Chapter 16.36 — IMPROVEMENTS

The subdivider shall install improvements in accordance with the city policies, with the general requirements set forth in this chapter, and to the specific requirements of conditional use permits or planned unit development permits. The city engineer may require changes in typical street sections and construction details if unusual conditions pertain to the subdivision or arise during the construction of the subdivision improvements. (Ord. 2017-01 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)

All improvements shall conform to the City of Visalia Engineering Standard Specifications and the Engineering Standard Details approved by the City Council as amended by the city engineer from time to time. A copy of these plans is available for examination by the public in the office of the city clerk and copies are available for purchase at the city engineer's office. (Ord. 2017-01 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)

Improvement work shall not be commenced until plans, profiles and details for such work have been approved by the city engineer. Such plans must be approved before the final map is approved. All such plans and profiles shall be drawn on a minimum twenty-four (24) inch by thirty-six (36) inch paper. An estimate of the quantities of improvement work for purposes of determining security agreement requirements shall accompany the plans. (Ord. 2017-01 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)

Improvement work shall not begin until the city engineer has been notified in advance, and, if work has been discontinued, it shall not be begun until the city engineer has been notified. (Ord. 2017-01 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)

All required improvements shall be constructed under the inspection of, and to the approval of, the city engineer. (Ord. 2017-01 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)

All underground utilities, sanitary sewers, and storm drains installed in streets, service roads, alleys or highways shall be constructed prior to the surfacing of such streets. Service connections for all underground utilities and sanitary sewers shall be extended to prevent the necessity of disturbing the street or alley improvements when connections thereto are made. (Ord. 2017-01 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)

All streets and highways shall be graded and surfaced to cross sections and grades approved by the city engineer prior to the issuance of any building permit. The subdivider shall improve the extension of all subdivision streets,

highways, or public ways to the intercepting paving line of any county road, city street, or state highway. (Ord. 201701 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)

Structures shall be installed as required for drainage, access and/or public safety. Such structures shall be placed to grades and shall be of a design approved by the city engineer. (Ord. 2017-01 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)

Curbs and gutters shall be installed to grades and at locations approved by the city engineer prior to the issuance of building permit on any site within the subdivision. Sidewalks shall be required as a condition of building permits, except as follows:

A. Double fronting lots, where allowed, shall have the sidewalk installed along the frontage from which the lot will not be receiving access, as a condition of final map approval.

B. A corner lot where a fence or wall is constructed along the street-side lot line as a part of the subdivision, improvements shall have sidewalks installed along the street-side as a condition of final map approval. (Ord. 2017-01 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)

Sanitary sewer facilities connecting with the existing city sewer system shall be installed to serve each lot and to grades, locations, design and size approved by the city engineer. Location of house sewer laterals shall be marked on curb tops with a letter "S." Sanitary sewers when necessary shall be extended to the subdivision limits to permit the extension to adjacent subdivision. Trunk and main lines shall be located in conformance with the city master sewer plan or policy. All sewer facilities located in private streets shall be considered side-sewers and maintained by the property owner up to its connection to the sewer at the manhole in the public street, alley or public sanitary sewer easement. (Ord. 2017-01 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)

Storm drains shall be installed as required by the city engineer, or as required by a specific adopted master storm drain plan. (Ord. 2017-01 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)

The subdivider shall install water mains, fire hydrants and provide fire department access when required. The costs associated with such installations shall be at the expense of the subdivider. Fire hydrants, water mains and fire department access shall be installed in accordance with the following:

A. The water system, including water mains and fire hydrants, shall be installed and in operation prior to the commencement of building construction on any site within the subdivision unless otherwise authorized by the fire marshal, fire chief and/or their designee.

• B. Fire hydrants shall be of a type approved by the fire marshal, fire chief and/or their designee.

• C. The minimum water main line size to serve any fire hydrant shall be six (6) inches in diameter.

• D. A gate valve shall be installed between the tee in the main and the fire hydrant.

