Santa Clara County Municipal Code Art. 4 Types of Approvals and Decision Making Authority

The types of approvals, permits, and inspections issued by the County are as follows:

(a) Abatement approval is a written approval, with conditions, issued by the Planning Official, establishing the approval of the plan to abate a grading or drainage alteration violation and authorizing the preparation of construction plans, specifications, and estimates associated with the authorized grading or drainage work. The scope of the abatement approval shall include abatement of the grading or drainage alteration violation, may include legalization of some or all of the work that was done in violation and may include additional work as proposed. An abatement permit is required following the issuance of an abatement approval to authorize the start of construction.

(b) Abatement order is a written order, issued by the Grading Official, authorizing certain types of abatement work without issuance of an abatement approval or abatement permit.

(c) Abatement permit is a written permit, issued by the Grading Official authorizing certain work to abate a grading or drainage alteration violation. The abatement permit is issued following the abatement approval, and the scope of work must be in compliance with the conditions of approval established under the abatement approval.

(d) Drainage permit is a permit issued by the Grading Official authorizing the alteration of existing drainage patterns and/or the addition of impervious area.

(e) Emergency grading permit is a permit, issued by the Grading Official, authorizing certain work on a private property where an immediate danger to the public health or safety is exists, resulting from a landslide, flood, earthquake or other natural calamity, and has been confirmed or determined by the Grading Official.

(f) Grading approval is a written approval, with conditions, issued by the Planning Official, establishing the approval of certain grading work. A grading permit is required following the issuance of a grading approval in order to authorize the start of construction, and requires preparation of final construction plans, specifications, and estimates.

(g) Grading permit is a permit issued by the Grading Official, substantially conforming to the grading approval, authorizing site and grading work. The grading permit is issued following the grading approval, and the scope of all work must be in compliance with the conditions of approval established under the grading approval.

(h) Grading permit, small is a permit issued by the Grading Official for a scope of work meeting specific limits as outlined under Section C12-456, shown on the final grading plans.

(Ord. No. NS-1203.120, § 1, 4-9-13; Ord. No. NS-1203.126, § 2, 8-14-18)

The decision-making bodies and appeal bodies for grading approvals and permits authorized under this Grading Ordinance are as follows:

TABLE 5.10-1

PO = Planning Official, GO = Grading Official, PC = Planning Commission, BoS = Board of Supervisors

(Ord. No. NS-1203.120, § 1, 4-9-13; Ord. No. NS-1203.126, § 3, 8-14-18)

When a proposed grading or abatement approval is concurrently subject to one or more discretionary land use permits or approvals, the review and appeal processes may be combined and the highest approval and appeal authority for any approvals sought shall be designated as the approval and appeal authority.

(Ord. No. NS-1203.120, § 1, 4-9-13)