Legal Documents of Dandridge

The following general criteria are minimum requirements for controlling erosion and sedimentation from land-disturbing activities and should be satisfied in each approved erosion-sediment control plan. No permit issued using the general criteria is intended to restrict the use of other innovative practices or modifications to the specified practices if such practices are thoroughly described and detailed and approval given as part of or a supplement to the approved plan prior to installation.

1. Stabilization of disturbed areas and soil stockpiles. Temporary soil stabilization must be applied to disturbed areas when and where deemed necessary for the purpose of good soil stabilization practices.

   Applicable soil stabilization practices include vegetative establishment, mulching, and the early application of gravel base on areas to be paved. Soil stabilization measures should be selected to be appropriate for the time of year, site conditions, and estimated duration of use.

   Soil stockpiles not stabilized by vegetation must be stabilized or protected with sediment trapping measures to prevent soil loss.

2. Establishment of permanent vegetation. A permanent vegetative cover shall be established on disturbed areas not otherwise permanently stabilized. Permanent vegetation shall not be considered established until a ground cover is achieved which, in the opinion of the building inspector or their designee, is mature enough to control soil erosion satisfactorily and to survive seasonal weather conditions. If it is determined by the building inspector or their designee that the vegetation will not withstand seasonal weather conditions, the release of unobligated monies of bonds shall be determined by the town's municipal planning commission.

3. Protection of adjacent properties. Properties adjacent to the site of a land disturbance shall be protected from sediment deposition. This may be accomplished by preserving a well-vegetated buffer strip around the lower perimeter of the land disturbance, by installing perimeter controls such as sediment barriers, filters, or dikes, or sediment basins, or by a combination of such measures.

   Vegetated buffer strips may be used alone only where runoff in sheet flow is expected. Buffer strips should be at least twenty feet (20') in width. If at any time it is found that a vegetated buffer strip alone is ineffective in stopping sediment movement onto adjacent property, additional perimeter controls must be provided.

4. Timing and stabilization of sediment trapping measures. Sediment basins and traps, perimeter dikes, sediment barriers, and other measures intended to trap sediment on-site must be constructed as a first step in grading and be made functional before upslope land disturbance takes place. Earthen structures such as dams, dikes, and diversions shall be seeded and mulched within fifteen (15) days of installations. These measures shall be maintained in good working order and shall remain in place until such time as the building inspector or their designee deems the area to be stabilized.
5. Sediment basins. Stormwater runoff from drainage areas with five (5) areas or greater disturbed area must pass through a sediment basin or other suitable sediment trapping facility with equivalent or greater storage capacity. Sediment basins or traps for smaller disturbed areas may be required where deemed necessary. The sediment basin requirement may also be waived by the building inspector or their designee if site conditions do not warrant its construction.
6. Cut and fill slopes. Cut and fill slopes must be designed and constructed in a manner which will minimize erosion. Consideration must be given to the length and steepness of the slope, the soil type, upslope drainage area, groundwater conditions, and other applicable factors. Slopes which are found to be eroding excessively within one (1) year of construction must be provided with additional slope stabilizing measures until the problem is corrected. The following guidelines are provided to aid site planners and plan reviewers in developing an adequate design.
   
   
   1. Topsoil for the area should be stockpiled and then used for replacement on the graded area.
   2. Roughened soil surfaces are generally preferred to smooth surface on slopes.
   3. Diversions should be constructed at the top of long steep slopes which have significant drainage areas above the slope. Diversions or terraces may also be used to reduce slope length.
   4. Concentrated stormwater should not be allowed to flow down cut or fill slopes unless contained within an adequate temporary or permanent channel, flume, or slope drain structure.
   5. Wherever a slope face crosses a water seepage plane which endangers the stability of the slope, adequate drainage or other protection should be provided.
7. Protection of storm sewer inlets. All storm sewer inlets which are operable during construction shall be protected so that sediment-laden water will not enter the conveyance system without first being filtered or otherwise treated to remove sediment.

8. Working in or crossing watercourses. Construction vehicles should be kept out of watercourses to the extent possible. Where in-channel work is necessary, precautions shall be taken to stabilize the work area during construction to minimize erosion. The channel (including bed and banks) shall always be restabilized immediately after in-channel work is completed.

   Where a live (wet) watercourse must be crossed by construction vehicles regularly during construction, a temporary stream crossing shall be provided, the design of which shall be approved by the building inspector or their designee.

9. Underground utility construction. The construction of underground utility lines shall be subject to the following criteria:
   
   
   1. No more than five hundred feet (500') of open trench will be allowed at one (1) time.
   2. Where consistent with safety and space considerations, excavated material is to be placed on the uphill side of trenches.
   3. Trench dewatering devices shall discharge in a manner which will not adversely affect flowing streams, drainage systems, or off-site property.
10. Construction access routes. Wherever construction vehicles access routes intersect paved public roads, provisions shall be made to minimize the transport of sediment (mud) by runoff or vehicle tracking onto the paved surface by clearing the area at the entrance of all vegetation, roots, and other objectionable material and placing a gravel layer at least six inches (6") thick for a minimum of fifty feet (50') from the edge of the hard surface public road. Where sediment is transported onto a public road surface, the roads shall be cleaned by the developer thoroughly at the end of each day or more often if deemed necessary. Sediment shall be removed from roads by shoveling or sweeping and be transported to a sediment-controlled disposal area. Street washing shall be allowed only after sediment is removed in this manner.
11. Disposition of temporary measures. All temporary erosion and sediment-control measures shall be disposed of within thirty (30) days after final site stabilization is achieved or after the temporary measures are no longer needed, unless otherwise authorized by the building inspector or their designee. Trapped sediment and other disturbed soil areas resulting from the disposition of temporary measures shall be permanently stabilized to prevent further erosion and sedimentation.
12. Maintenance. All temporary and permanent erosion and sediment-control practices shall be maintained and repaired as needed by property owners to assure continued performance of their intended function, as determined by the building inspector or their designee. (1995 Code, § 14-510)