City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council adopt the Resolution establishing
additional policies and procedures for the issuance of building permits for
proposed significant hillside foundation work on hillsides in Culver City
(Attachment 1).
BACKGROUND:
On December 15, 2003 the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2003-R108
establishing an additional building permit fee to cover the costs of a new
administrative policy which requires an additional independent geo-technical
review for all construction involving significant new foundations on hillside
properties (Attachment 2).
The policy adopted on December 15, 2003, requires the following:
Step 1: The Building Safety Division has a list of approved geotechnical
consultants who provide an independent geotechnical review of all new
construction involving new foundations for all hillside properties in Culver
City.
Step 2: If the independent geotechnical review concurs with the original
geotechnical report, the permit application will be approved and the
project may proceed.
Step 3: If the independent geotechnical review conflicts with the original
geotechnical report, the independent review will be forwarded to the
engineer who wrote the original report. The engineer who prepared the
original report may accept or discard suggested revisions.
Meeting Date: May 8, 2006 Item Number: A-5
AGENDA ITEM: Adoption of a Resolution Establishing Additional Policies and
Procedures for the Issuance of Building Permits for Proposed Significant Hillside
Foundation Work on Hillsides in Culver City.
Contact Person/Dept.: Craig Johnson Phone Number: (310) 253-5802
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [ ] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification: Master Notification List (05/04/06); Culver City News Public
Notification. Mailing to all Culver Crest and Blair Hills residents.
Department Approval: Susan Evans
(05/04/06)
CAO Approval: Jerry B. Fulwood
(05/04/06)
City Controller Approval:City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
All re-reviews by the independent reviewer will be covered by an initial
deposit of $2,500. Any unused funds are refunded to the applicant.
To date eight reviews have fallen under this policy.
DISCUSSION:
In November 2005 the Culver City Building Official attended a meeting
with the Culver Crest Homeowners Association and presented six
potential options for the review of hillside construction to the Culver Crest
Homeowners Association.
Six Options:
Option 1
Step 1: City Independent Geotechnical Engineer reviews architectural
and engineering drawings and must approve plans.
Step 2: The plans are returned to applicant if City Independent
geotechnical engineer disagrees with the design method.
Option 2
Applicant’s Geotechnical engineer inspects and must approve
foundation forms prior to pouring concrete.
Option 3
A structural engineer must inspect and must approve foundation forms
prior to pouring concrete.
Option 4
A structural engineer inspects and must approve rough framing prior
to covering.
Option 5
Applicant‘s Geotechnical engineer inspects and must approve final
grading prior to landscaping.
Option 6
Landscape architect inspects and must approve final landscaping
prior to final City inspection.
On March 13th, 2006, the City Council discussed these six potential policy
options, which would be in addition to the independent geotechnical reviewCity of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
already in place. During this meeting the City Council requested that staff
return with their own recommendation.
Staff recommends adopting options #1, #2, #5, and #6. Staff feels the
Building Safety Inspectors are already competently performing options #3
and #4.
These policies and procedures would be in addition to the current City policy
which requires an independent review of any geotechnical study required for
a hillside property.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
There is no fiscal impact for this item. The current deposit for the
independent geo-technical review is $2,500. This amount will not change.
The applicant's deposit is used by the City to pay the independent
geotechnical reviewer. Any unused funds are refunded to the applicant.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Proposed Resolution
2. Resolution No. 2003R-108
3. Graph depicting the existing and proposed review procedures for hillside
construction.
MOTION:
That the City Council:
Adopt the Resolution establishing additional policies and procedures for the
issuance of building permits for proposed significant hillside foundation work on
hillsides in Culver City.
MEETING DATE 5/8/06
AGENDA ITEM Establish Additional Policy for Significant Hillside
Foundation
ATTACHMENTS
Pages
1 Proposed Resolution 1-2
2 Resolution No 2003R-108 3-4
3 Graph depicting the existing and proposed 5
review procedures for hillside constructionRESOLUTION NO 2006-R
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA, ESTABLISHING POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES FOR THE ISSUANCE OF BUILDING PERMITS
FOR ALL PROPOSED SIGNIFICANT FOUNDATION WORK ON
HILLSIDES IN CULVER CITY
WHEREAS, on December 15, 2003, the City Council adopted, by Resolution No
2003-R108, a fee to be charged by the Building Safety Division to obtain a separate review of
geotechnical reports required for the issuance of a building permit for proposed significant
foundation work on hillsides in Culver City, and
WHEREAS, in addition to the policy set forth in Resolution No 2003-R108, it
has been determined that additional policies and procedures for the issuance of any building
permit for proposed significant foundation work on hillsides in Culver City are necessary for
the public's health, safety and general welfare
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Culver City, California,
DOES HEREBY RESOLVE as follows
The following policies and procedures are hereby established for the issuance oi
any building permit for proposed significant foundation work on hillsides in Culver City
1 The permit applicant must submit an evaluation by an independent
geotechnical engineer of the permit applicant's onginal geotechnical report and pay the
required fee, as set forth in Resolution No 2003-R108|109| The permit applicant's geotechnical engineer shall be State licensed
3 The permit applicant's geotechnical engineer shall review and approve
the permit applicant's architectural and structural drawings pnor to issuance of the building
permit
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284 The permit applicants geotechnical engineer shall field inspect and
