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Resolution 1980- 84 - ---.... . . RESOLUTION NO. 80-84 RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GILROY ADOPTING HILLSIDE DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES. WHEREAS, after study, the Planning Commission and staff has prepared and recommended adoption of the attached guidelines for proposed hillside development in the City of Gilroy, and good cause appearing therefor. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Gilroy approves the attached guidelines and adopts the same for the regulation of proposed hillside developments in the City of Gilroy. PASSED AND ADOPTED this 2nd day of September, 1980, by the following vote: AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: CUNNINGHAM, HUGHAN, LINK, PATE, TAYLOR and GOODRICH COUNCILMEMBERS: NONE COUNCILMEMBERS: ALBERT NOES: ABSENT: APPROVED: ~~ . ayor ATTEST: dU4~b.c;f~ / ty C RESOLUTION NO. 80-84 I L~__ ____ Adopted [)~ City COUll. SepLt:mber 2, 19(30 Resolution No. 80-84 . HILLSIDE DEVELOPHENT GUIDELINES PURPOSE The purpose is to provide specific guidelines for development in hill- side areas. These guidelines arc incorporated by reference into the RH (Re::sidential Hillside) :lone, and shall be used as criteria for dt:- sign rt:view for all development in an RH zone. INTENT 'fitt: intent of these guidelines i8 to minimi:le the irnpact on the native environment and provide safe use of the hillside areas. These guidelines shall be used flexibly as a minimum standard for hill~ide development in order to best :lmplement this intent. ,\ I. ENVIRONMENT A. Soil and Geol~ Reports Soil and Geology Reports will be needed f~r the foundation site of each structure which is to be located on aalope greater than 10%. B . ,~_e ism i c Sa!" t: ~ Structures should not be constructed within 50 feet of any trace fault lines. C. Erosion No building should be sited on areas subject to eignificant erosion, sedimentation, soil creep or landslide. or below an area subject to landslide. No structural work should be couunenced until all cut and fill slopes have been atabilb:ed. D. !:>raina~e Existing drainage patterns should be preserved to the greatest extent possible. Man-made alteration~ of the natural drainage system should be minimized. II. SITE PLANNING -. A. Gra';li~ In order to preserve the appearance of the environment, any alterations to natural contours and slopes shall be kept to a mini.mum. All grading in this district shall be verified by the City Engineer as being the least alllount necessary to provide services to the proposed structures. Grading, cut and fill. and retaining walls should be minimized for hillside development: by using innovative building techniqueI:J which reflect the natural topography of the sl.te. When cut and fill is unavoidable, it shall be stabili:led by rounding and landscaping. Retaining wal Is will only be pennitted where needed to reduce cut and fj J.1. Upon completion of grading and p d.or La s ca [" l. of cons true Lion bare tiol1 lUUS t bl;; pro tee ted Hi 11 s idt,; 1.)e Vt,; [u PIllt,; lll.U i de 1 ine s . Adopted 9-L-130 . Page 2 by netting or Dlulching until vegetation is well established. No grading l:ihould occur during the winter season from October through March, unless specific ero$ion control measures are approved by lhe City Engineer. B. Buildinp and__._Lo~_J!esigl~ Padding and terracing of building sites will not be allowed. Buildings and lots should be laid out to reduce the amount of visual impact of the structures. This will include de- signtng the buildings to conform to the contours of the /:iite, and arranging driveway::! and patio areas to be conlpatible with the slope::; and building design. C. F=l1er~y Conseevatio]2 Pasl;)ive and active sol.ar heating is encouraged in tl:U;t hill... slde areas. D. ?ay~ " Paving for pathways shall be kept to a minimum and shall be porous in nature, wherever feasible. Paved areaa should be designed to minimize runoff that is channel'ed to one location. E. Livestock Grazing