HomeMy WebLinkAbout(2011, 09/27) - K-4 - AmendedK-4
1
PALEONTOLOGICAL GUIDELINES
GENERAL POLICY
The policies set forth below shall be used to guide the development or redevelopment
of lands within the City:
A. The City shall, through its planning policies and permit conditions, ensure the
preservation of paleontological resources and require that the impact caused by
any development be mitigated in accordance with the California Environmental
Quality Act.
B. The City shall prepare and maintain sources of information regarding
paleontological sites and the names and addresses of responsible organizations
and qualified individuals who can analyze, classify, record, and preserve
paleontological findings.
C. If determined to be necessary by the Community Development Director, it shall
be the responsibility of a landowner or developer prior to the commencement of
land development to cause the proposed site to be examined to determine the
existence and extent of paleontological resources. The examination shall be by
qualified observers, approved by the City. The observers shall prepare and
submit to the City a written report describing findings and making
recommendations for further action. The report shall discuss both positive and
negative aspects of the effects of the proposed development on paleontological
resources. The report shall be considered as part of the CEQA review process
and, if appropriate, the recommendations shall be included as mitigation
measures and conditions of approval for the project.
D. Based on the report and recommendations of the o bservers, the City shall take
such steps as are necessary to assure that any findings or sites are recorded,
preserved and protected. These steps may include requiring the landowner or
developers to incur reasonable expenditures of time or money, encouraging the
involvement of appropriate volunteer or non-profit organizations or acquisition
of the sites by public or private agencies. Provision shall be made for the deposit
of scientifically valuable paleontological materials which are removed from the
site with responsible public or private institutions. In all cases, the City shall
seek responsible scientific advice and make the necessary decisions consistent
with the public interest.
K-4
2
PROCEDURES
The following procedures shall be used in examining and reporting on possible
paleontological sites.
A. The site examination shall consist of:
1. A walk-over site survey.
2. A review of publications and reports on the geology or paleontology of
the area.
3. Analysis of all available soils information.
4. Examination of the relationship of the proposed development site to
known or potential fossil producing areas identified in available records.
B. Prior to the commencement of any land alterations, the Community
Development Director shall determine whether a pre-grading conference is
required. This determination shall be based on an analysis of the potential of a
paleontological discovery occurring as follows:
1. If the Community Development Director determines that it is unlikely
that any paleontological discovery would occur, a pre-grading conference
may be waived.
2. Otherwise, the pre-grading conference shall be required.
C. During the pre-grading conference, the Community Development Director shall
ensure the following:
1. That a responsible organization, e.g., the Natural History Foundation of
Orange County, is notified and that a qualified representative is
authorized to participate in the conference.
2. That the grading schedule provides for identification and avoidance of
resource discoveries to allow their immediate recovery.
K-4
3
3. That a qualified observer or collector is available to monitor the site
during grading operations. Any observer included on the County of
Orange list of certified paleontologists will be considered to be qualified.
4. That a copy of the grading schedule is available to the appropriate parties,
including the on-site observer.
5. That the observer has adequate authority to institute temporary delays or
alterations in the grading schedule to allow collection of paleontolog ical
material.
6. That the grading contractor clearly understands the observer's role and
authority.
7. That the responsible parties are notified and ready on a 24-hour notice to
respond if a resource discovery is uncovered.
8. That adequate insurance has been provided for protection of the observer,
the property owner, and the developer.
9. That, in the event any paleontological materials having scientific value are
discovered, reasonable provisions are made for extraction and
preservation.
Adopted - August 26, 1974
Amended - January 24, 1994
Corrected (Administratively) – March 22, 1999
Amended – September 27, 2011
Formerly K-5