16.507 NATUrAL HAZArD rEDUCTION

16.507.01 PURPOSE AND APPLICABILITY

The purpose of this Chapter is to implement General Plan policies and comply with applicable State requirements to protect public safety by identifying natural hazards and reducing their risk. More specifically, these regulations are intended to address the risks posed by wildfires, flooding, geotechnical hazards and seismic events, and projected sea level rise by:

A. Maintaining up-to-date information identifying areas with high risk from wildfires, floods, earthquakes, and inundation from sea-level rise; B. Requiring development in areas at risk from natural hazards to consider the impacts of their proposal and incorporate measures that will reduce threats to public safety; C. Referring proposed plans and projects in risk areas to State and local environmental management agencies for review and comment.

16.507.02 WILDFIRE HAZARDS

The following requirements apply to all development in areas that General Plan Map NBE-4 identifies as Moderate or High wildfire risk areas:

A. Applications for development in Moderate or High wildfire risk areas shall be submitted to the Fire

Prevention Department for review and recommendation of mitigation measures including specification of building and roof materials, firebreaks, fire resistant landscape materials, access roads to open as, internal fire protection systems and adequate water supply. B. All areas within 100 feet of combustible structures in the Moderate and High wildfire risk areas shall be kept clear of flammable vegetation.

16.507.03 FLOOD HAZARDS

All development proposed in areas identified by the Federal Insurance Administration’s “Flood Insurance Study for the City of Vallejo” shall comply with the following requirements:

A. The Director shall refer applications to the Vallejo

Flood and Wastewater District (VFWW) for review and comment and require applicants to revise projects as necessary in response to VFWW recommendations; B. Applicants proposing development, grading, and land modification activities that may adversely affect the local drainage system or create erosion may be required to submit engineering reports, subject to peer review at the applicants expense, recommending measures that should be incorporated to mitigate such impacts; C. New and modified structures in the 100year floodplain are required to comply with the City’s Flood Management Regulations including elevating building pads above flooding levels and other flood-proofing measures. D. The construction of permanent structures in designated floodways is prohibited. E. Development in areas identified as vulnerable to a projected 55-inch sea level rise by 2100 in

General Plan Map NBE-6 or the City’s adopted

Climate Action Plan, whichever is more restrictive is subject to environmental review for the purpose of assessing potential impacts of inundation and identifying measures to mitigate such effects.

16.507.04 GEOTECHNICAL HAZARDS

All development proposed in areas the City has designated as geotechnical hazard risk zoning districts B, C, and D on the Geotechnical Land Use Capability Map, Plate 2, Seismic Safety Element. shall comply with the requirements of this Chapter.

A. Use Restrictions. The use of land within areas identified as geotechnical hazard risk zones shall comply with the requirements of Table 16.507-A.

TABLE 16.507-A: USE RESTRICTIONS BY HAZARD RISK ZONE

Risk Zone Use Types Permitted Use Types Permitted Subject to Development Requirements Use Types Permitted Subject to Development Requirements and Independent Evaluation

A Na

agricultural, Industrial, residential, Commercial, Public/ Semi-Public except Public Safety, Hospitals and Clinics, utilities

C agricultural Na

Public Safety, Hospitals and Clinics, utilities

Industrial, residential, and Commercial, Public/ Semi-Public

D agricultural Industrial, residential, Commercial for fewer than 200 Na

Na

Na

Industrial, residential, and Commercial for 200 or more; Public/SemiPublic

1. Geologic Report Required. All applications to develop land for uses identified as being permitted but subject to Geotechnical Hazards shall include a soil and geologic report prepared by a registered soil engineer and registered geologist certified in engineering geology to assess geologic hazards, subject to a peer review at the applicant’s expense. a. The soils and geologic report shall be directed to determining the presence or absence of an active known fault on the development site and to determining appropriate structural design recommendations. Sub-surface exploration may be required if a lack of distinguishable fault features in the vicinity prevents the geologist from determining by a site examination, review of available aerial photographs, or by other means that the fault trace does or does not underlie or exist within fifty feet of any structures proposed for the development site. b. A more detailed and extensive investigation and report by the geologist may be required (as evidence to the absence of a known active fault trace) for applications proposing development of Group A, E, I, H, and R-1 occupancies, and B occupancies as set forth in the Uniform

Building Code) over one story in height. c. The geologic report may be waived, with the approval of the State Geologist, if the city determines that no active known fault exists on the development site or, in the case of applications for development containing a maximum of 2 dwelling units, that sufficient information regarding the site is available from previous reports filed concerning the same development area.

2. Review of Geologic Report. If the geologic report indicates that the proposed use is not subject to geotechnical hazards, the use may not be denied based on geologic findings, but subject to any special conditions, noted in the report. These conditions shall be attached to the application and be applicable to the proposed use. If the geologic report indicates that geotechnical problems may exist for the proposed use, the applicant shall be required to obtain a Major Use Permit as prescribed in Chapter 16.606, Minor and Major Use

Permits; except that when identified problems are so severe, the proposed use may be prohibited.