approve the foundation forms and reinforcement prior to Building Safety Division staffs
inspection and pnor to placing any foundation concrete|109| The permit applicants geotechnical engineer shall field inspect and
approve the final site grading pnor to Building Safety Division staffs inspection and prior to th
building permit being finaled|1010| The permit applicant shall hire a landscape architect, who shall be State
licensed, to prepare a site landscaping plan The landscaping plan shall be submitted at the
time of the building permit application The building permit shall not be issued without Buildin
Safety Division staff approval of the site landscaping plan The landscape architect shall field
inspect and approve the final site landscaping prior to Building Safety Division staffs
inspection and prior to the building permit being finaled|109| This Resolution shall take effect upon its adoption
APPROVED and ADOPTED this day of , 2006
GARY SILBIGER, MAYOR
City of Culver City, California
APPROVED AS TO FORM ATTEST
CHRISTOPHER ARMENTA,
City Clerk
Or 4s 10
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28--rgeFargimwomminpigummumperywk,
RESOLUTION NO 2003R-
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA, ESTABLISHING A FEE TO BE
CHARGED BY BUILDING SAFETY DIVISION OF THE
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF THe CITY
TO OBTAIN A SEPARATE REVIEW OF GEOTECtiplICAL
REPORTS REQUIRED FOR THE ISSUANCE OF A
BUILDING PERMIT
WHEREAS, on December 15, 2003, the City Council held a public heanng
regarding establishment of a fee to be charged by the Building Safety Division to obtain a
separate review of geotechnical reports required for the issuance of a building permit, and
WHEREAS, after giving an opportunity to be heard and considenng all
information before it, the City Council approved that fee
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Culver City, California,
DOES HEREBY RESOLVE as follows|109| In addition to any other fees, a fee of Two Thousand Five Hundred
Dollars ($2,500 00) shall be paid by the applicant for a building permit when the Building
Code requires submission of a certified geotechnical report The fee shall be used by the
City to hire a separate geotechnical engineer to review and comment on the submitted
report That fee shall be payable either at the time the application is filed or, at the
applicant's option, no later than all other entitlements and approvals for the requested
building permit have been granted Any additional fees required as a result of modifications
to the subject project referred to in the geotechnical report shall also be the responsibility of
the applicant|1010|sL4.
...W.616442 The Chief Administrative Officer, upon the recommendation of the
Community Development Director, may waive the fee established herein when the
applicant is another governmental agency or a bonafide nonprofit organization|109| The fee established herein shall be annually adjusted each July 1 to
reflect the increase in the Consumer Pnce Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U), Los
Angeles/Riverside/Orange County Area as established by the U S Department of Labor
from March of the preceding year through March of the current year|109| This Resolution shall take effect sixty (60) days after the date of its
adoption
APPROVED and ADOPTED this 15
111
day of December, 2003
ALAN CORLIN, MAYOR
City of Culver City, California
ATTEST APPROVED AS TO FORM
CHRISTOPHER ARMENTA, CAROL A SCHWAB,
City Clerk City Attorney
RBIdg&Safety Fee for Soils Study2003
A03-01011
a. r .4.-1-24itaticgAibtCurrent City policy for significant
hillside foundation work
[December 2003 to present)
property owner hires
geotechratai consultant
architect, and engineer
to design proposed project
property owner forwards
geotechnical mai/tants
report to architect & engineer
architect and engineer
design structise per
geotechnical report
property owner or con actor
forwards gedtech report.
arch s & engtri.'s dwgs. to
City to apply for permit
City reviews geoteth. repOrt,
arch s and engn. s dwgs_
verifies that drawings conform
to geotech report
City verities permit application
conforms to California Codes and Pernat
applicant may
City ordinances 'resubmission <_ _ proceed with their Original
may be required if corrections
are required to the drawings)
Permit applicant forwards geoteth independent geotech
report to independent geateth
review is forwarded to
consultant approved by City for ong geoteth engin.
independent review A.
permit applicant receives independent geotech
ind geotech. review forwards —> review cligefees with
to City for review orig. geotech report
indep geotech. review generally
concurs with original report
City issues permit
construction commences
City inspects cortstrucbon,
verifies that construction
conforms to the approved plans
April 2006
eidittit CITY
BUILDING SAFETY DIVISION
Proposed City policy for significant
hillside foundation work
May 20061
property owner hires
geotechnicat consultant
architect and engineer
to design proposed project
4/.
property owner forwards
geotechnical consultants
report to architect & engineer
architect and engineer
design structure per <
geotechrscal report
property owner or contractor geotech engin returns plans
forwards arch & engirt s dwgs -) to struct. engin and architect
to geotech engineer to review/ if he disagrees with the design
geotech en in. must approve plans method
property owner Or contractor
forwards geotech report
arch s & engin.s dwgs to
City to apply for permit
City reviews geotech. report
arch s and engin.'s dwgs,
verifies that drawings conform
to geotech. report
City verifies permit application
conforms to California Codes and
permit applicant may
City ordinances (resubmisaon <_ _
proceed with their original
may be required if corrections geotech report if desired
are required to the drawings) A
Permit applicant forwards geoleth independent geotech
report to independent geoteth
review is forwarded to
consultant approved by Ci .ty for
orig geotech engirt
independent review
permit applicant receives
independent geotedi
hid geoteth review forwards —> review disagrees with
to City for review
ongi geotech report
indep geOteth review generally
concurs with original report
City issues permit
construction commences
geotech engin inspects and
must approve foundation
forms prior to pouring concrete
geotech engirt inspects and
must approve rough grading
prior to landscaping
•I/
landscape architect inspects and
must approve final landscaping
prior to final City inspection
City inspects conslrudio4
verifies that construction
conforms to the approved plans
geotech. report if desired
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