Unsplash

Environmental requirements that may apply to your property in San Francisco

CEQA environmental review is only required when a property owner applies for a building permit. CEQA does not require owners to renovate or repair their properties. However, there are other environmental monitoring requirements and general environmental related conditions that may apply to your property.

List of General Environmental Conditions

Under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), certain types of work on a property may require additional environmental review.

Fire Hazard Severity Zones

Fire Hazard Severity Zones are identified by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) within Local Responsibility Areas (LRA). Mapping of Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ) is based on data and models of potential fuels over a given time horizon and their associated expected fire behavior and burn probabilities to quantify the likelihood of vegetation fire exposure to buildings.

Construction of some types of Units is prohibited within the S-9 Fire Safety Protection Combining Zone.

Ground Slopes

Based on the degree of the lot’s slope, one may/not build a structure on that property. It’s important to know the degree of that slope and what are the structural requirements imposed by the City for any construction on that lot.

In some jurisdictions, the degree of the slope will dictate the height of the building as well as the setbacks.

A slope of 25% or greater

A parcel with an average slope of at least 25% and include any of the following (1) horizontal expansion greater than 500 square feet, (2) excavation of 50 cubic yards or more of soil, or (3) new construction may be required to submit a geotechnical report to be reviewed by an environmental planner. If your project falls under (1), (2), or (3) budget time and money for a geotechnical report performed by a soil engineer.

A slope of 20% or greater

Under CEQA impact, an Environmental Evaluation Application may be required for some types of development.

Serpentine Rocks

Construction activities are subject to the Dust Control Ordinance requirements contained in San Francisco Health Code Article 22B and San Francisco Building Code Section 106.A.3.2.6.

Requirements of the Dust Control Ordinance include but are not limited to, watering to prevent dust from becoming airborne, sweeping or vacuuming sidewalks, and covering inactive stockpiles of dirt. These measures ensure that serpentinite does not become airborne during construction.

Seismic Hazard Zone – Liquefaction

Construction projects on properties located in this zone need a review by Geotechnical Engineers. The scope of services shall include a review of geotechnical engineering methods and assumptions and the geotechnical aspects of foundation design, as well as an evaluation of the recommendations regarding geotechnical aspects of construction, which may include load testing and construction monitoring. The assessment of risk for liquefaction, landslide, or other site geologic hazards.

How much is the cost of a geotechnical report?

The average cost for such a test is approx. $1,200. If the soil sample and analysis report indicate there is hazardous waste present, you're required to create a site mitigation report and complete all site mitigation measures to ensure all significant environmental and health risks caused by the hazardous waste are mitigated.

Seismic Hazard Zone – Landslide

Under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), certain types of work on a property may require additional environmental review.

“Earthquake-related Hazards” means any hazard of any kind that can be caused in whole or in part by an earthquake and includes but is not limited to hazards relating to liquefaction, earthquake-related landslides or debris flows, earthquake-related fires, earthquake-related flooding, and tsunamis and seiches, in addition to direct effects from ground shaking.

A property located in this zone may be required to submit an Environmental Evaluation Application for any land improvement project. Additionally, any new construction is subject to a mandatory Interdepartmental Project Review.

The review may require additional structural enforcement to any structure on this lot. Contact a structural engineer for additional info.

Environmental regulations

Air Pollutant Exposure Zone (2020)
Cortese
Environmental Monitoring
100-Year Storm Flood Risk Zone
Flooding FEMA FIRM (Coastal)
Maher Ordinance

Flooding FEMA FIRM (Coastal)

A property may be located in an area of Flood Risk. These properties are subject to inundation during a flood having a 0.2-percent-annual-chance of occurrence, or during a 1-percent-annual-chance flood with a depth of less than 1 foot. Flood insurance purchase requirements may apply in these areas.

100-Year Storm Flood Risk Zone

Properties located within this zone are highly likely to experience flooding from stormwater runoff during a 100-year storm (a storm that has a 1% chance of happening in a given year). Owners of these properties are required to disclose this flood risk at point-of-sale and in new leases.

Environmental Monitoring

Projects on this property require Environmental Monitoring, which may include mitigation measures, improvement measures, and/or type 3 clean construction before processing applications.

Cortese

Cortese is a List or a State Database of Hazardous Sites. Land designated as hazardous waste property or border zone property would have to undergo additional site work to remove the toxic substances and/or the contractor needs to be aware of such contamination before exposing any worker to such substances.

Air Pollutant Exposure Zone (2020)

Based on Health Code Article 38 a property could be located in an area with elevated pollutant concentrations. Sensitive-use buildings must comply with Health Code Article 38. It applies to buildings:

(a) Newly constructed; or

(b) Undergoing a “Major Alteration to Existing Building”

If the property is located in this Zone, the owner would have to provide an enhanced Ventilation Proposal, prepared by, or under the supervision of, a licensed mechanical engineer or other individual authorized by the California Business to design mechanical ventilation systems. You’d have to budget additional costs for designing and installing this Enhanced Ventilation.