Landscaping

The Town Municipal Code amends the grading thresholds of Appendix J of the 2022 CBC to require a grading permit when an area of 500 square feet or when more than 20 cubic yards of disturbance occurs. This includes landscaping projects.

To obtain a grading permit for landscaping, the submittal of a grading plan is required. These plans shall include a site plan drawing that delineates the proposed work and shall describe and detail any cuts and/or fills and their proposed retention. If retaining walls are proposed that exceed 4 feet in height, or if the retaining wall supports a surcharge, the plans shall be accompanied by stamped and signed engineering calculations for the wall, including details for their construction. When engineering calculations are required, the engineer's stamp and signature shall be provided on the plans as well.

If new impervious surfaces are created, the plans shall include a design to account for the concentration and flow of stormwater (as would be generated by a 20-year one-hour storm event (¾ inches an hour)), on the surface area of the new impervious surfaces. The resulting concentrated water shall be dispersed and infiltrated on the site The erosion plan shall include documentation for how the permeability of the parcel was obtained and details for the conveyance of the stormwater to the permanent infiltration measures.

A temporary erosion prevention plan, which delineates best management practices (BMPs) at the proposed disturbance area and details their effective installation, shall be included. (These may include silt fences, disturbance fences, straw wattles, etc.). The ultimate goal is to limit the amount of disturbance beyond the project area(s).

A Residential Permit Request Form (PDF) shall be completed prior to or at the Community Development counter for submittal.

Once an application for a grading permit has been made, review by the Town Building Division, Town Planning Division, and possibly the Town Engineering Division will occur. If the property has a private sewage disposal system (septic), review and written approval by the Nevada County Environmental Health Department (NCEH), will be required prior to the issue of the permit. If there is a public sewage disposal system and if it will be affected by the scope of work, then review and written approval by Truckee Sanitary District (TSD) will be required. If applicable, the applicant is responsible for contacting these agencies to obtain any conditions for their approval. It will be necessary to have an applied for permit application in order for NCEH 530-582-7884 or TSD 530-587-3804 to forward their approval for issuance and final of the grading permit.

Once all required Town divisions and alternate agencies have reviewed the application and verified any required conditions have been resolved, the permit application will be approved for issuance. Please check with staff for plan review times and permit fees.

Invasive Weeds

Invasive Weeds are aggressive plants that have been introduced into an environment outside of their native range. They compete with native plants for water, light, and nutrients and when they displace native plants and animals, they lower diversity, reduce hunting and fishing potential, change habitat aesthetics, inhibit recreational activities and tourism, crowd out endangered species, and reduce forage value. Shallow root system weeds can also increase soil erosion thereby threatening water quality (Invasive Weeds of the Tahoe National Forest, USFS, Tahoe National Forest, 2013).

Identification of weeds before they spread saves time and money. Please help us to prevent the spread of invasive weeds. More information on invasive weeds, including identification, prevention, and how to report a weed may be found on the Truckee River Watershed Council website.

Feel free to contact the Town Building Division at 530-582-7821 with any additional questions you may have regarding this process.