What are best practices for hillside property?
From inception, the Master Planned Community’s hillside residential development and open spaces were engineered for geologic stability. Nevertheless, good homeowner practices further secure protection of their lots and the general site. The following is a short list of note:
Inspection, proper grading & site changes: Be particularly alert to water collecting around your home’s foundation or pooling on your property. Your lot was initially graded to drain properly. All newer re-grading or site modifications should be engineered to prevent ponding, low spots or trapped water. When the creation of a low spot is unavoidable, an inlet must be created to pipe the water into the street, a lined ditch or another drainage pipe.
Landscaping: Drought tolerant plants requiring minimal irrigation are best for protecting your property and hillsides. This avoids underground seepage, formation of new springs or slip outs during rain season.
Pools, ponds, spas and water features: The addition of these amenities to your property requires specific attention to soil drainage to ensure that leaking water does not infiltrate the hillside slopes. Water features must be underlain by a subdrain system that collects leakage and drains it to an acceptable location.
Ground movement identification: Report evidence of remotely situated landslides, slip outs, and those cracks exceeding ¼” in either retaining walls, sidewalks or roads to the HOA, who’ll notify the GHAD if necessary.