• E. Minimum water flow shall comply with the following requirements:

1. Single-family developments shall require a minimum flow of one thousand (1,000) gallons per minute at twenty (20) psi residual pressure at any required fire hydrant.

2. Multi-family, one or two story, zero lot line clearance, condominiums, and mobile home parks, shall require a minimum flow of two thousand (2,000) gallons per minute at twenty (20) psi residual pressure at any required fire hydrant.

3. Multi-family, three stories or higher, shall require a minimum flow of two thousand five hundred (2,500) gallons per minute at twenty (20) psi residual pressure at any required fire hydrant.

4. Commercial and industrial development shall require a minimum flow consistent with the current adopted Fire Code.

• F. Water systems, other than California Water Service Company mains, supplying fire hydrants shall comply with the current adopted Fire Code.

• G. Fire hydrant spacing shall comply with the following requirements:

1. Single-family residential developments shall be provided with fire hydrants every six hundred (600) lineal feet of residential frontage. In isolated developments, no less than two (2) fire hydrants shall be provided not more than six hundred (600) lineal feet apart from one another.

2. Multi-family, zero lot line clearance, mobile home park or condominium developments shall be provided with fire hydrants every four hundred (400) feet of residential frontage. In isolated developments, no less than two (2) fire hydrants shall be provided not more than four hundred (400) lineal feet apart from one another.

3. Multi-family or condominium developments with one hundred (100) percent coverage fire sprinkler systems shall be provided with fire hydrants every six hundred (600) lineal feet of multi-family or condominium frontage. In isolated developments, no less than two (2) fire hydrants shall be provided not more than six hundred (600) lineal feet apart from one another.

4. Commercial and industrial fire hydrant spacing shall meet the current adopted Fire Code.

5. The exact location of fire hydrants within or adjacent to subdivisions and the final decision as to the number of fire hydrants shall be at the discretion of the fire marshal, fire chief, and/or their designee.

• H. Fire department access shall comply with current adopted Fire Code.

• I. Fire department access shall be provided prior to the commencement of building construction on any site within the subdivision unless otherwise authorized by the fire marshal, fire chief and/or their designee.

• J. Nothing in the above regulations shall prevent the fire marshal, fire chief, and/or their designee from making special requirements as based on the appropriate level of fire protection for a particular system.

K. The fire chief may adopt, amend and enforce regulations necessary to implement this section, in accord with the procedures outlined in the city's policy permitting adoption, amendment or repeal of regulations. (Ord. 2017-01 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)

Street name signs shall be installed by the city at the subdivider's expense at locations required by the city engineer. Traffic control devices shall be installed by the subdivider at the subdivider's expense at locations required by the city engineer. Any required barricades to prevent traffic access at dead end streets shall be provided by the subdivider and shall become the property of the city. The subdivider shall pay proportionate share of future traffic signals where determined by the city engineer, and when such traffic signal bears a reasonable relationship to the subdivision being processed. (Ord. 2017-01 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)

Street lights shall be installed by the subdivider, at locations consistent with the adopted development improvement standards. (Ord. 2017-01 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)

Provisions shall be made for any and all railroad crossings necessary to provide access to, or circulation within, the proposed subdivision, including the preparation of all documents necessary for application to the Public Utilities Commission of the State of California. The establishment and improvement of protection devices shall be the responsibility of the subdivider. (Ord. 2017-01 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)

• A. Subdivision Boundaries and Street Centerlines.

1. Permanent monuments in accordance with the standard specifications and improvement standards shall be set at all angle and curve points on the exterior boundaries of the subdivision, at all street intersections, at all angle points of street lines, and at all simple and compound curve points of street centerlines.

2. Monuments in street intersections and at angle and curve points of street lines shall be set on street centerlines unless otherwise directed by the city engineer; provided, however, such permanent monuments need not be set at angle and curve points on the exterior boundaries of the subdivision when such points on the exterior boundaries of the subdivision have been previously monumented and accepted by the city.

