What’s covered by the bill?

The bill only applies to terrain with a natural slope greater than 40 percent or that has been deemed at a moderate to high risk of landslides by the N.C. Geological Survey. Otherwise developers are under the radar and don’t have to comply.

What’s the main thrust?

Developers building on slopes greater than 40 percent have to design a slope construction plan first. Counties will be responsible for monitoring steep slope development. If a county refuses, the state will step in and do it for them.

What is the county role in all this?

The bill forces counties to write a steep slope ordinance. The state will provide a sample ordinance for counties that don’t want the trouble of writing their own. The bill sets minimum standards any ordinance would have to follow. Developers will submit their slope construction plans to their respective county. The county will review and OK the plans if they comply with the ordinance.

Isn’t that a lot to ask of small counties?

Some mountain counties don’t even have planning departments, let alone someone to review slope construction plans. The county can charge developers a fee to get their plans reviewed, thereby funding the salary of a county planner. Or, the county can contract with a private engineer to review the plans. Or, they can let the state do it for them.

What does a slope construction plan entail?

Presumably, it will be drawn up by an engineer. It must include detailed maps and descriptions of any dirt being moved. Calculations must show how the dirt is expected to stay put. It must take into account everything from soil analysis to hydrology.

What minimum engineering principles must be followed?

Cut or fill slopes with a length of more than 40 feet on the face must have built-in terraces or benches. Fill slopes must be compacted and can’t have trees or stumps buried in them, which can decay and cause the slope to slump.

Is there anything that’s not allowed?

Slopes 40 feet or greater on the face and steeper than 1:1 for cut slopes or steeper than 1.5:1 for fill slopes are not allowed. Cut slopes steeper than 1:1 or fill slopes steeper than 1.5:1 and greater than 15 feet in vertical height must be inspected by an engineer.