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<br />CASE # 3 <br /> <br />CONSIDER ORDINANCE,TO AMEND CHAPTER 117 OF CITY CODE <br />REGARDING THE REQUIRED DEPTH OF TOPSOIL <br />By: .Chris Anderson, Environmental Coordinator <br /> <br />Background: <br /> <br />As a means of water conservation, the City previously adopted an ordinance requirmg four (4) <br />inches of topsoil to be applied over all exposed.ar~as of new construction projects on Apri128, <br />2009. That ordinance, which went into effect on June 8,2009, included the following: <br />. . The installation ora minimum of four (4) inches of topsoil ov~r.all exposed areas not <br />improved with buildings and paving, excluding natural areas that are left undisturbed. <br />. The topsoil requirement would apply to any lot, in any zoning dis#ict, being improved <br />with the construction of a principal structure. <br />. Topsoil is defined as "black dirt composed of unconsolidated material, largely <br />undecomposed organic matter that is a suitable foundation for veg,etative growth. The <br />composition:of the topsoil shall include. a well baJanced mediUil1 consisting 'of the <br />folloWing: <br />o A maximum sand/silt content of20% <br />o A minimum. organic contentof35% <br />o ApH between 6 and. 7 . . <br />. 0 Removal of all rocks in excess of 3/4" <br /> <br />\. <br /> <br />. . During the ordinance adoption: process, . Staff discussed an approach to pre-certify soil in 8l.1 <br />attempt to make the change easier for builders and contractors in locating the material, as' well as <br />. . <br />for inspections and enforcement by City Staff. Staff contacted several local suppliers and <br />requested a sample. of the material they market for potential inclusion on a'list distributed to <br />build~rs and contractors at the tim~ a building permit is issued. Only ,one (1) sample sl1-bmitted <br />met the City'sde~tion of topsoil; however the source, of that sample is no longer available. <br /> <br />Observations: <br /> <br />. ' <br />. Staff,. was concerned with the lack of suppliers and material that met the standard of the initial <br />ordinance. So, this item was again discussed by the Public Works Committee on July 21, 2009. <br />The direction from that meeting was to amend. the. topsoil defInition reducing the minimu1i1 <br />organic content to twenty-fIve percent (25%) and increasing the maximum allowable sand <br />content to thirty percent (30%). The Planning Commission held a public hearing related to this <br />proposed amendment on September 3, 2009. There were no persons in attendance to speak to <br />this matter, but one letter in opposition to the amendment was accepted into the record and there <br />was much discussion by the Commissioners. The biggest issues raised at that meetmg were: <br />. Whether the City should be participating in certifying the soil. . <br />. Whether the requirements were too restrictive and therefore caused a hardship for . <br />builders and developers (creation of a "Ramsey mix"). . . . . <br />. Whether there were adequate sources of material availl;lble that would meet the City's <br />specifIcation. <br /> <br />25 <br />