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Home My WebLink About2008/04/14 Board of Appeals & Advisors Minutes MINUTES OFA REGULAR MEETING BOARD OF APPEALS AND ADVISORS CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA April 14, 2008 Conference Room #137 inside Public Services Building 5:15 PM 276 Fourth Ave. Chula Vista, CA 91910 MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman West, Vice-Chairman Turner, Members: Buddingh, Flach, Lopez, Sides MEMBERS ABSENT: Buencamino-Andrews (excused) CITY STAFF PRESENT: Brad Remp, Assistant Director/ Building Official of Planning and Building; Lou EI- Khazen, Deputy Building Official; Justin Gipson, Fire Marshal; Eileen Dimagiba, Senior Office Specialist (Recording Secretary) OTHERS PRESENT: None CALL MEETING TO ORDER: Chairman West called meeting to order at 5:15 PM ROLL CALL: Members present constituted a quorum. 1 DECLARATION OF EXCUSEDIUNEXCUSED ABSENTEEISM: None - 2 APPROVAL OF MINUTES: MSC (WesUFlach) (6-0-1) motion to approve the minutes of March 10, 2008 Regular Meeting 3 NEW BUSINESS: I, A, Ordinance Designating Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones• By Lou EI-Khazen Lou EI-Khazen, Deputy Building Official, presented a Powerpoint presentation on a proposed ordinance to designate, by ordinance, very high fire hazard severity zones in Chula Vista's jurisdiction within 120 days of receiving recommendations from the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection. A map identifying very high fire hazard severity zones within Chula Vista was also included as an attachment to Board Members, for this presentation This ordinance will designate these zones as required by State Law This ordinance is being presented to the Board of Appeals & Advisors for motion to ~ recommend approval to the Chula Vista City Council to designate these very high fire hazard severity zones and would be effective July 151, 2008. The presentation included background information on the 1992 "Bates Bill", created after the Oakland Hills fire in 1991 This bill mandated the Director of Cal-Fire to evaluate fire hazard severity zones in local jurisdictions, and recommend to the local jurisdictions to indicate where these zones exist. New requirements for residential homes for reducing wildfire threat were also presented which included providing 100-feet of defensible space, keeping roof free of vegetation growth, trimming tree branches at least 10-feet away from chimneys or stovepipes, and to disclose to buyer or transferee the fact that the residential property is within a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ) Chapter 7A requirements were also presented, which stated the use of approved building products and construction methods that are ignition-resistant. Board of Appeals & Advisors Page 2 April 14, 2008 Meeting Minutes Justin Gipson, Fire Marshal, presented the details of the VHFHSZ Map He indicated on the map some unincorporated areas, such as Bonita Sunnyside, and also stated that most of the areas on this map is undeveloped area as of right now But these areas can be future developments Comments on Lou EI-Khazen's presentation: • Member Sides asked why would you not require additions or construction to homes to comply with this ordinance? Lou answered and said that it is not currently required but when Chula Vista adopts the Urban Wildlife Interface Code, it will be required. • Member Turner asked why the increase in government code requirements? Was it a natural escalation built into the legislation? Brad answered and said we needed to harden the requirements for fire prevention, starting from experience from Oakland Hills fires in 1991 and since then • Member Turner asked if there was an estimate of the percent increase in building costs? Lou answered and said that these requirements will add very little increase • Member Buddingh asked what is the definition of "defensible space"? Justin explained and said that it is any area where you can do active management of the fuels that are there and allow for room for some type of defense. For example, to also allow room for response time for fire fighters to set up, management of vegetation, etc. Also, if you do not have 100-feet of defensible space as required, Lou stated that you would be required to go up to the property line. Member Sides asked why on the VHFHSZ Map are there "cut- out areas" and what about their safety? Brad answered and said that there are areas like that because of the typography, type of vegetation (low fire risk), and parcel lines But through Chula Vista's Wildland- Urban Interface Code (WUIC), they will also fall under the same requirements of this ordinance MSC (WestlLopez) (6-0-1) motion to recommend approval of this ordinance to City Council 4 MEMBERS COMMENTSICHAIRMAN'S COMMENTSIREPORTS: None 5 BUILDING OFFICIAL'S COMMENTSIREPORTS: A Chula Vista Wildland- Urban Interface Code- presented by Justin Gipson Justin Gipson, Fire Marshal, presented a Powerpoint presentation the Wildland-Urban Interface Code (WUIC) specific to Chula Vista. Many different City departments such as Fire, Public Works, Finance, and GIS have been involved in this. Another Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map, specific to conditions here in Chula Vista was also presented for this code. These conditions included having ~ enough water to fight fires, especially in Eastern Chula Vista and the new home developments, ~ access roads for Chula Vista Fire Department, and defensible space requirements. Justin stated that this document is very close to being finalized. He said that this code is more restrictive than Chapter 7A requirements and addresses fire hazards to homes adjacent to areas designated as "open space" For example, Justin pointed out the Rice Canyon area near Home Depot off of E H Street. This code was also created to help homeowners become educated on what types of "fuel" or vegetation to have on their property, such as drought-tolerant vegetation Referring to the Map, Justin indicated on there that the "river bottom" area is highlighted indicating that it is prone to fire danger (highlighted area heading West towards Ocean). Also, the overlapping areas (Blue and , Yellow/Red/Orange areas together) on the Map are areas where you need to meet both the State and Chula Vista's WUIC requirements Justin stated that the next steps in finalizing this Code will be to finalize the draft, have it be reviewed by the stakeholders and get feedback, approval from the Board of Appeals 8 Advisors, then approval from City Council for adoption Comments on Justin Gipson's presentation: • Member Sides asked what was the requirement of space in between residential properties? Lou said 20-feet, 10-feet on bath sides of house. Board of Appeals & Advisors Page 3 April 14, 2008 Meeting Minutes • Member Turner asked what is a "crossover" area (as indicated on WUIC-VHFHSZ Map) between the State and Chula Vista? Justin answered and said we are using the WUIC requirements as the 'minimum requirements, then State comes in and works off of Chula Vista's requirements. • Member Buddingh asked what is the definition of "flammable vegetation"? Justin said that a list of plants will be released to the home owners in the future. Member Buddingh commented that the vagueness of this list might cause problems and confusion for homeowners, and might not be enforceable by City • Member Lopez commented that these presentations were good and this is the "sign of the times' and it's good that the City is being proactive on this B Green Building Standards will be brought to Board of Appeals & Advisors within the next coming months- City Council has decided that they want us to adopt new Green Building Standards, and State anticipates that these new standards will be in affect by July 2009. 6 COMMUNICATIONS (PUBLIC REMARKS! WRIT'T'EN CORRESPONDENCE):, None 'iil 7 ADJOURNMENT: MSC (West/Flach) (6-0-1) adjournment of meeting at 6:47 p m, to the next regular ! meeting in Planning and Building Conference Room #137 on May 12, 2008. AD REMP, C.B O ASST DIR. OF PLANNING ILDING/ BUILDING OFFICIAL SECRETARY TO THE BOARD OF APPEALS & ADVISORS `E-~ MINUTE TAKEN B EILEEN DIMAGIBA, SR. OFFICE SPECIALIST PLANNING & BUILDING DEPARTMENT (RECORDING SECRETARY)