FROM:
Building & Safety
TITLE:
Title
A Resolution of the Planning Commission Recommending that City Council Adopt the 2025 State of California Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map Pursuant to California Government Code Sections 51177-51179 and Amend Chapter 30, Article IX (Overlay Districts), Division 8 (Fire Hazard Overlay District), Section 30-656(a) of the City of Fontana Zoning and Development Code pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21065, CEQA Guidelines section 15378(a) and (b)(5), and section 10.59 of the City’s 2019 Local CEQA Guidelines.
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Based on the information contained in this staff report staff recommends that the Planning Commission adopt Resolution No. PC 2025-____; and forward the recommendation to the City Council to:
1. Designate Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ) within the Local Responsibility Area identified by the 2025 State of California Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map updated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE) as required by Government Code Sections 51177-51179, and
2. Amend Chapter 30, Article IX (Overlay Districts), Division 8 (Fire Hazard Overlay District), Section 30-656(a) of the City of Fontana Zoning and Development Code in its entirety to reference the updated FHSZ maps and associated text, and
3. Determine that the Adoption of the 2025 State of California Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map is not a project subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant. It has no potential to result in a physical change to the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect change to the environment, and it does not commit the City to any project that could have a significant effect on the environment.
APPLICANT:
City of Fontana
LOCATION:
City-Wide
REQUEST:
A request to amend Chapter 30, Article IX (Overlay Districts), Division 8 (Fire Hazard Overlay District), Section 30-656(a) of the City of Fontana Zoning and Development Code to incorporate the 2025 State of California Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map Pursuant to California Government Code Sections 51177-51179.
STAFF:
Jeffrey Baughman, Director of Building and Safety
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Pursuant to California Government Code Sections 51177-51179, CALFIRE has identified updates to Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ) within the Local Responsibility Area of the City of Fontana. The City has received formal notification from CALFIRE, and at a minimum the City must designate the updated areas identified by the State as FHSZ through the adoption of a City Council Ordinance no later than July 24, 2025.
Areas identified for inclusion in a FHSZ may be targeted by CALFIRE for a number of reasons, including but not limited to: fire history, narrow separation distance between structures and high housing density, limited retrofitting of structures to bring structures in compliance with Chapter 7A of the Building Standards Code, a single evacuation route that may impact evacuation times, and proximity to dense vegetation and topographic features capable of supporting a fast moving wind driven fire.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The Fire Hazard Overlay District will designate the FHSZ Local Responsibility Area map for the City of Fontana (Exhibit A) and will identify areas for inclusion within the northern and southern boundaries of the City. Additional detail of the identified FHSZ quadrants within the City of Fontana is included as Exhibit B. Exhibit C includes the Zoning Code text changes to Section 30-656(a). An interactive map can also be found online at the CALFIRE website:
<https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/5065c998b4b0462f9ec3c6c226c610a9>.
In order to update the City of Fontana Zoning and Development Code, the entirety of Section 30-656(a) is amended to reference the updated 2025 Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
With the adoption of the Local Responsibility Area maps, all properties in those areas designated as a “Very High” FHSZ are required to meet vegetation management requirements identified in Government Code Section 51182 as a minimum standard. These standards include, but are not limited to: (i) “maintain[ing] defensible space of 100 feet from each side and from the front and rear of the structure, but not beyond the property line,” (ii) “remov[ing] that portion of a tree that extends within 10 feet of the outlet of a chimney or stovepipe,” (iii) “maintain[ing] a tree, shrub, or other plant adjacent to or overhanging a building free of dead or dying wood,” and (iv) “maintain[ing] the roof of a structure free of leaves, needles, or other vegetative materials.” Before constructing a new dwelling or structure, or rebuilding a structure damaged by fire in the FHSZ, the proposed structure must comply with all applicable state and local building standards for the FHSZ which incorporate the ignition resistant building standards required in Chapter 7A of the Building Standards Code.
In areas designated as a “High” FHSZ, all new construction or major remodels classified by the Building Official as new construction are required to meet the wildfire resistant construction requirements included in Chapter 7A of the Building Standards Code.
Properties within the “Very High” and “High” FHSZ must conduct a natural hazard real estate disclosure at time of sale per California Civil Code Section 1102.19 that the property is compliant with local vegetation management regulations.
MOTION:
Approve staff recommendation.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Resolution No. 2025-_____
Attachment 2: Exhibit A, CALFIRE Local Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zones Map
Attachment 3: Exhibit B, Quadrant Detail Fire Hazard Severity Zones
Attachment 4: Exhibit C, Zoning Code Amendment
Attachment 5: Notice of Exemption
Attachment 6: Planning Commission - Public Hearing Notice