HomeMy WebLinkAbout57-11 •
RESOLUTION NO. 57-11
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
TOWN OF LOS ALTOS HILLS TO AMEND THE GRADING POLICY
WHEREAS, the Town's Zoning and Site Development Ordinances require that the
amount of grading, excavation, or fill shall be the minimum necessary to accommodate proposed
structures, unless grading is proposed to lower the profile of buildings; and
WHEREAS, the Town's General Plan requires that grading on hillsides be limited to the
minimum extent necessary to accommodate structures. Structures should be located so that they
are consistent with slope contours and compatible with the terrain; and
WHEREAS,the Planning Commission considered and recommended amendments to the
Grading Policy at its meeting of June 2, 2011; and
WHEREAS, the Grading Policy is a policy document and not a project pursuant to
Section 15378(b) (3) of the CEQA Guidelines.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the Town of Los
Altos Hills that the Grading Policy in attachment 2 is hereby adopted.
The above and foregoing resolution was passed and adopted by the City Council of
the Town of Los Altos Hills at a regular meeting held on the 21st day of July, 2011 by the
following vote:
AYES: Summit, Larsen, Mordo, Radford, Waldeck
NOES: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: None
BY: '� /' ,.'
Gin er S it, Mayor
ATTEST:
",Deborah Padovan, City Clerk
ti4
Resolution No.57-11 Page 1
:9
• •
TOWN OF LOS ALTOS HILLS LOSALTOSHILLS
26379 Fremont Road
Los Altos Hills, CA 94022
Phone: (650) 941-7222 •
www.losaltoshills.ca.gov CALIFORNIA
Grading Policy
Approved by City Council 07/21/2011
Code Sections:
Section 10-2.702 (c) of the Site Development Ordinance states that: "The amount of grading,
excavation, or fill shall be the minimum necessary to accommodate proposed structures, unless
grading is proposed to lower the profile of buildings." Section 10-2.703 (a) requires: "Type II
foundations — step-on-contour, daylight, pole foundations, or a combination thereof— shall be
used on building sites with natural slopes in excess of fourteen percent(14%)."
Intent:
to outline desired criteria for gradingwhich assure that construction
The purpose of this policy is
retains the existing contours and basic landform of the site to the greatest extent feasible. It is
also intended that the policy provide guidance for "stepping" structures down sloped hillsides,
encouraging terraced retaining walls where possible, and emphasizes cut to lower the profile of
structures over fill or foundation walls, which tend to raise the profile of the structure. While
balanced cut and fill is desirable to minimize import or export of soil, to or from a site, it is
recognized that the Town's policies and the guidelines below may encourage export as cut is
generally preferred over fill.
These policies are intended to be used by staff in evaluation and making recommendations to the
Planning Commission and/or City Council regarding site development applications, and as
guidance for applicants. Individual sites may dictate a need to deviate from the criteria, to the
extent permitted by the Planning Commission and/or City Council.
Resolution No.57-11 Page 2
Ah
Grading Policy
Page 2
Policy:
1. Cuts and fills in excess of the following levels generally will be considered excessive and
contrary to Town ordinances and policies to grade only to the minimum extent necessary
to accommodate structures and to site structures consistent with slope contours, i.e., "step
down"the hill*:
Cut Fill
House 8'** 3'
Accessory Bldg. 8'** 3'
Tennis Court 6' 3'
Pool 4'*** 3'
Driveways 4' 3'
Other(decks, yards) 4' 3'
* Combined depths of cut plus fill for development other than the main residence
should be limited to 6 feet, except that for tennis courts cut plus fill may be
permitted up to a maximum of 8 feet.
** Excludes basements meeting Code definition.
*** Excludes excavation for pool.
2. The height of the lowest finished floor(s) of a structure should generally not be set in
excess of four feet six inches (4'6") feet above the existing grade, to assure that structures
step with the slope. Supported decks shall generally not exceed three (3') feet above
adjoining grade except where located within six(6') feet of a building.
3. Driveway cut may be increased up to a maximum of ten (10') feet for the portion of the
driveway or backup area which is adjacent to a garage that has been lowered with a
similar amount of cut. Terracing shall be utilized for cuts exceeding six(6') feet.
4. Cut and/or fill for drainage shall be limited consistent with the guidelines set forth above
for each type of structure, but shall be the minimum grading needed for drainage
purposes, as determined by the City Engineer.
5. The Planning Director may approve exceptions for required driveways and Fire Truck
turnarounds where cut does not exceed seven (7') feet and fill does not exceed five (5')
feet at a noticed public hearing.
Resolution No.57-11 Page 3