13.08.110 Standard urban storm water mitigation plan for new developments.
(1) An applicant for a new development plan shall submit a standard urban storm water mitigation plan to the director of public works concurrent with submitting an application to the planning department.
(2) The standard urban storm water mitigation plan shall be designed to reduce the projected runoff for a project through incorporation of design elements or principles which address each of the goals as set forth below in subsection (3) of this section. Developers should refer to the most recent edition of the Municipal Best Management Practices Handbook, produced and published by the Storm Water Quality Task Force, for specific guidance on selecting best management practices for reducing pollutants in storm water discharges from urbanized areas.
(3) The standard urban storm water mitigation plan shall address the following goals in connection with both construction and long-term operation of the site:
(a) Implement, to the maximum extent practicable, requirements established by the appropriate agencies under CEQA, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, local ordinances and other legal authorities intended to minimize impacts from storm water runoff on the biological integrity of natural drainage systems and water bodies.
(b) Maximize, to the maximum extent practicable, the percentage of permeable surfaces to allow more percolation of storm water into the ground.
(c) Minimize, to the maximum extent practicable, the amount of storm water directed to impermeable areas and to the separate storm sewer system (MS4).
(d) Minimize, to the maximum extent practicable, parking lot pollution through the use of appropriate BMPs such as infiltration and good housekeeping.
(e) Establish reasonable limits on the clearing of vegetation from the project site including, but not limited to, regulation of the length of time during which soil may be exposed and, in certain sensitive cases, the prohibition of bare soil.
(f) Provide for the appropriate permanent controls to reduce storm water pollutant load produced by the development site to the maximum extent practicable.
(4) The city’s evaluation of each standard urban storm water mitigation plan will ascertain how well the proposed plan meets the combined objectives set forth in subsection (3) of this section. Each plan will be evaluated on its own merits according to the particular characteristics of the project and the site to be developed.
(5) The director of public works shall review the plan within 14 business days of submittal, or within 14 business days of approval of the development project by the planning commission, where such approval is required. If the plan is found deficient, the reasons for the deficiency shall be given in writing to the developer. Any plan found deficient by the director of public works, or his or her designee, shall be revised by the developer and resubmitted for review. A resubmitted plan will be reviewed within 14 business days of submission. No building permit shall be issued until the director of public works has found the standard urban storm water mitigation plan sufficient.
(6) Full or partial waivers of compliance with this section may be obtained by persons who apply on forms supplied by the city and show that incorporation of design elements that address the objectives set forth in subsection (2) of this section is an economic and physical impossibility due to the particular configuration of the site or due to irreconcilable conflicts with other city requirements. Requests for waivers must be approved in writing by the planning department, the public works department, and the building and safety department and approval of the State Water Resources Control Board.
(7) Compliance with an approved standard urban storm water mitigation plan shall be a condition of any required planning approval.
(8) Failure to comply with an approved standard urban storm water mitigation plan after receiving any required planning approval shall be a misdemeanor. (Ord. 567 § 1. 2002 Code § 11-2.11).