Torrance Municipal Code Art. 5 Moving Buildings, Tanks and Vehicles Over Streets

For the purposes of this Chapter, buildings, tanks and vehicles to be moved or operated are classified as follows:

a) Class A: Any building moved on a motor truck or any vehicle propelled by its own power.

b) Class B: Any building which, when loaded on housemoving dollies or rollers, does not exceed twenty-two (22) feet in height or thirty (30) feet in width.

c) Class C: Any building which, when loaded on housemoving dollies or rollers, is more than twenty-two (22) feet in height, but does not exceed twenty-eight (28) feet in height; or is more than thirty (30) feet in width, but does not exceed forty (40) feet in width.

d) Class D: Any building which, when loaded on housemoving dollies or rollers, exceeds twenty-eight (28) feet in height or exceeds forty (40) feet in width.

e) Class E: Any building, the walls of which are constructed of brick or concrete, which when loaded on housemoving dollies or rollers exceeds twenty-two (22) feet in height or exceeds thirty (30) feet in width.

f) Class F: Any tank moved on a motor truck.

g) Class G: Any vehicle for which a street use permit is required by the provisions of Section 74.5.4

a) Building shall mean any structure built for the support, shelter or enclosure of persons, animals, chattels, or property of any kind.

b) Tank shall mean any receptacle or vessel for storing a liquid or gas which has a diameter or length of ten (10) or more feet.

c) Street shall mean any public street, alley, highway, sidewalk, curb, gutter, driveway or other public place used or dedicated for the transportation of persons or vehicles.

d) Public place shall mean any easement, fee or other real property or interest therein owned by the City of Torrance or any other public agency.

e) Superintendent of Building Inspection shall mean the Superintendent of Building Inspection of the City of Torrance.

f) City Engineer shall mean the City Engineer of the City of Torrance.

g) Traffic Chief shall mean the Chief of Police of the City of Torrance.

h) Vehicle shall mean a device in, upon or by which any person or property is or may be propelled, moved or drawn upon a highway, excepting a device moved by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks.

a) Except as provided in Section 74.5.5. no person shall move or cause to be moved any building or tank or any portion thereof over any street or other public place in the City without first having received a written permit therefor from the City Engineer. Such permit is referred to as a "street use permit."

b) No person shall move or cause to be moved, any building or tank or any portion thereof over any street or other public place in the City except as provided in such permit and in this Code.

c) The City Engineer, before issuing a street use permit for the movement of a building or tank shall require.

1. A written application therefor to be made and filed with the City Engineer wherein the applicant shall set forth such information as the City Engineer shall reasonably require.

2. The imposition of such conditions as the City Engineer may deem reasonably necessary, pursuant to the provisions of Section 74.5.9

3. A permit fee as required by Section 74.5.7

4. A supervision fee as required by Section 74.5.13

5. If a building or tank is intended to be located in the City, a relocation permit as required by Section 81.4.2

6. Where a building or tank is to be moved from the City, proof that all utility companies servicing said building have been notified of the proposed movement.

7. Proof that the applicant has notified all affected public utilities as required by Section 74.5.10

8. Proof that the applicant has notified the police, fire and bus departments of the City of the proposed movement.

9. Where a building or tank is to be moved from a location in the City to a location either in or out of the City and is connected to a sewer at the time of making application for such permit, proof that the applicant has:

A) Obtained a sewer or plumbing permit from the Superintendent of Building Inspection.

B) Caused the sewer connection to be capped or plugged

C) Obtained an inspection and approval therefor from the Superintendent of Building Inspection.

(Amended by O-1386)

a) No person shall move or cause to be moved over any street or other public place in the City, without having first received a street use permit therefor from the City:

1. Any vehicle or combination of vehicles:

A) Carrying any loads or combination of loads which exceeds the weight limits as set forth in Section 35550 and 35551 of the State Vehicle Code;

B) Carrying any loads or combination of loads which exceeds the width limits as set forth in Sections 35100, 35101, 35102, 35103, 35104, 35106 and 35108 of the State Vehicle Code; or

C) Any vehicle or combination of vehicles, carrying any loads or combination of loads which exceeds the height limit as set forth in Section 35250 of the State Vehicle Code.

