Santa Clara County Municipal Code Part 2 Application, Fees and Submittal Requirements

All applications for grading approvals and modifications to a grading approval shall be filed with the Planning Office. A filing fee in an amount established by resolution of the Board of Supervisors shall accompany all applications. The County will not process any application until all fees are paid in full; provided, however, that where the application fee is an initial deposit plus an hourly rate, the initial deposit may be submitted with the application and work on the application will be suspended if, at any time, the deposit fees are exhausted.

Applications shall be signed by the owner of the property that is the subject of the application, or by persons having the owner's designated representative. Applications involving more than one lot must be signed by owners of all involved lots. If the proposed grading work encompasses more than one parcel, only one grading application shall be submitted that includes the proposed work on all parcels.

(Ord. No. NS-1203.120, § 1, 4-9-13)

Complete sets of preliminary plans, including profiles, cross-sections, specifications, and erosion prevention and sediment control measures, shall be submitted to the County Planning Office with each application for a grading permit, and when otherwise required by the Grading Official, for the enforcement of any provisions of this chapter. Prior to the issuance of a grading permit, the applicant shall furnish final grading plans. When the final plans have been approved and ordinance requirements have been met, a grading permit will be issued by the Grading Official. The work shall be performed according to the approved plans and specifications, which shall not be modified except as provided in Section C12-499 or C12-524.

(Ord. No. NS-1203.120, § 1, 4-9-13)

Preliminary grading plans provide for land use review and determination of conditions of approval prior to the review of final plans and issuance of a grading permit. Precise design is not required for preliminary grading plans. A grading permit will not be issued based solely on preliminary plans. The plans shall comply with the following requirements:

(a) The preliminary plans shall be clearly and legibly drawn and entitled "Preliminary Grading Plan." The name of preparer and date of preparation shall also be included.

(b) Each sheet shall be 24 inches by 36 inches in a standard engineering scale not smaller than one inch equals 100 feet.

(c) North arrow and scale.

(d) A vicinity sketch indicating the location of the site relative to the principle roads in the area.

(e) A statement explaining the purpose for the proposed grading and quantities.

(f) An estimate of the quantities of cut and fill, and import and export of materials in cubic yards.

(g) A table of proposed quantities for each proposed improvement (e.g. underneath the residence, driveway, access road, landscape areas, cut and fill slopes outside the building footprint, etc.).

(h) A site plan indicating the site of the work and any proposed buildings, structures, subdivision and/or improvements.

(i) The complete site boundaries and locations of any easements and rights-of-way traversing and adjacent to the property, appropriately labeled and dimensioned.

(j) The locations of any existing and proposed roads, buildings, wells, pipelines, watercourses, private sewage disposal systems, and other structures, facilities, and features on the site and the locations of any improvements on adjacent land within 25 feet of the proposed work (e.g. septic systems, pipelines, wells, retaining walls, etc.).

(k) Typical cross-sections (at least two sections) of all graded areas, existing and proposed widths and maximum cuts and fills at intervals not exceeding 500 feet. The cross-sections shall depict topographic conditions not less than 25 feet beyond the daylight lines and the future rights-of-way. Show the vertical dimensions of cuts and fills on each section.

(l) Location of known landslides, fault zones, liquefaction zones and other soil or geologic hazard areas.

(m) Contour lines of the existing terrain at appropriate intervals shall be provided throughout the area where the proposed grading will occur. The contour lines shall be extended a minimum of 50 feet on either side of the affected area.

(n) Location of cut, fill, and daylight and slope transition lines for all the proposed grading work and limits of the work.

(o) Location, width, direction of flow of swales, creeks, drainage channels, ponds or other bodies of water, and location of high banks of any watercourses.

(p) Boundaries of any floodplain or floodway areas within the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Flood Hazard Zones and any existing and/or proposed flood control facilities.

(q) Proposed provisions for storm drainage control and stormwater quality control measures required by the current National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit issued by the State of California.

(r) Planting and/or seeding for the area affected by the proposed grading.

(s) Location, type, size and drip line of all trees with a trunk diameter of 12 inches or more, measured at a point four and five-tenths feet above average ground level, within the development area or where the drip line of the tree is disturbed or affected by the proposed grading. If the site or a portion of the site is located within a Historic Preservation Combining District, all trees with a trunk diameter of six inches or more shall be included. The plans shall indicate which trees are proposed to be removed and those that are proposed to remain.

(Ord. No. NS-1203.120, § 1, 4-9-13)

In addition to the preliminary grading plans, other information is required to be submitted with the application, including items listed on the Planning Office Checklist of Required Application Materials. Depending on the location of the project site, the scope of the grading, and applicability of other county ordinances and policies, additional reports and information may be required (for example, a geologic report, soils report, archaeological report, etc.).

(Ord. No. NS-1203.120, § 1, 4-9-13)