For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning. The singular shall be taken to mean plural, and the plural shall mean the singular when required by the context of this chapter.
APPLICANT. The property owner, the property owner’s designee or any other person who makes an application for a grading permit.
BEDROCK. A relatively solid, structured material in place either at the ground surface or beneath surface deposits of soil.
BENCH. A relatively level surface interrupting the slope of an excavation or embankment.
BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMPs). Schedules of activities, prohibitions or practices, general good housekeeping practices, pollution prevention practices, maintenance procedures and other management practices to prevent or reduce the discharge of pollutants directly or indirectly to watercourse, water bodies and wetlands. BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES also include treatment requirements, operating procedures, design specifications and practices to control site runoff, spillage or leaks, and waste disposal.
BORROW. Earth material acquired from an off site location.
BUILDING PAD. That area of a lot, parcel or site which will be occupied by a building and related structures.
CITY. The City of Livingston.
CITY ENGINEER. The City Engineer of the City of Livingston or his or her designee.
CITY MANAGER. The City Manager of the City of Livingston or his or her designee.
CIVIL ENGINEER. An engineer licensed in the State of California to practice civil engineering.
CLEARING, BRUSHING and GRUBBING. Site preparation consisting of, but not limited to, the removal of vegetation.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR. The Community Development Director of the City of Livingston or his or her designee.
CRITICALLY EXPANSIVE SOILS. Soil conditions which have the potential to cause damage to improvements, including streets, structures and buildings.
CUT SLOPE. A finished or interim surface along an inclined plane resulting from grading.
DIVERSION. A facility such as a ditch or berm constructed to intercept and divert surface runoff.
EARTH MATERIAL. Any rock, soil or any combination thereof.
ELEVATION. The vertical distance above an established datum.
ENGINEERING GEOLOGIST. A person licensed by the State of California in engineering geology.
ENGINEERING GEOLOGY. The application of geological data and principles to engineering problems with rock and soil.
EROSION. The wearing away, detachment and movement of the ground surface by wind, water, ice or gravity action.
EXCAVATION. Any action by which earth material is removed.
EXISTING OR NATURAL GRADE. The grade prior to grading.
FILL. A deposit of earth material placed by artificial means.
FINAL EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL PLAN. A plan that depicts the permanent erosion control approved by the City Engineer.
FINISHED GRADE. The completed grade constructed in accordance with the approved plan.
GEOLOGIC REPORT. A report prepared by an engineering geologist or civil engineer dealing with geological features and characteristics such as fault line, fault creep, landslide and seismic hazards.
GEOTECHNICAL/SOIL ENGINEER. A civil engineer who is experienced in the field of engineering as described in the definition of GEOTECHNICAL/SOIL ENGINEERING in this section.
GEOTECHNICAL/SOIL ENGINEERING. The branch of engineering that specializes in behavior of earth materials including rock and soil.
GEOTECHNICAL/SOIL REPORT. A report prepared by a geotechnical engineer dealing with items such as field test results, observations regarding the nature, distribution and strength of existing soils and recommendations and conclusions for grading procedures and designs.
GRADE. The elevation of a ground surface.
GRADING. Any excavation (cut), filling, stripping, stockpiling, clearing and grubbing, or any combination thereof, which alters land or vegetation.
HILLSIDE SITE. A site within the limits of grading having an average of 15% or greater.
HOLIDAYS. Days observed as legal holidays by the city.
HYDROMULCHING. The application of plant residue or other suitable materials to the land surface to conserve moisture, hold soil in place, and aid in establishing plant growth.
PERMITTEE. The applicant to whom the permit is issued.
PERSON. A natural person, his or her heirs, executors, administrators or assigns, and also includes a firm, partnership or corporation, its or their successors or assigns, or the agent of any of the aforesaid.
POLLUTANTS. Any material other than stormwater, including, but not limited to, rock, sand, building materials, waste and litter discharged into the city’s stormwater system as defined in this chapter and other parts of this code.
RAINY OR WET SEASON. The period of time between October 15 and April 15 inclusive.
RELATIVE COMPACTION. The ratio of the field or dry or wet density to the laboratory maximum dry or adjusted wet density respectively, expressed as a percentage.
ROUGH GRADE. The temporary grade which approximates the finished grade.
RUNOFF. The surface flow of water.
SEDIMENT. Earth material deposited by action of water, wind or gravity.
SEDIMENT BASIN. A reservoir which retards flow so as to cause or allow deposition of transported sediment.
SEDIMENTATION. The process by which soil, mineral, or organic matter is removed, transported, and deposited by action of water, wind or gravity.
SITE. Any lot or parcel of land or contiguous combination where grading is to be performed.
SLOPE. The inclination of a ground surface expressed as the:
1. Ratio of horizontal distance to vertical distance; or
2. Ratio of vertical distance to horizontal distance expressed in percent.
SOIL. Earth material of whatever origin that overlies bedrock.
STOCKPILE. Earth, rock, gravel, sand or other similar material temporarily stored prior to final disposition.
TERRACE. A relatively level area constructed in a face of a slope surface for drainage and maintenance purposes.
VICINITY MAP. A visual representation of the project site in relationship to significant geographic features such as watercourses, water bodies, roads and other significant structures.
(Ord. 578, passed 1-20-2009; Ord. 610, passed 2-18-2014)