These comments have been prepared by Carolyn Banti, Associate Civil Engineer, and Antonella Gentile, Resource Planner
1. Please satisfy Condition II.C of CDP 07-0406: Submit three copies of a soils report prepared and stamped by a licensed Geotechnical Engineer. The soils report must include detailed foundation preparation and design and site grading and must provide seismic design parameters and recommendations in accordance with the updated 2010 CBC. Also note: The report is greater than three years old; please provide an update to the report that states, based on site observations, that the recommendations of the report remain valid or provides updated recommendations as necessary.
2. The grading necessary at the northeast project extent creates 1:1 slopes that daylight very close to an erosional slope feature on the adjacent parcel. Please provide an addendum to the soils report that addresses the stability of this area (including the existing, adjacent fill not being removed/replaced) and provides recommendations to ensure that continued erosion on the adjacent parcel does not affect the performance of the graded area.
3. Please update the grading plan to include a “limits of grading” line. This line should represent the limits of grading and ground disturbance and must be realistic with respect to equipment access, keyways and lateral extents of grading for benching/recompaction of material.
4. Per County Code Section 7.79.100 “Best Management Practices for Construction Activities”, a stormwater pollution control plan must be submitted that includes appropriate BMPs from the County Construction Site Stormwater Pollution Control BMP Manual. Please update the erosion control plan submitted to address these requirements. The applicable County Code section may be found online at: http://sccounty01.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/bds/Govstream/BDSvData/non_legacy/agendas/2012/20120306/PDF/014.pdf and the County Construction Site Stormwater Pollution Control BMP Manual may be found at: http://www.dpw.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/Storm_Water/pdf/201106Construction-Stormwater-BMP-Manual-draft1.pdf
Also note: This project is considered “Major Development” per the County Construction Site Stormwater Pollution Control BMP Manual, Part 1 – Section A. As such there are restrictions on who can prepare the Stormwater Pollution Control Plan, depending on the total disturbance area. Please see County Construction Site Stormwater Pollution Control BMP Manual, Part 1 – Section B.
5. Please provide the total area of disturbance for the project. It appears this area will exceed 1 acre, in which case the project must comply with Construction National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Stormwater Discharge Permits (State Water Resources Control Board) per County Code Section 7.79.090. To confirm compliance, please provide the project “Waste Discharge Identification Number” (WDID) issued by the State Water Resources Control Board.
- Please provide details for the proposed exterior light standards to verify compliance with Condition of Approval II.J.
- Sheet C1, Building D shows two first floor elevations: FF=111.0 and FF=120.0, neither of which correspond to Cross Section C/C4. Please resolve.
8. Update Sheet C1 to provide pad elevations for each proposed building.
9. Please satisfy Condition II.A.5: Provide construction details for the proposed retaining walls.
10. Please update the grading and erosion control plans to provide a construction schedule for earthwork activities, include earthwork quantities for overexcavation and recompaction beneath buildings, detail the destination for all exported material, show outlet points for all proposed retaining wall backdrains, and specify grading schedule constraints in the riparian corridor and winter grading requirements, including the placement of temporary riparian protection fencing. Details regarding each of these requirements may be found in Permit Conditions II.D.1-8.
11. Please provide a note on the grading plan regarding the requirement for a preconstruction meeting per Condition of Approval III.A.
12. Please provide notes on the grading plan regarding construction requirements as specified in Conditions of Approval III.C 1-3.
13. Please note on the grading plan that water diversion will be required if work will take place within 5 feet of the stream channel when water is present.
14. Please provide a note on the grading plan regarding the requirements specified in Condition of Approval III.G. This is currently noted on the winter erosion control plan but is required at all times during construction.
15. Please update the grading plan to show trees to be removed with an “X”.
16. Please show tree protection measures, as recommended by the project arborist, for trees to remain on the grading plan.
17. Per Condition II.E.2, please provide 3 copies of the final arborist’s report, the arborist’s site plan, a current update to the arborist’s report and a plan review letter from the arborist. The plan review letter should reference the revised grading, erosion control, and tree protection plans once all comments have been addressed. The arborist shall make specific recommendations for protection of the 24-inch oak shown to remain at the top of the slope.
18. Per condition II.E.1, please provide a specific riparian revegetation maintenance plan (3-5 years) prepared by the landscape architect or other qualified professional that establishes survival criteria and is designed to achieve long-term control of non-native invasive plants in the riparian areas. This plan must specify that all eucalyptus stumps shall be removed.
19. Please note the following standard requirements for tree removal on the plans:
A. In order to prevent impacts to nesting birds, tree removal activities shall be limited to the period between September 1 and February 1, if feasible. If the trees must be removed outside of the timeframe above, a qualified biologist shall conduct surveys for raptor or migratory songbird nests 3-4 days prior to site disturbance. A report with the biologist’s findings shall be provided to the Planning Department, in care of the Resource Planner, prior to removal of the tree. If protected birds are nesting within the project area, tree removal shall be avoided until the young have fledged.
B. In order to avoid impacts to special status bats, tree removal activities shall be limited to the months between November 1 and March 1, if feasible. If the trees must be removed outside of the timeframe above, a qualified biologist shall conduct surveys for special status bats 3-4 days prior to site disturbance. A report with the biologist’s findings shall be provided to the Planning Department, in care of the Resource Planner, prior to removal of the tree. If protected bats are roosting within the project area, tree removal shall be avoided until the roosts are vacated.
20. After plans have been prepared that are acceptable to all reviewing agencies, please submit a geotechnical plan review letter written by the soils engineer of record that states the project plans conform to the recommendations of the geotechnical report. (Condition II.C.3)
1. Please revise the Riparian Revegetation Maintenance Plan to include the following:
A. Success criteria;
B. Continuance of the monitoring plan for an additional two years if success criteria are not met by the end of the third year; and
C. Submittal of an annual report to the Environmental Coordinator that describes conditions, maintenance activities, and monitoring that has been completed in each 12-month period.
2. Please submit a plan review letter from the geotechnical engineer referencing the plans by final revision dates and stating that the plans reviewed conform to the recommendations in the soils report and updates.
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