18.34.010 Purpose.
The City is situated among a group of major and minor hills and ridges. These constitute a significant natural topographical feature of the community because they are visible to all persons traveling the major arteries leading north through the county, as well as to citizens residing in and around the community.
The migration of substantial numbers of persons to this area, and the attendant technological amenities required to serve that population have not, as yet, detrimentally impinged upon all of the hills. However, in order to ensure the preservation of most of the hills, ridges and ridgelines, and their natural features, a more harmonious visual and functional relationship is required between the existing natural environment and the growing manmade environment.
Therefore, it is the intent of the City to place land, in hillside areas of a slope of ten (10) percent or greater, under more restrictive regulations than those normally required for flat land development (also refer to residential floor ratios in Larkspur Municipal Code Section 18.35.040) in order to accomplish one or more of the following:
A. To preserve significant features of a sloping and elevated hill area in essentially their natural state.
B. To encourage in hill areas an alternative approach to conventional flat land practices of development.
C. To minimize grading and cut and fill operations consistent with the retention of the natural character of the hill areas.
D. To minimize the water runoff and soil erosion problems incurred in adjustment of the terrain in order to meet on-site and off-site development needs.
E. To achieve, in hill areas, land use densities and lot sizes for the creation of new parcels through subdivisions, lot line adjustments, and multiple-unit residential developments that are in keeping with the General Plan and retain the significant natural features of the hill areas. (Note: The land use densities and lot size regulations of this chapter are not intended to apply to new single-family homes built on existing legally created parcels or to the merger of existing legally created substandard size parcels, both of which are subject to other provisions of the zoning ordinance and Larkspur Municipal Code.)
F. To ensure that hillside land characterized by soil and other subsurface conditions having unstable characteristics be identified and that this factor be taken into account before the issuance of any permits required by this chapter.
G. To ensure that the City does not incur any inordinate increase in the cost of providing or maintaining public services and that any increase in the cost of supplying or maintaining public services would not significantly weaken the City’s financial position.
H. To preserve the predominant views both from and of the hill areas and to retain the sense of identity and image that these hill areas now impart to the City and its environs. (Ord. 1030 § 2(12), 2018; Ord. 934 § 2, 2004; Ord. 471 § 1 (part), 1973)