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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Reso 2024-06 - Establishing Findings of Fact for State Building Standards Code - Local Conditions RESOLUTION 2024-06 RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF UKIAH CITY COUNCIL ESTABLISHING FINDINGS OF FACT AND NEED FOR CHANGES OR MODIFICATIONS TO THE STATE BUILDING STANDARDS CODE BECAUSE OF LOCAL CONDITIONS CHANGES OR MODIFICATIONS: Pursuant to Section 13869.7, 17958.5, 17958.7, 17922, and 18941.5 of the State of California Health and Safety Code, the City of Ukiah City Council in its ordinance adopting and amending the 2022 Edition of the California Fire Code with reference to the 2021 Edition of the International Fire Code, changes or modifies certain provisions of the 2022 California Building Standards Code (Title 24, Part 9) as it pertains to the regulation of buildings used for human habitation. A copy of the text of such changes or modifications is attached. Findings: Pursuant to Sections 17958.5, 17958.7, 17922, and 18941.5 of the State of California Health and Safety Code, the City of Ukiah City Council has determined and finds that the attached changes or modifications to the 2022 California Building Standards Code are needed and are reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geographic, and topographic conditions. Local Conditions: Local conditions have an adverse effect on the prevention of (1) major loss fires, (2) major earthquake damage, and (3) the potential for life and property loss, making necessary changes or modifications to the 2022 California Fire Code, 2021 International Fire Code and the 2022 California Building Standards Code in order to provide a reasonable degree of property security and fire and life safety in this Fire District. Below are listed adverse local climatic (see No. 1), geographic, and topographic (see No. 2) conditions. 1. Climatic a. Precipitation. Precipitation ranges from 13 to 71 inches per year with an average of approximately 37 inches per year. Approximately eighty-nine percent (89%) falls during the months of November through April, and eleven (11%) from May through October. b. Relative Humidity. Humidity generally ranges from 35% during daytime to 85% at night. The humidity can drop to 12% or lower during the summer months. c. Temperatures. Temperatures have been recorded as high as 115 degrees F. Average summer highs are in the 86 to 91 degree range. d. Winds. Prevailing winds are from the northwest. However, winds are experienced from virtually every direction at one time or another. Velocities are generally in the 3 — 18 mph range, gusting to 33 mph, particularly during the summer months. Extreme winds, up to 50 mph, have been known to occur. e. Summary. These local climatic conditions affect the acceleration, intensity, and size of fire in the community. Times of little or no rainfall, of low humidity and high temperatures create extremely hazardous conditions, particularly as they relate to the ignition of structure fires which have the potential to burn into the vegetation (wildland), and vice versa. The winds experienced in this area can have a tremendous impact upon structure fires in buildings of L close proximity to one another, commonly found in the residential neighborhoods throughout the Ukiah Valley. During structure, or wildland fires, winds can carry sparks and burning brands to other structures, thus spreading the fire and causing conflagrations. In building fires, Page 1 of 5 winds can literally force fire back into the building and create a blowtorch effect, in addition to preventing "natural" ventilation and cross-ventilation efforts. 2. Geographic and Topographic a. The fire environment of a community is primarily a combination of two factors: the area's physical geographic characteristics and the historic pattern of urban-suburban development. These two factors, alone and combined, create a mixture of environments, which ultimately determines the area's fire protection needs. The basic geographical boundaries of the District include Nelson Ranch Road to the south, Cleland Mountain to the west, Gold Gulch to the north and Cow Mountain to the east. Because of the size of the Ukiah Valley Fire District (98 square miles), the characteristics of the fire environment changes from one location to the next. Therefore, the District has not one, but a number of fire environments, each of which has its individual fire protection needs. The service area of the Ukiah Valley Fire District has a varied topography and vegetative cover. A conglomeration of valley floor, mountainous slopes, and ridges make up the terrain. Development has occurred on the flat lands in the central portion of the District. However, over the last thirty years, development has spread onto the surrounding mountainous slopes. b. Seismic Location. The relatively young geological processes that have created the San Francisco Bay Area are still active today. The District sits on the Maacama fault between the San Andreas fault to the west and the Bartlett Springs fault to the east. c. Size and Poaulation. The Ukiah Valley Fire District covers 98 square miles including a population estimated at 35,000. Ukiah Valley Fire has the largest number of dispatches of any fire district in Mendocino County. Within the Fire Protection District are four (4) fire stations and a total of 34 Fire District personnel. The Fire Protection District handles diverse responsibilities including wildland, urban, freeway, and medical. d. Roads and Streets. The 2005 Regional Transportation Plan states that the mountainous nature of Mendocino County tends to minimize ground transportation options throughout the region. As a result, lengthy cul-de-sacs, dead-end roads, and looped road systems generally service many of the existing and new developments. Some planned unit developments are served by private roads, which create access problems (i.e., narrow paved widths and on- street parking). The roadway systems on the flat lands within the Ukiah Valley Fire District are for the most part a grid or loop system. Many of the roads servicing residential