HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 3079--------------------------------------------
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.. (• • ORIGINAL
ORDINANCE NO. 3079
ORD.INANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY 0~" PALO ALTO
&~NDING APPENDIX E OF THE UNIFO.RN l!'IRE CODE TO
PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FIRE PREVENTION REQUIREMENTS
FOR LANDS NEST OF JUNIPERO SIERRA FREEWAY
The Council of the City of Palo Alto does ORDAIN as
follows:
SECTION 1. The Council hereby finds that special circumstances
exist' witfiin the ha:t!ardous fire areas of the City of Pa.lo Alto,
consisting primarily of foothills property, which requ.i.re certain
amendments t.o Pa:ra9raph 16 of ~.ppendix E to the tJniform Fire
Code to enh<.1s1.ce fire mana~Jement. in those areas and to ~;,llo\>1
for greenbelting in lieu of maintenance of firebreaks~ Those
special circ~~stances include~ but are not limited to, the
ext.ensi veness of the hazardous f.i.:ce areas within the City,
the inaccessibility of many <:>.f those areas, their unique
topr;,gr.aphical characteristics, the nature of the vegetation
in t,.~ose areas and the unique environmental aspects of those
areas which require special treatment and alternatives t:o
.minimize damage to thosE:'l areas.
SECTION 2. Section 15.04.365 is hereby added to Chapter
15.04-orthe. Palo Alto Hunic.ipal Code to read as follows:
"15 .. 04.365 Paragraph 16 of Appendix E amended. Paragraph
16 of Appendix E is amended to :l:e;;?.(J. ~.
16. CLEARANCE OF BRUSH OR VEGETATIVE GROWTH FROM STRUCTURES .
(a) Any person ownin9, leasing 1 controlling, oper'atinq
or maintaining any building or structure in 1 -upon or
adjoining any hazardous fire area, and any person
owning, leasing or controlliz~ii .;.:~ny l~1d adjacent to
such buildings or stxuctures 1 shall at all times~
l. Maihtain around and adjacent to such build
ing or structure ~~ effective firebreak made by
removing and clearing away~ for a distance
therefrom of not les.s than 30 feet on each side
thereof, all flammable vegetation or other
combustible growth~ This Section shall not.
apply to single specimens of t;rees 1 ornamental
shrubbery, or similar plants used as ground
covers, provided that they do not form a
means of rapidly transmitting fire from the
native growth to any structure.
2. Maintain around and adjacent to any such
building or structure additional fire protection
or firebreak made by removing all b:t'ush,
flaromable vegetation, or combustible growth
located from 30 feet to lOO feet from such
building or structure as may be required by
the Chief when he finds that because ~f extra
hazai·dous conditions a firebreak of only 30
feet around such structures is not sufficient
to provide reasonable fire safety. Grass and
• • • •
other vegE:t~ ~.i.0n. located more ~~~1'\ :'11') feet
f~om such buil.(;ing or structure and less than
~-8 inches in height above the ground may be
1Qain.tained where necessary to stabilize the
soil and prevent erosion.
3. In lieu of the provisions cf subsections
(a) 1 and 2 the owner or other respon~i~le
person may, at that person's option, sub
stitute an approved greenbelt composed of
appropriate fire retardant plants, subject
to approv·al of the Chief 1 in the subject
areas.
4... Remove all portions of any trees,
shrubs, bushes and other growing vegetation
from within 10 f.eet of the out. let of a.11~{
chirn.ney.
5. Maintain all trees, shrubs: bushes and
other gz.·owing vegetation or portions thereof
adjacent to or overhanging any structure
fre~ of dead limbs, branches, deadwood and
other combustible matter.
6. Maintain the roof of any structure free
of leaves, needles~, twigs, dead vegetative
growth anO. ot~er combustible material.
{b) In tJ1e event that any of the conditions prohibited
by Subsection (a} of this Secti~n exist, the Executive
Body may instruct the Chief to give notice to the
owne.r of the property upon which such condition
exists, to correct such prohibited condition and.:·
if the CMner fails to corrP.ct such condition the
Executive Body may cause ".:he same to be done and
make the expense of such correction a lien upon
the property upon which such condition exists.u
~2-'}:0N 3. The Council hereby finds that this project
ia categorically exempt pursuant to categories 6 and 7.
~r.gr!.:.l.· This o1.'"dln.ance shall become affective upon
the commencement of the thirty-first c...ilf' after the date of
its adoptio:n,
INTRODUCEP: Ju1y 24, 197a
PASSED: October 2, 1978
AYES; Brenner, Carey, Clay, Eyerlyt Fletcher, Henderson, Sher, Witherspoon
NOES: None
A.BST~"N'I'IONS: None
ABSENT: Fazzino
APPROVED:
Mayor
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APPROV:!:D:
APPROVED AS TO CON'J:ENT ~
3J d~~: 144-f-_
FJ.re d1Ie':t-,.
~J!.&d:J. ... Director, Parks & Open
Space Management
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