B. Lot Markers. The registered engineer or licensed surveyor shall set at all corners a marker not less substantial and enduring than a one-half (0.5) inch iron pipe eighteen (18) inches long with a non-corroding material and the registered engineer's or licensed land surveyor marker on the head thereof.

C. Replacement of Monuments. Any monument as required by the provisions of this chapter, which is disturbed or destroyed as a result of subdivision improvement work shall be replaced by a registered engineer or licensed surveyor at the subdivider's expense.

D. Setting of Monuments. Monuments shall be set before the council acceptance of the improvements. (Ord. 201701 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)

A. General. All required improvements shall be constructed under the inspection of the city engineer. The cost of inspection of work shall be paid by the subdivider in an amount, as determined by the city engineer, sufficient to pay for said inspection.

B. Approval. No extension of time, progress payments from cash deposits, or releases of surety bond or cash deposit shall be made except upon the certification by the city engineer that work covered thereby has been satisfactorily completed. (Ord. 2017-01 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)

The subdivider shall grade the entire area of the subdivision so that all lots drain to grades approved by the city engineer. (Ord. 2017-01 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)

All irrigation ditches traversing, abutting, or adjoining property to be subdivided, shall be permanently abandoned, permanently pipelined, fenced with chain link fencing of minimum six (6) feet height, or otherwise totally enclosed in

a manner satisfactory to the city and the irrigation company. Fencing provisions may be waived by the city planner and the city engineer if necessary to provide a public amenity consistent with the city Open Space, Recreation and Parks Element of the City's General Plan. All natural creeks and channels, Packwood Creek, Mill Creek, and Saint John's River, shall be treated according to city plans and policies. The improvement plans for any subdivision for which an irrigation ditch or natural creeks are traversing, abutting or adjoining, shall be reviewed and approved by the irrigation or ditch company prior to the approval by the city engineer. (Ord. 2017-01 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)

The subdivider may be required to install improvements for the benefit of the subdivision that may contain supplemental size, capacity, or number for the benefit of property not within the subdivision as a condition precedent to the approval of a subdivision or parcel map, and thereafter to dedicate such improvements to the public. "Supplemental size, capacity, or number" shall mean that size, capacity, or number in excess of the minimum standard city requirements. (Ord. 2017-01 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)

A. The city shall enter into an agreement for reimbursement to the subdivider of the cost of the supplement capacity, size or number. However, the subdivider shall be reimbursed only for that portion of the cost of such improvements equal to the difference between the amount it would cost the subdivider to install improvements to serve the subdivision only and the actual cost of oversized improvements.

• B. To pay the cost of such a reimbursement the City Council may at its discretion:

1. Immediately reimburse the subdivider for the entire cost of oversizing and thereafter levy a charge upon the real property benefitted thereby; or

2. Collect a reasonable use charge for the account of the subdividers from persons not within the subdivision using the oversized improvements; or

3. Establish and maintain local benefit districts for the levy and collection of the charge attributable to the property benefitted by the supplemental capacity.

C. No such user charge, levy or local benefit district shall be established unless the City Council finds that the fee or charge and the area of benefit or local benefit district is reasonably related to the cost of such supplemental improvements and the actual ultimate beneficiaries thereof. (Ord. 2017-01 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)

Notwithstanding the timing restrictions on issuance of building permits contained in Visalia Municipal Code Title 16 (Subdivisions), building permits for individual lots may be issued prior to completion of subdivision improvements identified in said Title 16 if authorized by the fire chief, or his/her designee, in compliance with the Fire Department Access and Water Guidelines for Residential Construction, as amended, promulgated by the Visalia Fire Department. However, no occupancy of such residential construction shall occur unless and until the conditions prompting the restriction on building permits in the above-referenced Title 16 have been satisfied. (Ord. 2017-01 (part), 2017: Ord. 2013-07, 2013)