Best Management Practices, or BMP, must be used to control erosion and stormwater runoff during all grading and construction activities consistent with Chapter 54 (Stormwater Quality Management) of Title V of the Santa Paula Municipal Code and the Building Code.
(A) Slopes. The faces of cut and fill slopes must be prepared and maintained to control erosion. This control must consist of jute netting and effective planting as described elsewhere in this section, or other devices satisfactory to the City Engineer or Building Official.
(B) Planting. The surface of all cut slopes more than five feet in height and fill slopes more than three feet in height must be protected against damage by erosion by planting with grass or ground cover plants. Slopes exceeding 15 feet in vertical height must also be planted with shrubs, spaced at not to exceed ten feet on centers; or trees, spaced at not to exceed ten feet on centers; or a combination of shrubs and trees at equivalent spacings, in addition to the grass or groundcover plants. The plants selected and planting methods used must be suitable for the soil and climatic conditions of the site and in accordance with standard specifications prepared by the City Engineer or Building Official. Planting need not be provided for cut slopes rocky in character and not subject to damage by erosion and any slopes protected against erosion damage by other methods when such methods have been specifically recommended by a soil engineer, engineer geologist, or equivalent authority and found to offer erosion protection equal to that provided by the planting specified in this section. Plant material must be selected which will produce a coverage of permanent planting effectively controlling erosion. Consideration must be given to deep rooted plant material needing limited watering, to low maintenance during the lifetime of the project, to high root to shoot ratio (weight of above ground parts versus root system), wind susceptibility and fire-retardant characteristics.
(C) Irrigation. Slopes required to be planted by subsection (B) above must be provided with an approved system of irrigation, designed to cover all portions of the slope and plans therefore must be submitted and approved prior to installation. A functional test of the system may be required. For slopes less than 20 feet in vertical height, hose bibs to permit hand watering will be acceptable if such hose bibs are installed at conveniently accessible locations where a hose no longer than 50 feet is necessary for irrigation. The requirements for permanent irrigation systems may be modified upon specific recommendation of a landscape architect or equivalent authority that because of the type of plans selected, the planting methods used and the soil and climatic conditions at the site, an irrigation will not be necessary for the maintenance of the slope planting.
(D) Plans and specifications. Planting and irrigation plans must be submitted for slopes required to be planted and irrigated by subsections (B) and (C) of this section. Except as waived by the City Engineer or Building Official for minor grading, the plans for slopes 20 feet or more in vertical height must be prepared and signed by a civil engineer or landscape architect. These plans must be approved by the city prior to issuance of the grading permit unless other provisions are made to the satisfaction of the City Engineer or Building Official. The responsibility of maintenance of drainage terrace must be clearly stated on the grading plan to the satisfaction of the City Engineer or Building Official.
(E) Rodent control. Fill slopes steeper than two horizontal and one vertical within a grading project located adjacent to undeveloped and unoccupied land (as determined by the City Engineer or Building Official) to be infested by burrowing rodents, must be protected from potential slope damage by a preventative program of rodent control.
(F) Release of security. The planting and irrigation systems required by this section must be installed as soon as practical after rough grading. Prior to final approval of grading and before the release of any grading security, the planting must be well established and growing on the slopes and, where required by subsection (E) of this section, there must be evidence of an effective rodent control program.
(G) Other devices. Where necessary, check dams, cribbing, riprap or other devices or methods must be employed to control any erosion. Also, jute netting must be immediately installed on any slopes having a vertical height of seven feet or more and steeper than 3:1 (horizontal: vertical) to minimize or control erosion problems.
(H) Maintenance. Graded and/or landscaped areas are to be maintained in accordance with the original landscape plans and design concept per the originally approved subdivision or development plans. Any alteration of landscape plans or of areas must be approved by the city. Homeowner encroachments such as fences, block walls, structures, unauthorized plantings, alterations to the irrigation, grading or drainage are not allowed. Any approved alterations must be done by city-authorized crews through an approved city permit. Failure to comply with this section will constitute a use of land contrary to the provisions of this Code and is deemed a public nuisance under this Code.
(Ord. 1103, passed 3-7-05)