Santa Clara County Municipal Code Part 2 Cuts

(a) Cuts shall not be steeper in slope than two horizontal to one vertical, unless a soils engineering and/or an engineering geology report is filed certifying that the site has been investigated and indication that the proposed steeper slope will be stable and will not endanger any private or public property, or result in the harmful deposition of debris on any public way or interfere with any existing drainage course.

(b) The Grading Official may require the excavation to be made with a cut face flatter in slope than two horizontal to one vertical if necessary for stability and safety. Cut slopes shall be rounded into the existing terrain to produce a contoured transition from cut face to natural ground.

(Ord. No. NS-1203.120, § 1, 4-9-13)

Cut slopes exceeding 30 feet in vertical height shall have drainage terraces at vertical intervals not exceeding 25 feet except that where only one terrace is required, it shall be at approximately mid-height, unless some other location is approved by the Grading Official. The design and construction of the drainage terraces shall conform to the requirements of this chapter.

(Ord. No. NS-1203.120, § 1, 4-9-13)

If during the grading operation expansive soil is found within two feet of the finished lot grade of any area intended or designed as the location for a building, the permittee shall cause such expansive soil to be removed from such building area to depth specified by the soils engineer, and replaced with non-expansive soil properly compacted; provided, however, the Grading Official may, upon receipt of a report by a soils engineer certifying that he has investigated the property and recommends a design of footings or floor slab or other procedure that in his opinion will alleviate any problem created by such expansive soil, waive the requirement. (See figure 2)

[Figure]

(Ord. No. NS-1203.120, § 1, 4-9-13)

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