Geohazard zones/grading plan requirements.

San José Municipal Code § 19.11.070

in effect

19.11.070 - Geohazard zones/grading plan requirements. Whenever a subdivision is proposed on a property located in a Geologic Hazard Zone, as defined in Section 17.10.225 of Title 17, or sites located in the State of California Seismic Hazard Zone maps, a Geologic Assessment, Geologic Investigation, Geotechnical (Soil) Engineering Investigation, and Grading Plan, shall be required as part of the submittal packet. Any ministerial tentative map application for a parcel located in a Geologic Hazard Zone which fails to include the following supporting documentation shall be deemed incomplete. A. The Grading Plan shall be prepared by a civil engineer who is registered with the State of California. The Grading Plan shall indicate the existing and proposed topography and the cut-and-fill areas of the proposed subdivision, the existing structures to be retained within the proposed subdivision, and the existing structures outside the proposed subdivision within fifty (50) feet of the exterior boundaries of the proposed subdivision, and may include any additional information to enable the Director to determine the feasibility of the proposed development and the relationship of the proposed subdivision to surrounding areas. B. Geologic Assessment, Geologic Investigation, and Geotechnical (Soil) Engineering Investigation. 1. The report shall be prepared by a civil engineer or engineering geologist who is registered by the state of California, specializing in the field of soil and geologic analysis. Geologic investigation shall be performed under the supervision of an engineering geologist registered and certified by the state, except that geologic investigation, not for the purpose of determining engineering data, may be supervised by a geologist registered by the state. Soil investigation shall be performed under the supervision of a civil engineer registered by the state specializing in the field of soil analysis. 2. The report shall determine the existence, potential existence or likelihood of any geologic hazards. If geologic hazards are found within or adjacent to the proposed subdivision, or may affect such subdivision, proposed or existing structures, or adjacent territory, such hazards shall be considered in the report. Said report shall include a geologic map which shall show the boundaries of the areas in which such hazards exist, and the report shall recommend corrective measures to mitigate such hazards. If critical geologic hazards exist on or adjacent to the proposed subdivision, said report and the ministerial tentative map for which the report is submitted shall list, lot by lot, every lot within the proposed subdivision which the critical geologic hazards are likely to affect, if not corrected. 3. A final geologic and/or soil report shall be compiled by the subdivider and submitted to the city engineer before the improvements required by the City for the subdivision are accepted. If no improvements are required by the City for the subdivision, the final geologic and/or soil report shall be filed before the final map or parcel map is recorded. The final geologic and/or soil report shall consist of the preliminary geologic and/or soil report and any supplemental reports, amendments, revisions and reviews covering the geologic and/or soil conditions of the subdivision, including those previously required and prepared under Section 19.11.060, or under Section 17.04.280, in Uniform Building Code subsection 7006(c), of the San José Municipal Code, or under Section 2622 and Section 2623 of Division 2 of the Public Resources Code of the state, or any ordinances subsequently enacted by the City pursuant to Chapter 7.5 of Division 2 of the Public Resources Code of the state. (Ord. 31298.)

Source: City of San José, Municipal Code (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ca/san_jose/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT19SU_CH19.11MITEMA_19.11.070GEZOGRPLREFetched: 11/1/2026