(a) The purpose of this article is to regulate development along or near steep slope areas to protect slope stability and overall drainage and water management in the village. The purpose of this article is not to regulate for aesthetic or habitat preservation purposes; rather, the purpose is to prevent erosion of ravines and bluffs by regulating and managing steep slopes for purposes of protecting the public health, safety, and welfare. This article protects people and property from the potentially hazardous geological and hydrological conditions characteristic of ravine and bluff areas and further recognizes that maintenance of stable ecological relationships minimizes environmental degradation of the land and Lake Michigan. Due to improper and unnecessary development within these sensitive areas, conditions are created that jeopardize life, property, and the natural ecosystem. It is the intent of this Article to establish appropriate controls. All land use and development on, within, and adjacent to the steep slope is controlled by this article. While this article provides for the reasonable use of steep slope areas and related lands, it does so while protecting the public health, safety, and welfare by:
(1) Discouraging development that threatens the stability of steeply sloped terrain.
(2) Encouraging appropriate engineering technology to result in stable slopes during and subsequent to development;
(3) Encouraging building techniques that increase slope stability;
(4) Reducing uncontrolled storm water runoff, soil erosion, and mud slides by minimizing grading, encouraging the preservation of trees and other vegetation, and, where necessary, requiring revegetation;
(5) Permitting development that is compatible with the natural characteristics of steep slope terrain, such as degree of sloping, soil suitability, and existing natural and man-made drainage patterns;
(6) Preserving the ravine and bluff environment through the retention of dominant steep slopes and ridges in their natural state; and
(7) Reducing the physical impact on steep slopes by encouraging innovative site and architectural design, minimizing grading, and requiring restoration of graded areas.
(b) Applicability: this article only applies to properties that include or are adjacent to a bluff along Lake Michigan or a ravine.
(Ord. No. 2013-13-3343)