10.10A.030 Definitions

As used in this chapter: A. “Acceptable and reasonable risk” means no loss of or significant injury to occupants, no release of hazardous or toxic substances, and structural damage but no collapse of structures. B. “Accessory building” means any structure not designed for human occupancy, which may include detached garages with no habitable space, tool or storage sheds, gazebos, and swimming pools. C. “Active fault” means a fault displaying evidence of displacement along one or more of its traces during Holocene time, which is approximately 10,000 years ago to the present. D. “AGRC” means the Utah State Automated Geographic Reference Center. E. “Avalanche” means a large mass of snow, ice, soil or rock, or a mixture of these materials, falling, sliding, or flowing rapidly down a hillside or mountainside under the force of gravity. F. “Buildable area” means that, based on an accepted engineering geology report, the portion of a site not impacted by geologic hazards, or the portion of a site where it is concluded the identified geologic hazards can be mitigated to a level where risk to human life, property and city infrastructure is minimized and where structures may be safely sited. G. “City” means the city of Fruit Heights and its public works director, city engineer, community development director, planning manager, building official, or other Fruit Heights officer or employee, as applicable. H. “City council” means the Fruit Heights city council. I. “Cluster development” means development in which a number of dwelling units are placed in closer proximity than usual, or are attached, with the purpose of retaining or enlarging an open space area. J. “Critical facilities” means essential, hazardous, special occupancy facilities, and Occupancy Categories III and IV as defined in the currently adopted International Building Code, and lifelines such as major utility, transportation, and communication facilities and their connections to critical facilities. K. “Curriculum vitae” or “CV” means a written account of the professional life comprising one’s education, accomplishments, work experience, publications, etc. L. “Debris flow” means a slurry of rock, soil, organic material, and water transported in an extremely fast and destructive flow down channels and onto and across alluvial fans; including a continuum of sedimentation events and processes such as debris flows, debris floods, mudflows, clear-water floods, and alluvial-fan flooding. M. “Development” means all critical facilities, subdivisions, single- and multi-family dwellings, commercial and industrial buildings; also additions to or intensification of existing buildings, storage facilities, pipelines and utility conveyances, and other land uses. N. “Development review committee” or “DRC” means a committee of city staff members that reviews proposed development projects for compliance with this code, consisting of the director and others designated from time to time by him or her as approved by the city council, such as the city engineer, one or more of city planning staff members, the city’s fire inspector, a representative of the city’s public works provider, the city attorney, city geologist and/or others. O. “Director” means the city’s community development director. P. “Engineering geologist” means a Utah-licensed geologist, who, through education, training, and experience, is competent in applying geologic data, geologic techniques, and geologic principles, which includes conducting field investigations, so that geologic conditions and geologic factors affecting engineered works, ground-water resources, and land-use planning are recognized, adequately interpreted, and clearly presented for use in engineering practice, land use planning, and for the protection of the public, and who utilizes specialized geologic training and experience to provide quantitative geologic information and recommendations and also works with and for land-use planners, environmental specialists, architects, public policy makers, and property owners to provide geologic information on which decisions can be made. Q. “Engineering geology” means geologic work that is relevant to engineering and environmental concerns, and the public health, safety, and welfare. Engineering geology is the application of geological data, principles and interpretation so that geological factors affecting planning, design, construction, and maintenance of engineered works, land use planning and ground-water resources are adequately recognized and properly interpreted for use in engineering, land-use planning, and related practice. R. “Essential facility” means buildings and other structures intended to remain operational in the event of an adverse catastrophic event, including all structures defined in Table 1. S. “Fault” means a fracture in the earth's crust forming a boundary between rock or soil masses that have moved relative to each other. T. “Fault setback” means an area on either side of a fault within which structures for human occupancy or critical facilities or their structural supports are not permitted. U. “Fault scarp” means a steep slope or cliff formed by movement along a fault. V. “Fault trace” means the intersection of a fault plane with the ground surface, often present as a fault scarp, or detected as a lineament on aerial photographs. W. “Fault zone” means a corridor of variable width along one or more fault traces, within which deformation of soil and rock units has occurred due