GEManualSec1PermitsPage

GRADING AND EXCAVATION MANUAL 2010 Edition

(For a print-friendly PDF of the entire 60 page manual - Click on the Image Above)

SECTION 1: PERMITS

There are a multitude of permit types and responsible agencies in the Summit County Government. All building permits, including plumbing, mechanical, and electrical permits, among others, are administered by the Building Inspection Department. Other departments, including Engineering, Planning, Road and Bridge, and Environmental Health may be required signatories for approval of permits and certificates of occupancy or completion, but do not have any authority in the actual administration of those permits. As such, each department may have its own permit(s) and associated processes and requirements, i.e. right-of-way permits by the Road and Bridge Department, septic permits by the Environmental Health Department, and grading permits by the Engineering and Planning Departments.

The bulk of this Manual will discuss the processes and standards that apply to grading and excavation (hereafter “GE”) permits as they pertain to the Engineering Department. In addition to the Engineering Department, however, all GE permits must receive the approval of the Planning Department prior to issuance. As such, any submittal requirements of the Planning Department must be satisfied as well prior to issuance of a GE permit. For a complete list of the requirements and standards of the Planning Department as related to GE permits, please refer to the Code or contact the Planning Department directly (listed in contacts).

If a building permit is required for a project, then the applicant(s) must obtain approval for a GE permit prior to approval by the Engineering Department of the associated building permit. Please refer to the Building Inspection Department’s web page or contact them directly for specifics on their submittal requirements for permits, standards, and other department and outside agency approval requirements.

Grading projects will only be permitted for proposals that are part of a complete building permit or on lots that have been developed. No grading projects will be permitted on undeveloped lots for site work only. This includes driveway installations, preparations for building sites, septic and leach field installations, and drainage work. These projects have been allowed in the past, and the results of the work, often left incomplete, have led to complications for owners, developers, and County staff. The most notable, and typically only, exception to this policy is grading permits for subdivision overlot grading in conjunction with a subdivision plat approval and corresponding subdivision improvements agreement and financial guarantee.

GE permits will generally not be issued during the winter months, when sites are not visible due to snow cover. In the event that a project’s scheduling requires that excavation begin in the winter months, an inspection of the property must be performed prior to snow covering the lot, and a specific winter conditions development plan shall be submitted to the Engineering Department for review. This winter conditions plan shall include construction BMP specifics, phasing of erosion control measures and excavation procedures to prevent sediment discharge from the site during the runoff/snow melt season, and phased erosion control inspections will be required. The plan shall also include specific provisions for backfill of walls and subgrades, in order to prevent backfilling with frozen or snow laden material. Failure to comply with any conditions imposed on a project will be grounds for cancellation of inspections, additional or increased fees, fines, or other legal action, depending on the severity of the impacts of failure to comply with these conditions. The County Engineer reserves the right to deny or postpone approval of any project that proposes to begin in the winter months.

All grading and excavation projects that propose to require or generate fill must provide, in the application or on the site plan, the source or destination of the fill received or generated. No fill may be disposed of on a site where there is no active grading permit, or that is not approved to receive fill. Fill may be disposed of at projects that have active GE permits and require fill, at approved stockyards, or at the County Landfill. Any time fill is observed on a property with no GE permit the owner of that property will be held liable for the removal of the material and the restoration of the property, and all costs associated therewith. The County is not able to, and will not attempt to track the source of such fill. In these cases a letter will be sent to the property owner describing the procedures and timeframe required for compliance with this regulation. It shall remain the owner’s responsibility to track the source of the material and negotiate any cost sharing or acceptance of liability on the part of the party responsible for depositing such illegally placed material.

Feel free to contact us at the Engineering Department with any questions you have regarding development and permit requirements in Summit County. If we are not able to answer your questions, either because we are not the administrator of the regime your question applies to, or because we do not have the answer for some other reason, we will make every effort to direct you to the proper authority to answer the question at hand or research your question and provide an answer directly.

GRADING AND EXCAVATION MANUAL 2010 Edition

TABLE OF CONTENTS