Plumas County Municipal Code Ch. 14 Fire Safe

Disposal, including chipping, burying, burning or removal to a landfill site approved by the County, of flammable vegetation and fuels removed during construction shall be completed before final inspection of a building permit.

(§ 1, Ord. 92-783, eff. July 9, 1992; § 1(Exh. A), Ord. 2018-1114, adopted October 9, 2018)

(a) General. Driveways shall be provided and maintained in accordance with the provisions of this section. Driveways shall be constructed as provided by Chapter 4 of Title 9 of this Code, commencing with Section 9-4.101.

(b) Where required. Driveways shall be required for every building constructed after the effective date of this Code, but shall not be required for accessory buildings as defined in Section 9-4.302 (Accessory Building) and under (i)(1) of this section.

EXCEPTIONS: Exceptions from the provisions of this section may be made as provided in Section 9-9.202 of Chapter 9 of Title 9 of this Code.

More than one driveway may be required when it is determined by the chief that access by a single road may be impaired by vehicle congestion, condition of terrain, climatic conditions or other factors that could limit access.

(c) Permissible modifications. Vertical clearances or widths required by this section shall be increased when, in the opinion of the chief, vertical clearances or widths are not adequate to provide fire apparatus access.

(d) Obstruction. The required width of any driveway shall not be obstructed in any manner, including parking of vehicles. Minimum required widths and clearances established under this section shall be maintained at all times.

(e) Signs. When required, approved signs or other approved notices shall be provided and maintained for driveways to identify such roads and prohibiting their obstruction.

(f) Gates. Gate entrances shall be at least two (2') feet wider than the width of the traffic lanes serving that gate. Minimum width of gate entrances shall be of a minimum width of fourteen (14') foot unobstructed horizontal clearance and fifteen (15') foot vertical clearance.

All gates providing access from a road to a driveway shall be located at least thirty (30') feet from the roadway and shall open to allow a vehicle to stop without obstructing traffic on that road.

Security gates shall not be installed without approval of the Building Official, who may consult with emergency services providers prior to issuance of the approval. Security gates and the emergency operation shall be maintained operational at all times.

The regulations in this section do not apply to gates serving agricultural uses.

Where a one-way road with a single traffic lane provides access a gated entrance, a forty (40') foot turning radius shall be provided.

(g) Administration. It shall be the duty of the chief and the Building Official to administer the provisions of this section. Before issuing a building permit for new construction not related to an existing structure and before issuing a permit for siting of a manufactured home (as defined by the National Fire Protection Association, National Fire Code, Section 501A, Standards for Fire Safety, Criteria for Manufactured Home Installations, Sites and Communities, Chapter 1, Section 1-2, Definitions, page 4, 1987 edition and Health and Safety Code Sections 18007, 18008, and 19971), the Building Official shall require submittal of plans for required driveway construction. The County Engineer shall review those plans and may impose any needed conditions for their conformance with the provisions of this section. If a driveway will have any grade in excess of thirteen (13%) percent, a registered engineer shall prepare the plans. The driveway shall be constructed before final inspection or issuance of a certificate of occupancy as decided by the Building Official. The Building Official shall establish a procedure for coordination with the chiefs in the issuance of building permits.

(h) Reports of violations of this section shall be forwarded to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Unit Headquarters.

(i) Certain words and phrases used in this section are defined as set forth below:

(1) "Accessory building" shall mean any building used as an accessory to residential, commercial, recreational, industrial, or educational purposes as defined in the California Building Code, 1989 Amendments, Chapter 11, Group M, Division 1, Occupancy that requires a building permit.

(2) "Building" shall mean any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use of occupancy that is defined in the California Building Code, 1989 Amendments, Chapter 11, except Group M, Division 1, Occupancy. For the purposes of this subchapter, building includes mobile homes and manufactured homes, churches, and day care facilities.

(3) "Driveway" shall mean a vehicular access that serves no more than two (2) buildings, with no more than three (3) dwellings on a single parcel, and any number of accessory buildings.

(4) "One-way road" shall mean a roadway designed for traffic flow in one direction only.

(5) "Roadway" shall mean any surface designed, improved, or ordinarily used for vehicle travel including appurtenant structures.

(§ 1, Ord. 92-783, eff. July 9, 1992; § 1(Exh. A), Ord. 2018-1114, adopted October 9, 2018)

Addresses and road signs shall be posted and installed as provided for in Chapter 8 of Title 9 of this Code, commencing with Section 9-8.101. Reports of violations of this section shall be forwarded to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Unit Headquarters.

(§ 1, Ord. 92-783, eff. July 9, 1992; § 1(Exh. A), Ord. 2018-1114, adopted October 9, 2018)