Article 3

Site Improvements, Utilities And Limitations

All proposed new and replacement development shall meet the following criteria:

• (A) Such proposals are consistent with the need to minimize flood damage, will be reasonably safe from flooding, and shall meet the minimum requirements of the County design criteria;

• (B) All public utilities and facilities such as sewer, gas, electric, communication, and water systems are located or designed to minimize or eliminate infiltration of floodwaters into the systems and discharge from the systems into floodwaters.

• (C) Adequate drainage is provided to reduce exposure to flood hazards.

(Ord. 5350 § 1, 2020)

• (A) Replacement. All replacement sanitary sewage facilities, private sewage treatment plants (including all pumping stations and collector systems), and on-site waste disposal systems shall be designed in accordance with current building code standards as well as Chapter 7.38 SCCC, to minimize or eliminate infiltration of floodwaters into the facilities and discharge from the facilities into floodwaters, or impairment of the facilities and systems. The capacity of existing septic systems in the floodplain and floodway shall not be increased.

• (B) New septic systems and leach fields prohibited. New septic systems and leach fields shall not be located within the flood hazard area.

• (Ord. 5350 § 1, 2020)

All new and replacement water supply facilities shall be designed in accordance with the provisions of current building code standards, to minimize or eliminate infiltration of floodwaters into the systems and discharge from the systems into floodwaters. (Ord. 5350 § 1, 2020)

• (A) No net increase in fill shall be allowed in flood hazard areas.

• (B) Grading and the placement of fill is allowed within the flood hazard area in the minimum amount necessary, only when shown through analysis that compensatory storage is being provided by the project that proposes fill. Compensatory storage shall provide equivalent volume at equivalent elevations to that being displaced. For this purpose, "equivalent elevation" means having similar relationship to ordinary high water and the best available 10-year, 50-year and 100-year water surface profiles.

• (C) Subject to the limitations of this chapter, fill shall be designed to be stable under conditions of flooding, including rapid rise and rapid drawdown of floodwaters, prolonged inundation, and flood-related erosion and scour. In addition to these requirements, if intended to

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County of Santa Cruz, CA

ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE PROTECTION

16.13.610

16.13.620

support buildings and structures, fill shall comply with the requirements of the building codes.

• (D) All excavations in flood hazard areas shall be constructed to drain freely to the watercourse and not be subject to ponding when not inundated by floodwaters.

• (E) Any grading or fill is prohibited within the floodway unless it has been demonstrated through hydrologic and hydraulic analyses performed in accordance with standard engineering practices that the proposed encroachment would not result in any increase in flood levels during the base flood.

• (F) The applicant shall provide to the Floodplain Administrator a certified survey of the excavation and fill sites demonstrating the fill and excavation comply with this article.

• (Ord. 5350 § 1, 2020)

In coastal high hazard areas, alteration of sand dunes shall be permitted only if it has been demonstrated by engineering analysis that the alteration will not increase potential flood damage consistent with SCCC § 16.13.410(D). Construction or restoration of dunes under or around elevated buildings and structures shall comply with SCCC § 16.13.710. (Ord. 5350 § 1, 2020)

Downloaded from https://ecode360.com/SA4770 on 2026-07-06

County of Santa Cruz, CA

ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE PROTECTION

16.13.630

16.13.640