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Home My WebLink About03-06-2012 Council Reading File C7Safety 11S OBIS DO THE GENERAL PLAN F. Creek alterations shall be considered only if there is no practical alternative, consistent with the Conservation and Open Space Element. G. Development close to creeks shall be designed to avoid damage due to future creek bank erosion. Property owners shall be responsible for protecting their developments from damage caused by future bank loss due to flood flows. 2.2 Policy S: Water Impoundments The design and review of proposed water reservoirs, ponds, and tanks, will conform to State standards for seismic safety and will include an evaluation of potential inundation areas. FIRE Fires cause significant losses to life, property, and the environment. They occur in both urban and rural settings. Urban fire hazards result from the materials, size, and spacing of buildings, and from the materials, equipment, and activities they contain. Additional factors are access, available water volume and pressure, and response time for fire fighters. Fire hazards in rural areas, or on the edge between urban and rural land, combine these factors with land slope and natural and modified vegetation. The mosaic of grassland, scrub and chaparral, and oak woodland around San Luis Obispo has been shaped by, and to some extent depends on, fire. Where the burning of natural vegetation is a threat to people's lives and property, plant fuels are often managed by replacement planting, cattle grazing, plowing, or controlled burns. At the start of the rainy season in Fall 1999, the City conducted a prescribed burn on the Bishop Peak natural preserve, to reduce fuel accumulation and the risk of uncontrolled fire. "Wildland" is a shorthand way of referring to conditions mostly resulting from natural vegetation's properties as fuel and the steepness of the land, which affect how fast fire spreads and limit fire - fighting methods. San Luis Obispo faces wildland fire hazards due mainly to its climate and to the hills around and within the city. Areas with high wildland fire hazard include the Irish Hills, Santa Lucia foothills, Cerro San Luis Obispo, Bishop Peak, and Islay Hill (Figure 2). Urban fire hazards are increased by concentrations of wood -frame structures, particularly multifamily developments, mobile homes, and older structures having outdated heating and electrical systems and lacking fire- detection and suppression features. Preventing the start and spread of fires was one of the original purposes of building and zoning regulations. San Luis Obispo has adopted fairly typical zoning regulations for building size and spacing, and standard codes that address fire safety in detail. In addition, the city has adopted requirements for automatic fire sprinklers and fire- resistive roof materials that exceed minimum statewide requirements. 5 -9 !�7 city of Safety �� ';An LUIS oni. -; 0 THE GENERAL PLAN FIGURE 2: WILDLAND FIRE HAZARD orty of sill W18 OUHs PO ,2AreI,' dLe.111elll. Wildland Fire Hazard I .y Th s map s rx ge^eral infcmxa: on.The map by itseii is noo, a sta:emen: c` pol cy. T ^is map may be revised n respa7se to rew in`ormaticn, withud amending t -- Sa*y E errent. `i Ci. 5 -10 Hazard classificat.ors based on genera slope and - Yneta:ior type A C ,y Fire Sta:lons i11 County Fire Stations 0 Urban Reserve C ty Faciliiies Fire Hazard Rates r [.] Law LU Moderate L] H gh (� Extreme MYof n l.tns Q plsnC THE GENERAL PLAN Safety Fire prevention and suppression services are provided by the City Fire Department, which maintains four fire stations (Figure 2). A key challenge for the City is providing adequate fire protection for the expansion areas identified in the Land Use Element, in particular the existing development to be annexed as part of the Airport Area. 3.0 Policy S: Adequate Fire Services Development should be approved only when adequate fire suppression services and facilities are available or will be made available concurrent with development, considering the setting, type, intensity, and form of the proposed development. 3.1 Policy S: Wildland Fire Safety H. Wildland fire hazards shall be classified as follows: Classification Vegetation. Slope Low extensive urban development or any slope vacant land with minimal vegetation; most urban ornamental landscaping; extensive surface water; perennial wetlands; row crops; orchards and vineyards with no understory grass or brush; irrigated or closely grazed pasture; extensive rock or sand grasslands; oak woodland ( "savannah" 0 to 40 type, excluding chaparral); cactus percent scrub 0 to 40 percent riparian dominated by willows, 0 to 40 sycamore, oak percent Moderate grasslands; oak woodland ( "savannah" 40 to 60 type, excluding chaparral); cactus percent scrub riparian dominated by willows, 40 percent sycamore, oak or more riparian dominated by bay, conifers 0 to 40 percent orchards and vineyards with some 0 to 60 understory grass or brush percent High grasslands; oak woodland ( "savannah" 61 percent type, excluding chaparral); cactus or more scrub chaparral and scrub (excluding cactus 0 to 40 scrub) percent riparian dominated by bay, conifers 40 to 60 percent 5 -11 City of �� an 11.115 OLMS00 THE GENERAL PLAN Safety Wildland Fire Classifications c assiffcatw vegetaw Stope orchards and vineyards with some 61 percent understory grass or brush or more extensive stands of eucalyptus or 0 to 60 coniferous trees percent Extreme grasslands 61 percent or more chaparral and scrub (excluding cactus 41 percent scrub) or more riparian dominated by bay, conifers 61 percent or more extensive stands of eucalyptus or 61 percent coniferous trees or more Notes: When classifying areas of several hectares (acres) having a strip, patch, or small -scale mosaic of vegetation and slope types, the most severe classification that is generally represented within the adjacent types shall be used. Unusual conditions, such as a wetland's accumulation of dried reeds during a prolonged drought, may result in a vegetation type temporarily having a higher actual hazard than indicated by its classification, which reflects the typical cycle of seasonal conditions. I. Development shall be excluded from areas of high and extreme wildland fire hazard. J. Buildings that are in areas of moderate fire hazard and which are close to areas of high or extreme fire hazard shall have non - combustible exteriors; noncombustible exteriors are encouraged for all buildings in moderate fire hazard areas. K. In areas of moderate or higher wildland fire hazard, defensible space — accessible space free of highly combustible vegetation and materials— shall be provided around all structures. L. It is recognized that vegetation types, and therefore wildland fire hazards, may change due to natural causes and human activity. Changes are expected to be minimal in areas that the Land Use Element designates as Open Space. Substantial changes are expected in areas that the Land Use Element designates for development. Any losses of native plant habitat must be mitigated as required by the Conservation and Open Space Element. EARTHQUAKES AND OTHER GEOLOGIC HAZARDS Overview Geologic conditions encompass the form of the ground surface, the composition of soils, rocks, and water at the ground surface and below, and the long -term movement of the Earth's crust and mantle. These conditions determine the stability of the ground at a site, and how that site will respond to changes caused by people and by the natural forces of earthquakes and weather. 5 -12