For purposes of this chapter, the words and phrases in this section shall have the following meanings, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning.
(1) "Approval" means a written professional engineering or geological opinion by the civil engineer of record, the engineering geologist of record or the soil engineer of record, whichever is applicable, concerning the satisfactory progress and completion of the work, unless the code is referring to approval by the City Engineer.
(2) "Approved plans" means the current plans and specifications for all grading or clearing, brushing and grubbing or other related work, which contains the City Engineer's signature of approval. The term approved plans includes, but is not limited to, any mass grading plan, rough grading plan, precise grading plan, erosion control plan and/or temporary stockpile plan as such plans are set forth and described in this chapter.
(3) "As-graded" means the surface configuration upon completion of grading.
(4) "Bedrock" means in-place solid rock or sufficient solid in-place soil and rock to be classified by a registered geologist, soil engineer or civil engineer as bedrock.
(5) "Bench" means a relatively level step excavated into stable earth material on which fill is to be placed.
(6) "Borrow" means earth material acquired from an off-site location for use in grading on a site.
(7) "Building Code" means the California Building Code, as adopted and amended by the city and set forth in Chapter 15.04 of this code.
(8) "CEQA" means the California Environmental Quality Act.
(9) "City Engineer" means the City Engineer for the City of Corona or another employee of the City of Corona who possesses a current and valid professional civil engineer license issued by the State of California and who is designated by the City Engineer to perform the duties of the City Engineer under this chapter.
(10) "Civil engineer" means a professional engineer registered in the State of California authorized to practice in the field of civil engineering, who is listed on the grading permit as the civil engineer of record and who is responsible for preparing, signing, stamping or approving all or a portion of the approved plans and the reports required by this chapter. (“Civil engineering” is the application of the knowledge of the forces of nature, principles of mechanics and the properties of materials to the evaluation, design and construction of civil works for the beneficial uses of mankind. For a complete definition, see Rules of the State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors § 404.)
(11) "Clearing, brushing and grubbing" means the removal of vegetation (grass, brush, trees and similar plant types) by mechanical means.
(12) "Compaction" means the densification of a fill by mechanical means.
(13) "Director" means the Planning and Development Director of the City of Corona or his or her designee.
(14) "Earth material" means any rock, natural soil or fill and/or any combination thereof.
(15) "Engineering geologist" means a geologist certified in the State of California to practice engineering geology, who is listed on the grading permit as the engineering geologist of record and who is responsible for preparing, signing, stamping or approving all or a portion of the approved plans and the reports required by this chapter. (“Engineering geology” is the application of geologic knowledge and principles in the investigation and evaluation of naturally occurring rock and soil for use in the design of civil works. For a complete definition, see Rules of the State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors § 404.)
(16) "Environmentally sensitive area" means any land in a natural condition subject to an open space easement; any natural lake, stream, creek or riparian area; any wildlife habitat area identified in an environmental impact report, initial study or other environmental assessment; or any land determined by the city to be environmentally sensitive with respect to any particular grading activity based on an environmental assessment, initial study, CEQA guidelines or other information in connection with the proposed grading activity.
(17) "Erosion" means the wearing away of the ground surface as a result of the movement of wind, water and/or ice.
(18) "Erosion control system" means a combination of desilting facilities and erosion protection, including effective planting and the maintenance thereof, to protect adjacent private property, watercourses, public facilities and receiving waters from deposits of sediment or dust.
(19) "Excavation" means the mechanical removal of earth material.
(20) "Fault" means a fracture in the earth's crust along which movement has occurred. A fault is considered active if movement has occurred within the last 11,000 years (Holocene geologic time).
(21) "Fill or filling" means the deposit of earth material placed by artificial means.
(22) "Grade" means the vertical elevation of the ground surface, and the following types of grade have the following specific meanings:
(a) "Existing grade" means the ground surface prior to grading;
(b) "Finish grade" means the final grade of the site, which conforms to the approved plans;
(c) "Natural grade" means the ground surface unaltered by artificial means;
(d) "Rough grade" means the stage at which the grade approximately conforms to the approved plans.