to movement of the fault trace. X. “FEMA” means the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Y. “Geologic hazard” means a surface fault rupture, liquefaction, slope instability, landslide, debris-flow, rock-fall, or other geologic process or condition that may present a risk to life or property. Z. “Geologic hazard study area” means a potentially hazardous area as shown on the geologic hazard study area maps within which hazard investigations are required prior to development. AA. “Geotechnical engineer” means a professional, Utah-licensed engineer who, through education, training and experience, is competent in the field of geotechnical engineering. BB. “Geotechnical engineering” means the investigation and engineering evaluation of earth materials including soil, rock, and man-made materials and their interaction with earth retention systems, foundations, and other civil engineering works. The practice involves the fields of soil mechanics, rock mechanics, and earth sciences and requires knowledge of engineering laws, formulas, construction techniques, and performance evaluation of engineering. CC. “Governing body” means the city council or its designee. DD. “Landslide” means the down-slope movement of a mass of soil or bedrock, including a continuum of processes between landslides, earth-flows, debris flows and debris avalanches, and rock falls. EE. “Liquefaction” means a process by which certain water-saturated soils lose bearing strength because of earthquake-related ground shaking and subsequent increase of groundwater pore pressure. FF. “Natural drainage channel” means naturally occurring features such as open swales, open channels, or open creek beds that help collect and convey stormwater over natural terrain to a determinate downstream point of discharge. GG. “Non-buildable area” means a site that has any portion thereof within a geologic special study area where a geologic hazards investigation has not been conducted, a site where known or readily apparent geologic hazards exist in an area subject to a development application, which area is not depicted on the geologic hazards study area where a geologic hazards investigation has not been conducted, or that portion of a site which a geologic hazards report has concluded may be impacted by geologic hazards that cannot be reasonably mitigated to an acceptable level, and where the siting of habitable structures, structures requiring a building permit, or critical facilities, is not permitted. HH. “Rockfall” means a rock or mass of rock, newly detached from a cliff or other steep slope which moves down-slope by falling, rolling, toppling, or bouncing; includes rockslides, rock-fall and rock avalanches. II. “Sensitive lands” or “sensitive area” means any land within a sensitive lands district or which qualifies for inclusion in the sensitive lands as provided in this chapter. JJ. “Sensitive lands district” or “sensitive lands overlay” means any designated overlay area published on an official map by the city which describes a sensitive area or special study zones. An official sensitive lands overlay map, as shown in Appendix A, shall be approved by the city council and shall be on record with the city at the front counter, in the planning department and/or with the city recorder. Sensitive lands overlay maps may also be available on the web at the city’s official website. KK. “Setback” means an area within which foundation elements that support habitable structures or critical facilities are not permitted. LL. “Slope stability” means the resistance of a natural or artificial slope or other inclined surface to failure by sliding, usually assessed under both static and dynamic (earthquakeinduced) conditions. MM. “Snow avalanche” means a mass of predominantly snow and ice, but also including a mixture of soil or rock and organic debris, falling, sliding, and/or flowing rapidly down a hillside or mountainside under the force of gravity. NN. “Special study zone” refers to an area within the vicinity of a potential or known fault zone(s) that warrant study to determine the feasibility of development in compliance with the regulations as outlined in Appendix B. OO. “Structure designed for human occupancy” means any residential dwelling or any other structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy. PP. “SWPPP” means a storm water pollution prevention plan, conducted in accordance with appropriate standards, as determined by the city. QQ. “Terrain adaptive architecture” means a system of architectural design where buildings step down steeply sloping sites and hillsides to create the least amount of visual impact from lower lying vantage points. RR. “Talus” means rock fragments lying at the base of a cliff or a very steep rocky slope. SS. “Trail” means a system of public recreational pathways located within the city for use by the public. TT. “UGS” means the Utah Geological Survey. UU. “Unpublished sources” means maps, documents, consultant’s reports or other data produced by credible scientific or professionally licensed individuals or entities that have not been published in publically or generally available formats. VV. “USGS” means the United States Geological Survey. WW. “Wet stamp” or “seal” means the official hallmark of an engineer, surveyor or other licensed professional that is reproduced, via ink or embossing, on plans, plats, studies or the like prepared by such professional or under his direction, to prove its authenticity and/or to confirm its accuracy.