Amador County – Amador County Board of Supervisors last week adopted an $85 fee for processing exempted grading permits in part to keep tabs on inadequately graded soils that lately have affected construction.
Community Development Director Aaron Brusatori asked for the fee of $85 for establishing files and processing exempted grading, which can be any project that will move between 50 and 500 cubic yards of soil. Exempt grading must occur between April 15 and Oct. 15, and erosion control measures must be in place in disturbed areas prior to Oct. 15.
A “grading acknowledgement form” was used by the county for the exempt grading, and that was the only way for keeping track of grading on lands, some of which became used for trying to build a structure, but were found to not have the required compaction of the soil to allow a structure.
The county building department reported three or four projects in the last year were found to be built on undocumented fills, which had no compaction report, and concrete was ready to pour. Then the building department came to inspect, and said they have to remove all of the forms and check the fill compaction.
Supervisor Brian Oneto said “I have natural dirt on my property that was probably moved all over by the ’49ers.”
Brusatori said the change in the ordinance would give the county a documentation of the exempted fills. He said the present ordinance “puts the Building Department in a little bit of an awkward position.” He said all you have is an acknowledgement form, with a sketch of what you plan to do.
Supervisor Ted Novelli said some property owners may have cleared a 100x100 foot pad for parking a fifth wheel, then three owners later, “now part of that might be his house foundation.” With one option before the board, “for $11 you can have a record of that.”
Supervisor John Plasse said it’s not the fee it’s the clouding of the title he was worried about. If they could save the information electronically by APN number, maybe it could be searchable. One developer said now, if you disturb 500 acres or one acre, you would still need a grading permit after Oct. 15.
Brusatori noted that after Oct. 15, a grading permit is required. Supervisors also approved revising the current code to allow activity in the rainy season, after Oct. 15, if developers have a notice of intent registered with the Regional Water Quality Control Board, if they have a storm-water pollution prevention plan, or if they have a grading permit.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