2. Any construction equipment, whether loaded or unloaded, which exceeds eight (8) feet in width, thirteen (13) feet six (6) inches in height or seventy thousand (70,000) pounds in weight.

b) No person shall move or cause to be moved any such vehicle over any street or other public place in the City except as provided in such permit and in this Code.

c) The City Engineer, before issuing a street use permit for the movement of such vehicle, shall require:

1. A written application therefor to be made and filed with the City Engineer wherein the applicant shall set forth the following information:

A) A specific description of the vehicle or vehicles to be operated or moved over City streets;

B) A specific description of the load to be operated or moved over City streets;

C) The particular streets over which permit to operate is requested;

D) The number of trips for which such permit is requested;

E) Such other information as the City Engineer shall reasonably require.

2. The imposition of such conditions as the City Engineer may deem reasonable, pursuant to the provisions of Section 74.5.9

3. A permit fee as required by Section 74.5.7

Whenever the United States of America, the State of California, or the County of Los Angeles, by its employees or by contract with an independent contractor, moves any building, tank or vehicle, and the said government retains the control and supervision of the movement, it shall not be necessary to secure a street use permit therefor.

(Amended by O-1386).

a) Engineers Bond. Before the City Engineer shall give his consent to the issuance of a permit, the applicant shall file with the City Engineer a bond executed by the applicant and by a corporate surety licensed to do business as a surety in the State of California in the following amounts:

1. For a Class A permit, One Thousand Dollars ($1,000).

2. For a Class B permit, Twelve Hundred Dollars ($1,200).

3. For a Class C permit, Fourteen Hundred Dollars ($1,400).

4. For a Class D permit, Sixteen Hundred Dollars ($1,600).

5. For a Class E permit, Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000).

6. For a Class F permit, One Thousand Dollars ($1,000).

7. For a Class G permit, One Thousand Dollars ($1,000).

In lieu of such bond, the applicant shall file with the City Engineer a written promise to perform the conditions of such bond accompanied by a deposit of cash in the amount of the bond.

b) Conditions of Bonds:

1. Every engineer’s bond shall contain the conditions that the permittee shall:

A) Comply with all of the ordinances of the City of Torrance and all other applicable laws.

B) Comply with all the terms and conditions of the permit to the satisfaction of the City Engineer.

C) Perform the movement contemplated under such permit without damage to any public or private property in the City of Torrance.

D) Complete the movement contemplated under said permit within the time limit specified therein. The City Engineer, for sufficient cause shown, may extend the time limit specified in the permit, but the bond shall provide that no such extension shall release the surety upon the bond.

c) Term of the Bonds. The term of each bond shall begin upon the date of its filing with the City Engineer and shall remain in effect until the completion of the movement to the satisfaction of the City Engineer.

(Amended by O-1386; O-3267)

Before a street use permit is issued, the applicant shall pay to the City Engineer a fee which shall be set by City Council resolution from time to time.

(Amended by O-1386)

a) Every street use permit shall expire and be void on the expiration date as determined by the City Engineer, or in the absence thereof, thirty (30) days after the date of issuance of the permit; provided, however, that the City Engineer may grant extensions of time for periods not to exceed in the aggregate sixty (60) days, whenever, in his opinion, good cause exists therefor.

b) In the event that a movement is not commenced at the time and place as set forth in the notice to the Traffic Chief, as required by Section 74.5.1., the permit shall expire and be void after such time.

c) Any person or persons engaged in construction activity whereby repeated use of the streets is required may, at the discretion of the City Engineer, be granted a permit not to exceed one (1) year, or the length of time required for the completion of a specific construction task.

d) After a permit has expired, no further work shall be done thereunder unless it has been renewed. The fee required for renewal shall be the fee required for the original permit.

In the granting of a street use permit, the City Engineer may impose such conditions thereon, in addition to those otherwise provided herein, as are reasonably necessary to prevent the proposed operations from being conducted in such a manner as to constitute or create a hazard to life or property or be materially detrimental to property. Such conditions may include, but shall not be limited to:

a) Limitations upon the hours of the day and days of the week in which such operations may be conducted.

b) The designation of routes along which such building, tank or vehicle shall be moved.

c) Restrictions as to size of the building or tank to be moved and the size of the pieces of equipment, including trucks, to be used in moving said building.

d) Restrictions as to the size, weight or load of vehicles to be moved over City streets.

a) Notwithstanding anything contained in the relocation permit, no permittee shall interfere in any manner with any public utility property without the consent of such utility.

b) The applicant shall serve upon each public utility whose property is affected by such movement, other than as required by subsection c)-6) of Section 74.5.3., written notice thereof at least three (3) days before commencing such movement.