animals will be permttteq, but only where they will be ut.tlized to reduce the fire hazard of grassy area$. They shall be kept only where they will not adversely affect neigh~ boring residences. Care should be taken to prevent over. gra;~it1g. (See City Code Chapter '~). F. Fences Fences will be allowed inunedlately adjacent to structures t to provide a private outdoor area. These fences ahal1 be an in. tegral part of the bui.lding design so as to minlmize the vi- sual impact on surrowlding areas. Fencing for pasture areas shall be des i.gned to mi.nim.iz e theil" vi sua 1 impac t. Swinuning pools will require fences a~ defined in Ordinance No. 78.25. Fences shall be approved during the hillside development pro. cedure or, if requested at a later date, by Lhe Architectural and S1 La Approval CUlIlllI! ttee. G. ,Landscaping 1. Ground Cover Existing ground cover shall be maintained to the greatest extent possible. All grading and cut and fill areas shall be landscaped during and after construction to pre- Vi;lnL erol;)ion. and to inl.:rease slope stability. 2. ~Jat:lve Veeetatlon Native shrubs and trees shall be retained on hillside terrain wherever postdble to help maintain natural drainage swales, reduce erosioll, and preserve the char- acter of the hillside envlrOllment. Native vegetation and tret:s shull be pro lee Led from dallld.ge during cons truc- Cion. . Hil1~id~ l)~velupl\l~lll Cuidelineti . Adopted 9-2~80 Page 3 3. Forested Areas Development in forested areas should be carefully de- ::3 igned lo mildmb:e removal or dmnage to exis ting treel:l and to allow their continued healthy existence. 4. .Exis tir~_:l~~e~ Existi.ng I~rees 6 inches or more in diameter, at a point 3 feet above the ground, shall be identified on site plans. Nl)ne of these trees. whether on public or pri- vaLe rights-of-way, shall be removed unle~"H:l they a"re clearly indicdted on the pLans, and approved for removal. Ground cover requiring routine irrigation. shall not be placed under existing oak Lrees. 5. ~e~_Lands_~ap 1.:.!!.ll A description and plan shall be submitted as required by the PLanned Unit Development. apprpval procedure show- ing the location and type of plant m.terial to be in- stalled, according to Landscaping Policy. New plants should blend in w1.th tlwir I;;urroundintis, 'rhex:e shall be an e"~hasis on native plants for all hillside develop- ments. In designing lundscaplng. Jrought"'l:esis tant p1anttl wLll be c0l101d(H't,d Lhe greatest priority. All planting::.; within 30 f\3eL of .bulldlngs must be fire-resis- tant. 6. View Vegetation shall be considered an important aspect of vistas. Native trees should be installed to screen development from vi.ew in such a \..Jay as to preserve the views from the residences. Development: should not occur on exposed ridges or rock outcroppings. 7. Street Trees Street. trees will not be installed in the hillside areas. Any treeo that are provided shall be native or similar to natives, and shall be arranged in natural~appearing clusters. 8. !1ufferi.:..l]~ Twenty feet of succulent, fire-retardant landscaping shall be used as a buffer along major thoroughfares. 9. Irrigation Plants should be selected which need minimum watering. Where watering is necessary, it should be provided by a low-flow irrigat.ion system. Hill~iJe"'1JL'VelOPlllent.idL'lLneS . AJopted 9-2-tHJ ' Page 4 III. DESIGN A. Color and Materials Color and materials used for buildings shall be compatible with the natural landscape. Earth-tone colors and natural lllaL'erials such as wood, natural brick. slump block walls. and tile, fire rated wood shingle or dark asphalt roofing ax-erecoIUUlelH.led. B. Foundation::; Houses to be located on slopes over 15% shall utilize special foundation design/;). These foundation designs must be approved by the City Engineer. The house may be ele- vated to a level point on the hillside through the uae of poles and/or piers. 