This subchapter and the regulations and restrictions contained herein are adopted and enacted for the following purposes:
(A) To protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the county, protect the county’s infrastructure and financial health, and minimize adverse effects of geologic hazards to public health, safety, and property by encouraging wise land use;
(B) This subchapter and its appendices, on file with the County Clerk, address surface fault rupture, slope stability, liquefaction, debris flow, rockfall and avalanche hazards and present minimum standards and methods for investigating and reporting on geologic hazards;
(C) The applicant shall present the results of geologic hazard investigations in compliance with this subchapter and its appendices, on file with the County Clerk. The standards set forth in this subchapter and the appendices are minimum requirements. More complex projects may require more detailed and in-depth investigations than outlined herein. In addition, the appendices shall not supersede other more stringent requirements that may be required by other regulatory agencies; and
(D) Geologic hazard study areas are defined in § 155.223 of this code. Site-specific geologic hazard investigations performed by qualified, state-licensed engineering geologists shall be required prior to developing projects located within a geologic hazards study area. In the event known or readily apparent geologic hazards exist in an area subject to a development application, and which area is not included in a geologic hazard study area, the applicant shall nevertheless follow the process outlined in this subchapter and submit the applicable investigation report.
(Prior Code, § 8-5I-1) (Ord. 10-02, passed 6-1-2010; Ord. 19-09, passed 10-15-2019; Ord. 21-07, passed 6-15-2021)