')-foot intervals and more often where determined necessary by the engineer. A cross-section at each culvert location and all existing or proposed driveway locations shall be shown. Cross-sections for roads shall be at ninety (90) degrees to, or radial with the centerline of the road.

The cross-sections shall be plotted on an appropriate scale on standard cross-section sheets. The roadway template shall be accurately plotted and properly stationed.

Centerline elevations of the original ground and finish grade shall be shown and properly labeled. Right-of-way lines and slope easement lines shall be shown and labeled.

12. Required Notes. A list of notes required by the Department shall be clearly drafted onto the original plan drawings. These required notes are available on request from the Department of Planning. In addition, notes specifically required by the project's Conditions of Approval shall also be made part of the plans.

13. Drainage List and Profiles. A drainage list shall be made part of the plans. The drainage list shall show the size, gauge, slope, length and type of all drainage structures to be placed on the project, including culverts, drainage inlets, pipes, headwalls, wingwalls, end sections, etc.

Drainage profiles shall be prepared and included as part of the plans. Each drainage profile sheet shall include the type, size, length, slope, invert elevations and location of culverts. Drainage appurtenances (headwalls, wingwalls, drainage inlets, etc.), all flowline elevations, existing ground lines and proposed finished grade shall be shown and properly labeled and/or dimensioned.

14. Superelevation Diagram. When superelevation is used, a diagram shall be drawn on the profile sheet. Superelevation diagrams shall be designed in accordance with the standards outlined in the CALTRANS "Highway Design Manual."

For superelevation through intersections, a separate plan and profile of the intersection shall be included. Cross slopes, elevations at drainage structures and flowline of drainage ditches or curb and gutter (if applicable) shall be shown and properly labeled.

C. Conflicts, Errors And Omissions. Excepted from approval are any features of the plans that are contrary to, in conflict with, or do not conform to any California State law, Nevada County Ordinance or Resolution, conditions of approval or generally accepted good engineering practice in keeping with the standards of the profession, even though such errors, omissions or conflicts may have been overlooked in the Department's review of the plans.

D. Plan Revisions. No changes shall be made to the approved plans unless authorized by the engineer. Should changes become necessary, the consulting engineer shall resubmit two (2) copies of the affected plan sheets with the authorized changes noted and dated in a revision block on the title sheet. The changes shall be identified by the revision number in a triangle delineated on the plans adjacent to the change. The proposed changes shall be reviewed by the Department and approved by the engineer. the engineer may order changes in the plans in order to complete the necessary improvements.

E. Utilities. All existing and proposed utilities shall be shown on the plans to the extent practical. The consulting engineer shall submit copies of both the preliminary and approved plans to the affected utility companies. The Developer or the Developer's agent is responsible for obtaining approvals and necessary permits from utilities or other governmental agencies when required. The Department may condition approval of the plans upon receipt of proper permits from other agencies.

F. As-Built Plans. The consulting engineer or the developer's construction engineer shall keep an accurate record of all approved deviations from the plans and shall provide a reproducible set of plans to the Department upon completion of the work before final approval of the completed improvements.

G. Estimates. An estimate of the cost of work, showing quantities and unit prices prepared by the consulting engineer, is required for all projects where the project proponents desire to enter into a Subdivision Improvement Agreement in accordance with Section 13.03.090, governing Subdivisions. Two (2) sets of computations showing how the quantities in the estimate were determined shall be furnished to the Department with the Improvement Plan submittal. Unit prices must be based upon the current approved prevailing wage schedule available at the Department.

(Ord. 2239. (05/29/2007); Ord. 2531. (10/24/2023))

In addition to the General Requirements for Improvement Plans, the following shall apply in the case of tentative map approval:

A. General. Following approval of the tentative map, the subdivider shall cause to be prepared and submitted for approval complete construction plans for the improvements required by this Chapter.

B. Requirements. The plans shall be prepared under the direction of a registered civil engineer, licensed by the state of California, and shall show the complete plans, profiles and details for all street work, drainage channels and structures, retaining walls or other improvements to support cut slopes and embankments, bridges, the location of underground utilities which may control the location and elevation of storm drains and culverts, the location of fire hydrants, street monuments, curbs, gutters, driveways, if constructed in conjunction with subdivision improvements, structures and drainage facilities to control slides, location of street lights, sanitary sewers and other improvements which may be required to complete the work. If the plans include three (3) or more sheets, a key map showing the streets, lots, street names, storm drains, the area covered by each sheet of the plans, and a list showing the sheet numbers of the plans and of the profiles for streets and storm drains shall be included on the first sheet of the plans.

C. Changes. Requests shall be made by the subdividers or engineer for review of changes appearing necessary or desirable prior to or during construction and shall be submitted to the Department of Planning and shall be accompanied by four (4) sets of revised drawings showing the proposed revision. The Department of Planning shall review such requests and shall return one (1) copy of such drawing showing any corrections necessary for approval or notification of approval to the subdivider's engineer.

D. Review Prerequisite for Final and Parcel Map Approval. The review and signing of the improvement plans by the Department of Planning shall be a condition precedent to the approval of the final or parcel map for the subdivision by the Board of Supervisors when improvements are required.

E. Supplementary Plans and Documents. Supplementary plans and documents shall include grading plans, hydrology, hydraulic computations and structural computations as required.

F. Inspections Required. All work done in constructing the improvements and all materials furnished shall be subject to the inspection of the Department of Transportation.

G. Right of Entry. The Department of Transportation shall have access to the work at all times during its construction and shall be furnished with every reasonable facility for ascertaining that the materials used and the workmanship are in accordance with the requirements of this Chapter.

H. Prior Work Rejected. If any work on improvements is done by the subdivider prior to the approval of the improvement plans or prior to the inspection of the improvements as required by the Department of Transportation, such work may be rejected and shall be deemed to have been done at the risk and peril of the subdivider.

I. Completion.

1. General Requirements. The subdivider shall prosecute the work to completion without undue delay except for inclement weather or other reasonable causes.

2. Delay—Penalty. Delay on completion of the work beyond the period stated in the subdivision agreement, unless an extension thereof is approved by the Board of Supervisors and the surety company, may result in forfeiture of the cash deposit and/or security, or a portion thereof, for the completion of the work.

J. Acceptance.

1. Recommendation by Department of Transportation. When all improvement work required by the improvement plans, or a complete unit thereof, is complete to the satisfaction of the Department of Transportation, the Department of Transportation shall notify the Board of Supervisors that such work has been satisfactorily completed and recommend the acceptance of the Board of Supervisors of the completed work.

2. Resolution Filing. Upon satisfactory completion of all work required to meet the requirements of this Section and its acceptance by the Board of Supervisors, the Board of Supervisors shall cause to be filed a resolution of acceptance.

(Ord. 2239. (05/29/2007); Ord. 2531. (10/24/2023))