'l'raditlonal pad foundation.s may be used, but only if they do not neces::iltate a high wall or b<;t.nk acound the home. Split-level homes and ~anti.lever founda- tions will be encouraged where it would minimize solI dis- cup Lion.. Step founda tions lll~iY be used ohly where thia me- t..:hod will cause leas t ooil disrupt j on and wi~l foll()\/ the contoul.-!) of the h111sidet:>. '. C. Roof Use of fire-retardant materials t:lhall be required to reduce fire ha~ards in rhe Ilillside ureas. koof line~ of buildings ohould nor.:: project above ridgelincs in ordel~ to preset-ve the natural ouLlinL' of the hills. D. Chimneys Chimneys shull bL' equipped with spark arreijte~s, and should not be located within 10 feet of trees. E. HOUl;~e Numbers If numbers on a dwelling are not clearly visible from the street, those numbers mus t be provided on a 4 :Lncn by 4 1nch post, 36 inches tall, installed with the ma.ilbo~ or oeparately at the driveway entrance. All maln addre/ils num- erals shall. be a minimtun of 2~ :tnche:i 1n height with a. .3/8 tnch stoke, and placed to rea.d from lc~ft to :r:ight an,d /01,." feam top to bottom. F. AnLennas Exterior an tennat> will no t be penni ttt:J. IV. UTILITIES . All utility service lines shall be undergrounded. A. I.ransforlllers...L Control P~>ir~....t;.:s an~L_Qther Uti)ity Houstngs Utility housings shall be located so as to minimize their vLlHwl impact, and shall be E;iafely screened with native shcubbery. Hi 11:J j de D~veI Oplllell L (.leI i IWS . Adopted 9--:!-80 Pdg\..: 5 , 1L Water WaLer main::> and fire hydrants shall be installed and ...tpproved pr"ior to cOllulIellcLng construction with combustible Inatl.~rials. They shall be locaLed in clustered areas as required by the fLre chief iJnd shall have a static pr(;,~ssure of at It:a:.;L Lf] poi. If pressure !woster pWlIpl:i and high eLevation reaervolrs are necessary, they shall be paid for by the developer. Water tanks and pUm[Jillf:', facilities, ere., shall be located ::>0 aB to lIlininlL::e tH" ellllllndLe their vioudl ilupacto, and shall be screened by plantings of lUlL i Ve shnJbs. An :J inch l1linilillllH 1I1i.dn shall be required. 'Vith specific approval by l.he City Engineer, a 6 inch ffiilin may be utled when it.; ccnnect:.i to an 8 inch or Jarger maln at each end. The length of the 6 inch sectIon sheill not exceed 1500 feet. A 6 inch maIn is also IH=rlllitled 011 cul-.de-sacs which are It:ss than 75Q Eet;t in length. C. Sewer Evecy lot shall be provided with sanitary aew~rs connected to the pub Lic sanitary sewer system, unless special circumstances necea- ~itule or warrant the use of safe. efficient on-site sanitary sys tCllIS. Eight inch IlllnimLun sewer mains 15hall. be required, except un cui-de-sacs I where a 6 inch main J.~ perllrltted. D. Trash Collection Tra~h collection locatiollS shall be designed to minimJze the need fur speciaL cullection facilities by LilC trash collection company. V. ENGINEElUNG --~.,_..._--- A. Roads 1. :L.:Y.e.~ Streets should follow the natural contours of the hillside to minimize cut and fill. Streets may be split into two one-way streets in steeper areas to minimize grading and blend with the terrain. Cui-de-sacs or loop roads will be encouraged where necessary to fit the terrain. 2. Standards The width of a two-way road will be 20 feet, with 3 foot wide shuuld~rs on both sides. The width of a one-way section shall be 12 fee t, with one :\ foo l. shoul der. 1'he maximum grade will be 15/,,,; JO/'" will. be pcnnitted where the length of the 20% section does not exceed 50 feeL. CurvetS should he fatrly bt-oad, having ae a lIlinlllll.Ull il '*2 foot inside turning radius. Wider". s t:n.~l: t~ WilY IJe required In 1 il.nited Si-rei;l.l::I. due to antic- LpeHed craf:.flc 00\',18. All tiLrt.:et tLtZCo shall be C;i~)proved by the Ci. Ly Enginet;~r. 3. Surface Roada shall hC;ive a 11I1nilllUllI of 3 tnc11e::l of asphalt on. an 8 inch Claso II ruck base. 11 i lLii d 1,;' U I,; vel U pill I,; II L.l j d I,; li II t;;: s . AdopLt;;:d 9-2-8(,) Page 6 L+. Cledranee Vel: t.ied 1 e 1 ea ranee will oe lUdin tained at 15 fee t . Road- wayt:. should be designed to avoid major trees, and trees lllay be pt;;:[I1l1 tt(;:d to rellwLn in i.sland areas of the road- way area if the roadway Ls dl:.signed appropr'iately. 