Help with site plan - Civil Engineer Needed...

[ybz]

Hi there,
We are in a process of designing a house in Southern California (Ventura County). The 1 acre lot is mixed topography with a central pad that will have to be 'removed and re-compacted'. We would like to built on a two pad design to take advantage of the lot and the view, also to maximize the driveway area.
We would like the main floor at the level of the driveway to be about 60' deep, and have 30+ feet for the driveway. The bottom level with walk out basement configuration to be 20-30' and be at the level of the back yard, about 10-20 feet. The middle retaining wall will also act as support to the top floor of the house. The house would orient on the north part of the middle flat pad entry from the south side and the back yard on the north side of the house.
Can someone here offer their services to see if that is feasible and the type of retaining walls configuration that would be required. Also, if you can recommend someone who can shed some insight or simply comment and advise, it would be most appreciated.
I can be reached for more information at ybz@mail.com; we have the top which is attached and we also have a soil report.
Thanks

[nanrehvasconez]

i COULD NOT OPEN YOUR ATTACHEMENT. FOR MANY YEARS I HAVE DESIGNED HOMES AND MANSIONS IN THE VENTURA AND MALIBU HILLS.

YOU CAN NOT WORK WITH THE VENTURA COUNTY OR VENTURA CITY ON THE CHIP. THEY ARE VERY FUSSY AND PREJUDISTIC AT PEOPLE TRYING TO CUT CORNERS.

YOU HAVE TO HIRE A CERTIFIED SURVEYOR TO PREPARE A DETAILED TOPO MAP (2'H CONTOURS), LOCATE AND STAKE THE CORNERS OF YOUR LAND.
LOCATE AND CERTIFY ANY OAK TREES IN YOUR PROPERTY. IS AGAINST THE LAW TO PRUNE, CUT OR RELOCATE OAK TREES WITHOUT THE CONCENT OF AN AUTHORIZED AND APPROVED ARBORIST.

THEY MAY ALSO REGULATE THE AMOUNT OF DIRT YOU ARE GOIN TO IMPORT OR EXPORT TO RESHAPE THE LAND.

WITH THE TOPO MAP COMPLETED YOU WILL HIRE A GEOLOGIST TO PREPARE A SOILS REPORT AFTED DIGING SAMPLE PITS IN APPOXIMATEDLY LOCATIONS OF THE PROPOSED FOUNDATIONS.

AFTER ALL THE ABOVE IS DONE YOU CAN CREATE A BUILDING PLAN TO SUIT YOUR LAND CONDITIONS.

[springtime]

I could open it. it is an autocad file. If you do not have AutoCAD you can get/download autocad viewer, is free.

[phansford]

As a follow-up to nanrehvasconez - this is project and a question best answered by a design professional who is locally based. As nanny points out, some juridications are quite idyosnycratic in their approach to development and while others are quite lax. It is best to hire someone locally who will know the issues and has a personal relationship with the various city officials. (by personal I mean having conducted a lot of business in town and knows the various people by name.)

You might ask the building or engineering department who they have a good working relationship with, who do they think understands their ordinances the best. (you really can't ask them for a referral) - Then go interview those engineers/architects.

[nanrehvasconez]

I FORGOT TO TELL YOU, IF YOUR LAND IS WITHIN THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION, YOU MAY HAVE TO HIRE A COSTAL COMMISSION EXPEDITER WHO KNOWS THE CCC ROPES. IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET COSTAL PERMITS, THEY ARE THE FIRST APPROVAL NEEDED TO SUBMIT PLANS TO THE CITY AND/OR THE COUNTY.