(23) "Grading" means any excavation or filling or combination thereof.
(24) "Grading contractor" means a contractor licensed and regulated by the State of California who specializes in grading or is otherwise licensed to do grading, and who is listed on the grading permit as the grading contractor of record.
(25) "Grading permit" means the official document or certificate issued by the City Engineer authorizing grading or clearing, brushing and grubbing or other related work as specified in the approved plans. The term grading permit includes any mass grading permit, precise grading permit or rough grading permit issued for the work described in the approved plans.
(26) "Grading plans" means all the following, if required for the work by this chapter: mass grading plan, rough grading plan and/or precise grading plan, as such plans are set forth and described in § 15.36.050.
(27) "Hillside site" means a site with a natural slope of 10% or more.
(28) "Key" means a designed compacted fill placed in a trench excavated in earth material beneath the toe of a proposed fill slope.
(29) "Keyway" means an excavated trench into competent earth material beneath the toe of a proposed fill slope.
(30) "Mass grading" means grading that is completed on a large scale over a large area prior to rough grading and which when completed is within two vertical feet of the final grade elevations of the site.
(31) "Mass grading permit" means a grading permit issued to complete mass grading work.
(32) "Permittee" means any property owner to whom a grading permit has been issued.
(33) "Precise grading permit" means a grading permit issued on the basis of approved plans that show the precise location of structures, finish elevations and all on-site improvements.
(34) "Property owner" means any person, partnership, corporation, or other legal entity having a legal or equitable interest in a given real property.
(35) "Retaining wall" means a wall designed to resist the lateral displacement of soil or other materials.
(36) "Rough grading permit" means a grading permit issued on the basis of approved plans that need not show the location of structures, but must show interim building pad drainage to the degree required by the City Engineer.
(37) "Site" means any lot or parcel of land or contiguous combination thereof, under the same ownership, where grading is performed or permitted.
(38) "Slope" means any inclined ground surface, the inclination of which is expressed as a ratio of horizontal distance to vertical distance or as a percentage ratio of the vertical distance divided by the horizontal distance times 100.
(39) "Slope stability - gross stability" means the factor of safety against failure of the slope material below the surface approximately three to four feet deep measured from and perpendicular to the slope face.
(40) "Slope stability - surficial stability" means the factor of safety against failure of the outer three to four feet of slope material measured from and perpendicular to the slope face.
(41) "Soil" means naturally occurring surficial deposits overlaying bedrock.
(42) "Soil engineer" means a civil engineer registered in the State of California experienced and knowledgeable in the area of soil engineering, who is listed on the grading permit as the soil engineer of record and who is responsible for preparing, signing, stamping or approving all or a portion of the approved plans and the reports required by this chapter. ("Soil engineering" is the investigation and engineering evaluation of earth materials including soil, rock, groundwater and man-made materials and their interaction with earth retention systems, structural foundations and other civil engineering works. The practice involves application of the principles of soil mechanics and the earth sciences and requires a knowledge of engineering laws, formulas, construction techniques and performance evaluation of civil engineering works influenced by earth materials. For a complete definition, see Rules of the State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors § 404.
(43) "Stockpile" means storage for a period not exceeding 12 months for soil that is to be used for future site development or soil for future or current sale.
(44) "Terrace" means a relatively level step constructed into the face of a graded sloped surface for drainage and maintenance purposes.
(45) "Testing agency" means a facility whose testing operations are controlled and monitored by a registered civil engineer and which is equipped to perform and certify the tests required by this chapter and is approved by the City Engineer.
(46) "Work" means any grading, clearing, brushing or grubbing or any other activity permitted under any approved plan.
(Ord. 3378 § 5 (part), 2023; Ord. 2568 § 1, 2002.)