(a) Major Slopes. The average slope of each cut surface resulting in a major slope shall not be steeper than two horizontal to one vertical exclusive of benches and exclusive of roundings unless:
(1) a report is received from a soil engineer certifying that he or she has investigated the property and that in his or her opinion the proposed steeper slope will be stable and will not endanger any public or private property or result in the deposition of debris on any public way or interfere with any existing drainage course; and
(2) a report is received from a landscape architect certifying that such steeper slope, considering the nature of the soils on the slope surface, will support the proposed planting by maturity without significant or excessive erosion.
All major cut slopes shall be rounded into the existing terrain to produce a contoured transition from cut face to natural ground and abutting cut or fill surfaces where conditions permit. The County Official may require at any time that the excavation be made with a cut face flatter in average slope than two horizontal to one vertical or require such other measures as he or she deems necessary for stability and safety.
(b) Minor Slopes. Cuts resulting in minor slopes shall not be steeper in slope than one and one half horizontal to one vertical unless the County Official approves such steeper slope after receipt of a report by a soil engineer certifying that he or she has investigated the property and that in his or her opinion the proposed steeper slope will be stable and will not endanger any public or private property or result in the deposition of debris on any public way or interfere with any existing drainage course.
(c) Borrow Pits. The application of this section to borrow pits shall be limited to the final slopes thereof.
(Added by Ord. No. 9547 (N.S.), effective 5-9-03)
All cut or fill slopes exceeding forty feet in vertical height shall have drainage terraces at vertical intervals not exceeding thirty feet except that where only one terrace is required, it shall be at approximately mid-height unless some other location is approved by the County Official. Such drainage terraces shall be at least six feet wide and be designed and constructed so as to provide a swale or ditch having a minimum depth of one foot and a minimum grade of two percent unless a flatter grade is approved by the County Official. The terrace including the swale or ditch shall provide a paved drainage way based upon the need as determined by the slope, wetted perimeter and discharge that drains into a paved gutter, pipe or other safe disposal area. Such drainage terraces including the swales and ditches shall be paved with a minimum thickness of three inches of portland cement concrete, or with two inches of pneumatically applied concrete mortar, or shall be improved with other materials or with other treatment approved by the County Official as equal. If the drainage discharges onto natural ground, the County Official may require that such natural ground be protected from erosion outlet protection/velocity dissipation devices. Drainage terraces or the paving thereof may be waived by the County Official after receipt of the report by the soil engineer certifying that he or she has investigated the property and that in the engineer's opinion drainage terraces or paving is unnecessary.
(Added by Ord. No. 9547 (N.S.), effective 5-9-03)
In the event that during the grading operation, expansive soil (as identified in the American Society for Testing Materials D4829-25 test or modification thereof approved by the County Official) is found within either two feet of the finished lot grade or three feet of the finished floor grade of any area intended or designed as the location for a building, the permittee shall cause such expansive soil to be removed from such building area to a depth specified by the County Official and replaced with nonexpansive soil properly compacted; provided, however, the County Official may, upon receipt of a report by a soil engineer certifying that he or she has investigated the property and recommending a design of footings or floor slab or other procedure that in his opinion will alleviate any problem created by such expansive soil, waive the requirement that such expansive soil be removed and replaced with nonexpansive soil.
(Added by Ord. No. 9547 (N.S.), effective 5-9-03)
All fills shall be compacted to a minimum of ninety percent of maximum density as determined in the laboratory by the American Society for Testing Materials D-1557-91 test or modification thereof approved by the County Official, provided that the compactive energy of the test shall not be less than 35,000 foot-pounds per cubic foot. Field density shall be determined by the American Society for Testing Materials D-1556-90 or D2922-91 method, or an equivalent test approved by the County Official. Lower degrees of compaction may be permitted by the County Official after he or she receives a soil engineer's report certifying that the soil engineer has investigated the property, made soil tests, and that in the engineer's opinion such lower degree of compaction will be adequate for the intended use of the property which use shall be described in the report.
(Added by Ord. No. 9547 (N.S.), effective 5-9-03)
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