5. InLer::j(;:ct LOllc; Int.er::;ecUons U[ any type should not exceed 20 degrees from a right. angle. In,tei-sections ::;hould be in l.oca- d.on:;; whel~e vi:;;b:lJ.ity io adequate. 6 . ?-=~n s.!.__QUd ni}~.}]. tl a_l~d})_~.:,.:.F l_l;; r I:) Signs, gUdrcl rai18 dud hu.n::len; delineating ha~ardous slwuJJer drt.,as ~jhall be iutll:al] ed whert~ necessary for tii:.dt::LY.. SLr't~el l.denctficatilJll signs dnd posts shall be made uf wuod and detligned to be read dearly from the s tree t s approacll.tng eaclt in Lersec Liop. 7. Cud)s dnd CutLer::; Curos sho~ld be discourdged. They shbuld be provided only in areas where they are rwcessacy to prevent traf- fic frolll goJng off of the rOad Qt' for water runoff con- Lcol. Guttl:CS ::;hal1. ot: kept. to a lU.inimulll ilnJ only pro- v Ldt:d whi.: ce Ll II: Y a,ce !1t:I.:ded 'fo r Wa Li.:r rnnoi f contro 1. . 8 . El\~~_El1-t::.~~__Y_~h i ~~_~_~-'<::Ee ti_~_ ACI.:etis roadlj acceptable Lo the fire departlnent shall be pcovldt=d prior to conullencing con~tructlon which useu cornbustibl e lIli.lt.er~ldl~. Twelve foot wLde trails connect- ing Lt.'cmlnal. poLnt8 of streets are encouraged to provide an al Lenld L j VL~ 10 a 1 aLgI: LUJ:llat-ound a L che end of a street for ellli.:q.;.ency vehicle 1lI0Velllent. Such Lrails shall not ex...:eed :\000 feet 1.n Length.. Any plantinga. gates, fence:::! or' boll dcds 1n sLLch an area lIlUSt: have the capabil- ity of UiUkL' being flatLt;.:rH.~d by tiu\.-:h emergency vehicles, or being easily renwved. B. pr iVe\vays Cornrnon dr ivewayo d re encouraged in c 1. us tered areas to reduce the amount of p.:lvLng. Dri.veways shall be at least 12 feet wl.de. Turning dred~; should l)t..~ designed to meet luinllll\.llll fire- turning requlrel\IL'll[~i. Caput.: It y. gri:Hlt;s. and verticnl cleur- dlweu to dr'i.vewi..lY:::; tihall be aL a r-jgh,- angl~ wIth tla: ~t:n~i::t. whecever f0ds.Lble. CUi'ves l:ihall have a 22 fooL lnside LUl'n:Lng r aLtlus . I f a elr Lveway exceed::; 250 f t:~e t .I n J ength. one 8 foo t . by 1~9 foOL LurnuuL shal L be l'L\(lldced every 250 feet. C. Pedes Lr:.I an t.Ja L kwa v s ...___:.....,........,...._.____..._,...._._____._.c_...___ ___~___.._ SidewaLks shall. noL be cunstnlcled in the hJ.lll:.).lde l:u:e8.f;i. Non- paved IH:'.des t [Lan paLhs Ulay be provided in areas whert.! develop- lilt.! n t ti il C C C III Ii L (;: red. ~ ,I. It I Hil [::;Lde Devt.:LoplllL'lll ,ulde! ines . Adopted 9-2...80. PagL~ 7 D. Pi.! Llu; and TrLd 1 ::; Pa ell::; and Lrai J~; dre encourUt',ed in hill s ide areas I if det.dgned tll a fashiull co Illill hnize dls lllrbdnce of the native Hlopes and veg(~LaLioll. 'l'lwy tihall bt;; of a non-impervious Illi.Herial. E. Pdrk~l2l:j, On -streeL curb-side pdrking s11all noL be permitted. Parking aredS shall be prov ided Lhrou!:!,h the use 0 f parking bays and on-site parking dt retiidentiaI units. F"'. U' d !:!.F ~ ~':::.:?_ When bridge:.> lllutil be built over natural or man-made drainage channels I Ule bridge should be cons t.rue ted so al:i to minimize vitiual and physical impact:. G . ~_t 1< e e~~:!:l:~L~ t s. There shall be a minimum of slreet. lighting in hillside art:as. Street light.ing shall be located only at major intersections and where necestlary LO reduce t:n~ffic hazards. All tiltreet lights slw.ll bi;: shielded Bueh chc~t only tlIt'e inter-socti.on area 18 111urnilld.Led. Light poles :jhall be detllgned hl such a way as tu be cOlllpaLib te w.i l.h tile design and natural environment u L [.h~ area. .. . . . . . ... J . _'" I. StlSAJ~NE E. STE IWIETZ. City Clerk of the City of Gilroy, do herelJy eel-tity that the at.tdched ReHolution No. 80-84 18 an orie;inal resolution. July adopted by the Cowlcil of the City of Gilroy at d [-cgular meeting of 3d.id CoW\cil held on che 2nd duy of September . 1 C)~. at which meeting a quonuD was preBcnt. HI WITnESS '-'1llEREOF. I have hereW\to set my hand and affixed the Official ~~al of the City of Gilroy. this 5th day ot September il) 80. b.