§ 24.15.030. General standards.

The following requirements apply, as applicable, to all uses and activities listed in Table 24.15-1.

A.

Regulatory Differences. See Chapter 24.01 TCC.

B.

Geologic Assessments. Applications for all uses listed in Table 24.15-1 that require a development permit, with the exception of emergency responses provided for in Chapter 24.90 TCC, shall submit a geologic assessment as specified in Chapter 24.35 TCC.

C.

Applications. Applications to undertake a use or activity within a geologic hazard area shall contain all information necessary to evaluate the proposed activity, its impacts, and its compliance with the provisions of this chapter.

D.

Public Health and Safety. All development in geologic hazard areas shall be designed to protect public health and safety.

E.

Avoid Increased Threat to Adjacent Properties. Development in geologic hazard areas shall be designed so it does not increase the threat of the geologic hazard to other properties that would likely be affected in the event of a slope failure, based on the professional opinion of a geotechnical professional.

F.

Avoidance of impacts. All allowed uses and activities shall be designed and constructed to avoid or, where that is not possible, minimize negative impacts to geologic hazard areas and associated buffers. Applicants must first demonstrate an inability to avoid or reduce impacts, prior to the approval authority considering restoration and mitigation of impacts.

G.

Avoid the Need for Shoreline Stabilization. The approval authority shall deny proposed developments and uses, including subdivisions, if it is determined that the development or use would require structural shoreline stabilization measures at the time of construction/implementation or over the life of the development. Developments and uses that would require such structural shoreline stabilization must be approved through the reasonable use exception process (see Chapter 24.45 TCC).

H.

Surety. Applicants for proposals involving restoration or enhancement of degraded geologic hazard areas as a condition of permit approval shall submit to the county a surety consistent with Chapter 24.70 TCC.

I.

Mitigation. Adverse impacts to geologic hazard areas and associated buffers shall be fully mitigated.

J.

Any application of the chapter to an existing use or structure assumes that such use or structure was legally established. A proposal to apply this Chapter to a use or structure that has not been legally established is prohibited.

(Ord. No. 14773, § 3(Att. B), 7-24-2012)