HomeMy WebLinkAbout2.b. Final Grade PolicyAGENDA ITEM: Final Grade Policy
AGENDA SECTION:
PREPARED BY: Andrew J. Brotzler, P.E., City Engineer'
AGE #2
6
ATTACHMENTS: Draft Final Grade Policy
APPROVED BY:
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Discussion only.
4 ROSE
City Council Work Session: July 28, 2005
BACKGROUND
MOUNT
CITY COUNCIL
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As part of the home building inspection process, a final grade inspection is performed by Staff pnor to the
issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy to ensure that lot corners are generally graded to the correct
elevation consistent with the approved lot survey and grading plan for the development. Spot elevations
along lot lines within drainage and utility easements are also checked.
While this process works, there are several issues associated with this process. The first issue is the
significant amount of Staff tune that is devoted to performing these inspections. Dunng the summer
months, an average of 30 inspections are completed a week with higher numbers earlier m the summer
from winter carry over projects The second issue is the limited review completed by the City based on
limited Staff and equipment As mentioned above, a general review is done to check that specifically, the
lot corners are graded to the appropriate elevation to maintain drainage Because this review is performed
by a single person, there is not the ability to set up and use survey equipment requiting two people to
check the grading with a high level of accuracy. The third issue is that as only the lot corners and property
lines are checked and internal areas of the lot are not checked, homeowners often contact the City with
drainage problems interior to their property that is a result of poor grading or modifications that have been
made since the final grading was completed. This issue occurs regularly and creates challenges for Staff
when responding to homeowners and explauung the extent of the City's responsibility with regard to lot
grading and drainage.
In an attempt to address these issues, Staff has developed a final grade policy for Council review and
consideranon. This policy will require that an as -built lot survey completed and certified by a hcensed
surveyor be submitted to the City prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy. The benefit of this
policy is that the responsibility for certifying lot grades is placed upon the homebuilder and the surveyor
certifying the as -built lot survey which will relieve the City of this responsibihty and hability for errors that
may occur.
Several communities within the metro area have similar types of requirements (Cottage Grove,
Farmington, Inver Grove Heights). The proposed pohcy includes a requirement for the deposit of an
escrow to ensure that the as -built survey is completed and submitted Staff is proposing that the escrow
amount be set at $3,000, an amount large enough to ensure compliance with the requirements and in the
G Chad \Final Grade Policy \coundworksession 072805a doc
event that an as -built lot survey is not completed, the escrow money would be forfeited to cover the City
cost of completing an as -built lot survey. Because an escrow will be required, the City Attorney is
recommending that this policy be developed as an ordinance and is currently working on preparing an
ordinance. The scope of the ordinance will be similar to the draft policy before you and m the essence of
time; Staff is therefore bringing the concept before Council for your consideranon at this time.
SUMMARY
Staff is seeking Council input on this item.
2
CITY OF ROSEMOUNT
POLICY TITLE: FINAL GRADE REQUIREMENTS
POLICY NUMBER: P5
PROPOSED BY: PUBLIC WORKS
DATE APPROVED
BY COUNCIL:
Purpose:
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that the final grade requirements are achieved m accordance
with the approved grading plan or as required by the City Engineer, or representative thereof, on
construction projects permitted through the City.
Need:
A final grade policy is necessary to ensure that individual construction sites are being constructed as
approved by the City. Surface water drainage issues develop each season as a result of incomplete or
inadequately constructed final grades. Surface water drainage is a critical component of the
construction process Inaccuracy in final grade may impact the property and other properties of the
development.
Scope:
It is the responsibility of the petmit applicant to provide a final grade of the property m accordance
with the approved grading plans or as requited by the City engineer, or representative thereof, which
drams water away from the principle structure(s) without influencing the surface water drainage of
the adjacent properties. City staff will review the final grade construction through plan review and
field inspection to ensure comphance with this policy.
As Built Certificate of Survey:
The permit applicant is required to submit a certified As -built Certificate of Survey to the
building department upon completion of the final grade requirements. The conditions of
the as -built survey ate as follows:
Between the dates of May 1s` through Octobet 31 an As -Built Survey must be
submitted to the City two days before a final grade inspection is scheduled.
Between the dates of November 1" through April 30 a Certificate of Occupancy
will be issued to the permit holder, subject to an As -built survey review and final
grade inspection in the spring. Final grade must be reviewed and approved by the
City by no later than June 15th.
As -built surveys will be reviewed for compliance with the approved grading plan or
as stipulated on the permitting documents by the City Engineer or representative
thereof
Final Grade Escrow:
The City requires that a $3,000.00 escrow be provide by each building permit applicant to
ensure compliance with this policy. The escrow will be collected with the building permit
fees and retained until such time that the requirements of this policy are met by the permit
applicant In the event of non comphance with this pohcy, the permit applicant will
surrender the final grade escrow to the City. The City will take the necessary course of
action to ensure that the final grade of the property is constructed as approved.
The release of final grade escrows will be processed according to the currents year's Pay
Penod Guidelines for the City of Rosemount. Final grade must be approved five working
days prior to the next process date. Interest will not accrue on the escrow amount. The City
will release the escrow at the same value the escrow was accepted
N
SCALE 1• 30'
BENCHMARK
AS -BUILT CERTIFICATE OF SURVEY
TOP NUT OF HYDRANT
BETWEEN LOT 4 AND 5, BLOCK 2 a
ELEV. 957.20
ELEVJ
NOTES
TCP OF FOUNDATION WALL ELEV.
GARAGE FLOOR ELEV.
LOWEST FLOOR ELEV.
WALXOUT FLOOR ELEV.
915.04 EXIST. ELEV.
7 74454 1 7
DR4INAGE DIRECTION
IRON MONL2tENP
ORAJNAGE UTILITY FA <FMENT
•15 l 2.9Q
I HEREBY CERTIFY THst7 TNIS IS A TRIE AND CORRECT REPRESENTATION OF THE PARCEL OF LANO SHOWN
SURVEYOR NAME ■•0 RES. N0.
HOME 3UILDER COMPANY
LOT BLOCK
DEVF nPMFNT kAr1F AN PHASE
STREET NAME
r cryF Pnp(71 r. Hc< VP= nvF P T MI0 GRADING PLAN.
DATE
STANDARD DETAILS
AS -BUILT
CERTIFICATE OF SURVEY
ENGINEERING DEPT.
REVISICNs
PLATE NC.
XX