A.   The purpose of the SA district is to designate and describe those areas within the municipality that possess physical and/or environmental characteristics which require special public consideration of use applications which might affect the structure or the land, the management of surface or subsurface water, safety of future land occupants due to increased fire, earthquake, rockfall, flooding or storm hazards within the proposed development, or the uneconomic extension of public facilities and services. Of specific concern is development in flood prone areas, earthquake zones, landslide areas, areas of steep slope or unstable soils, rockfall, wetlands, and other sensitive areas requiring careful assessment prior to alteration.

   B.   It is the intent of these regulations to permit the widest possible latitude in the use of property, while at the same time requiring design solutions which will avoid detrimental impacts on sensitive natural areas, as well as provide protection from adverse natural forces and hazards. (Ord. 2008-002, 2008)

The following uses are permitted in the SA district:

   Horticulture and gardening, excluding agricultural industries.

   Raising of crops.

   Tilling of the soil. (Ord. 2008-002, 2008)

The SA district is an overlay district whose sole effect is to require additional review of proposed uses in the underlying districts. To this end, any permitted use in a district overlaid by an SA district, with the exception of those uses permitted in section 18.24.020 of this chapter, is a conditional use. Conditional uses authorized in districts overlaid by the SA district remain conditional uses. (Ord. 2008-002, 2008)

The sensitive area district, SA zoning district, if not marked on the zoning map per se, shall nonetheless include areas of the city designated as:

   A.   100-year mapped floodplain according to the national flood insurance program.

   B.   Geologic hazards, including earthquake areas/faults, unstable soil conditions, subsidence, slopes in excess of twenty five percent (25%), rockfall areas, cliffs, unstable slopes and areas subject to flooding.

   C.   Areas of high water table and ground water, including wetlands, high water table, perched water, floodway, drainageways and swampy conditions.

   D.   Other environmentally sensitive areas. (Ord. 2008-002, 2008)