areas on the east and west foothills of the District are narrow and winding affording difficult ingress to emergency apparatus. Ingress and egress into the foothill areas will be made extremely difficult by large- scale emergencies such as earthquake and wildland fire. e. To o ra h . The District's service area is a conglomeration of valley floor, mountainous slopes, and ridges. The flatter lands are found in the central portion of the District. Most of the existing urban and suburbanized areas are on relatively flat lands (0—5% slope). Correspondingly, there is much diversity in slope percentages to the east and west of the valley floor. Slopes on the northeast side of the valley floor average 26% and range from 8-80%. Slopes on the southeast side of the valley floor average 35% and range from 9-80%. Slopes Page 2 of 5 on the northwest side of the valley floor average 32% and range from 13-80%. Slopes on the southwest side of the valley floor average 48% and range from 6-80%. Slope is an important factor in fire spread. As a basic rule of thumb, the rate of spread will double as the slope percentage doubles, all other factors remaining the same. Elevations are varied in the District with the most southwest turn on Ruddick Cunningham Road listed as 566 feet above sea level. The average elevation of the valley floor within the District is 585 feet above sea level. The highest elevation is located above Willow Creek on the east side of the District at 2600 feet above sea level. f. Vegetation. The Ukiah Valley's semi-arid Mediterranean-type climate produces vegetation similar to that of most of Mendocino County, with specific growth locale a result of topography and prevailing wind. The south facing exposures are primarily annual grass with occasional clumps of Oak trees. The east, north, west facing slopes are heavily wooded from lower elevations to ridge with Oak, Madrone, Douglas-fir, Redwood, and minor shrubs of the general Chaparral class. Expansion of the residential community into areas of heavier vegetation has resulted in homes existing in close proximity to dense natural foliage. Often such dwellings are completely surrounded by highly combustible vegetation compounding the fire problem from a conflagration point of view. g. Hydrology. The Ukiah Valley Fire District contains Lake Mendocino, the Russian River, Mill Creek, Robinson Creek and multiple ephemeral streams. Annual precipitation at or above the annual average of 37 inches can result in flooding along the Russian River and its tributaries. These flooding events lead to increased emergency response times for apparatus responding through or around the flooded roadways. h. Summa!y. The above local geographic and topographic conditions increase the magnitude, exposure, accessibility problems, and fire hazards presented to the Ukiah Valley Fire District. Fire following an earthquake has the potential of causing greater loss of life and damage than the earthquake itself. The majority of the Ukiah Valley's industrial/commercial complexes are located in close proximity to the Maacama fault. This fault zone also contains the largest concentration of hazardous materials. Hazardous materials, particularly toxic gases, could pose the greatest threat to the largest number, should a significant seismic event occur. The District's resources would have to be prioritized to mitigate the greatest threat, and may likely be unavailable for smaller single-dwelling or structure fires. Other variables may tend to intensify the situation: 1) The extent of damage to the water system; 2) The extent of isolation due to bridge and/or freeway overpass collapse; 3) The extent of roadway damage and/or amount of debris blocking the roadways; 4) Climatic conditions (hot, dry weather with high winds); 5) Time of day will influence the amount of traffic on roadways and could intensify the risk to life during normal business hours; 6) The availability of timely mutual aid or military assistance; Page 3 of 5 Conclusion: Local climatic, geographic, and topographic conditions impact fire prevention efforts, and the frequency, spread, acceleration, intensity and size of fire involving buildings in this community. Further, they affect potential damage to all structures from earthquake, or flood, and subsequent fire. Therefore it is found to be reasonably necessary that the California Fire Code and the State Building Standards Code be changed or modified to mitigate the effects of the above conditions. Furthermore, California Health and Safety Code Section 17958.7 requires that the modification or change be expressly marked and identified as to which each finding refers. Therefore, the City of Ukiah City Council finds that the following table provides code sections that have been modified pursuant to Ordinance 2023-1 which are building standards as defined in Health and Safety Code Section 18909, and the associated referenced conditions for modification due to local climatic, geological and topographical reasons. Section Number Local climatic geological and topographical conditions 315.8 1 e,2h 315.8.1 1 e,2h 315.8.2 1 e,2h 315.8.3 1 e,2h 315.8A 1e,2h 315.8.5 1 e,2h 315.8.6 1 e,2h 315.8.7 1 e,2h 315.8.8 1 e,2h 315.8.9 1 e,2h 315.8.10 1e,2h 503.3.1 le, 2a, 2d, 2e, 2f 503.4.2 le, 2a, 2d, 2e, 2f 505.1 le, 2h 505.3 le, 2h 505.4 le, 2c 505.5 le, 2h 506.3 le, 2h 1201.4 le, 2h 903.2 le, 2h 3314.1 le, 2h Table B105.2 le, 2h BB105.1 1w, 2h 5704.2.9.6.1 le, 2h 5706.2.4.4 le, 2h 5806.2 le, 2h 6104.2 le, 2h NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED AND ORDERED that the Fire Chief of the Ukiah Valley Fire District shall provide a copy of the change or modification together with a copy of this resolution to the County of Mendocino pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Section 13869.7(b) Page 4 of 5 PASSED AND ADOPTED, by the City of Ukiah City Council, County of Mendocino, State of California on February 21, 2024, by the following vote: AYES: Councilmembers Rodin, Orozco, Sher, Crane, and Mayor Duenas NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None JosPna uenas, Mayor r ATTEST: Kristine Lawler, City Clerk Page 6 of 6