The purpose of this chapter is to provide standards which permit development on hillside areas while conserving and promoting the public health, safety and general welfare by minimizing water run-off, soil erosion and other building and development problems unique to hillside development. Further, these regulations are designed to preserve, enhance and promote the appearance and resources of hillside areas and to retain the sense of image and identity that the hillside areas impart to the City and its residents. These regulations also recognize the unique and sensitive nature of the hillsides within the community and the need to specially address development thereon.
These regulations are designed to achieve, among others, the following objectives:
(a) To protect public and private property owners from damage to human life and safety and property damage that could potentially be caused by increased hillside instability.
(b) To assure access to properties within the Protected Hillside Area by emergency police and fire vehicles to protect persons and property.
(c) To preserve and protect the unique scenic resources in the Protected Hillside Area.
(d) To preserve and protect the valuable hydrologic systems, fragile hillsides and valuable flora and fauna in the Protected Hillside Area.
(e) To permit, subject to the best available technology, development in the Protected Hillside Area while conserving and promoting the public health, safety, convenience and general welfare by minimizing problems due to water runoff and soil erosion problems incurred in adjustment of the topography to meet developmental needs.
(f) To use the best accepted design, landscape architecture, architecture, civil engineering and hydrological engineering to preserve, enhance and promote the existing and future appearance and resources in Protected Hillside Areas.
(g) To preserve and enhance the natural beauty of Protected Hillside Areas by encouraging the maximum retention of natural topographical features such as drainage, swales, streams, slope ridge lines, rock outcropping, vistas from and of hillsides, trees and other natural plant formations and retain the sense of identity and image that the Protected Hillside Area now impart to the municipality.
(Ord. 145-1997. Passed 6-16-97; Eff. 7-16-97.)