The applicant shall serve upon the Traffic Chief and the City Engineer, written notice of his intention to commence the movement of the subject building, tank or vehicle at least twenty-four (24) hours before commencing such movement.

a) The movement of any such building, tank or vehicle on the City streets or other public place shall be done under the supervision of the City Engineer and the Traffic Chief.

b) The City Engineer, Traffic Chief, the surety and their authorized representatives shall have access to the subject building or tank while being moved for the purpose of inspecting the progress of the work.

c) No person shall in any way hinder, prevent or interfere with the City Engineer, Traffic Chief, the surety, their authorized representatives or any person employed or engaged in their behalf in the exercise of the rights conferred by this Code.

Before a street use permit shall be issued there shall be paid to the City Engineer a sum in the amount of Ten Dollars ($10.00) for each hour after the first hour or fraction thereof of the time which the City Engineer estimates will be expended by him in inspecting and supervising the movement of the subject building or tank.

a) Any person engaged in moving a building or tank over a City street shall, at all times while such work is in progress, keep affixed to the building or tank being moved, the original street use permit for such work or a record of the permit number, and at all times when requested to do so shall exhibit the same to the City Engineer and to any of his inspectors or employees, to the Traffic Chief and to any police officer of the City.

b) Every street use permit issued for a vehicle shall be carried in such vehicle and shall be displayed for inspection by the City Engineer and by any of his inspectors or employees and to any police officer of the City.

a) No person shall move or cause to be moved, any building or tank or portion thereof over any street without causing a red light to be placed at each corner of such building or tank and at the end of any projection thereon while the same or any part thereof is located on any street between sunset and sunrise.

b) No person shall move or cause to be moved any building, tank or vehicle for which a permit is required by this Article and which is fourteen (14) or more feet in width unless such load is preceded and followed by a pilot car which shall give warning to the public of the presence of such load.

a) No person shall drive any vehicle over, along or across any cement or other improvised sidewalk or curb, unless planking or earth is laid thereon in such a manner as to protect such sidewalk or curb. No person shall remove any such planking or earth except the persons by or for whom it was laid, unless permission therefor is granted by the City Engineer; provided, however, that the provisions of this Section shall not apply to the driving of vehicles over sidewalks and curbs at places where cement or asphalt crossing are constructed across such sidewalks or curbs.

b) No person shall operate upon, or permit to be on or operated upon the improved portion of any concrete, asphalt, rock and oil or oiled street any vehicle having thereon a tire, on the periphery of which there is any clock, stud, flange, cleat ridge, bead or any other protuberance of metal or wood which project beyond the tread of the traction surface of the tire. This subsection shall not prohibit the use of tire chains of reasonable size to prevent skidding when upon wet or slippery surfaces, nor shall the restrictions of this Section apply to such vehicle when its operation on any street or road is necessary in the construction or repair thereof.

c) In the event of damage to private or public property resulting from the movement of a load for which a permit is required by this Article, the permittee, or the owner of the load if no permit has been issued, shall file a written report of the damage with the City Engineer on the forms for vehicle accidents provided by the Department of California Highway Patrol.

a) It shall be the duty of every permittee to cause boards of sufficient strength to carry the load without breaking to be placed under all of the rolls or wheels to serve as a runway for such rolls or wheels during the removal of any buildings, tank or vehicle or section or portion thereof along every street improved in any manner other than by asphalt or brick, and at no time shall such rolls or wheels be permitted to revolve other than upon such board runway, except when written permission to the contrary is granted by the City Engineer.

b) Any Class A building may be moved on truck or trailer with rubber tired wheels.

c) Any Class B building shall be loaded on rubber tired dollies if in excess of thirty (30) tons weight.

d) Any Class C, D, E and F building shall be loaded on rubber tired dollies.

e) The City Engineer may direct that steel or rubber tired dollies may be used where any building or tank is moved on any unimproved or oil graveled street.

f) In the event that the equipment of the permittee is not sufficient for the work required, or if a street or the use thereof, or the property of any public utility will be at any time endangered or damaged by such removal, or if such permittee, or his servants, or employees at any time violate any of the terms, conditions or restrictions of the relocation permit, the Superintendent of Building Inspection, the City Engineer or Traffic Chief may stop the progress of such removal.

No person shall move or cause to be moved, any building, tank or vehicle for which a permit is required by this Article.

a) During rain, fog or other weather conditions wherein such movement is a hazard to persons or property; or

b) On Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays.