The City has historically not issued early grading permits except in rare cases. Those rare cases have been reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and based on the particular extenuating circumstances of the project. The decision to allow an early grading permit is made by the City staff. When the City has allowed early grading permits, those permits have historically been issued between September 1 and October 31 of each year (weather permitting) in order for the contractor to avoid significant earthwork in the rainy season. The City Engineer may approve early grading permits outside of the above months if circumstances warrant and all other required items are completed. The City will not be approving the proposed grading as to the final plans, but only that the early grading meets City Code and the technical standards of the Engineering Design Manual. Obtaining an early grading permit is done at your own risk, and any changes required to the final plans and project during the full site development permit review process will be at the your expense.