For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ACCESSORY USE OR STRUCTURE. A use or structure on the same lot with, and of a nature customarily incidental and subordinate to, the principal use or structure.
BASEMENT. Any area of a structure, including crawl spaces, having its floor or base subgrade (below ground level) on all four sides, regardless of the depth of excavation below ground level.
FLOOD FRINGE. The portion of the floodplain outside of the floodway.
FLOODPLAIN. The channel or beds proper, and the areas adjoining, a wetland, lake, or watercourse that have been, or hereafter may be, covered by the regional flood. FLOODPLAIN AREAS within the city shall encompass all areas designated as Zone A, Zone AE, Zone AO, or Zone AH on the Flood Insurance Rate Map adopted in § 152.05 of this chapter.
FLOODWAY. The bed of a wetland or lake, and the channel of a watercourse, and those portions of the adjoining floodplain, that are reasonably required to carry or store the regional flood discharge.
LOWEST FLOOR. The lowest floor of the lowest enclosed area (including basement).
MANUFACTURED HOME. A structure, transportable in one or more sections, which is built on a permanent chassis and is designed for use with or without a permanent foundation when attached to the required utilities. The term MANUFACTURED HOME does not include the term RECREATIONAL VEHICLE.
OBSTRUCTION. Any dam, wall, wharf, embankment, levee, dike, pile, abutment, projection, excavation, dredged spoil, channel modification, culvert, building, wire, fence, stockpile, refuse, fill, structure, stockpile of sand or gravel, or other material, or matter in, along, across, or projecting into any channel, watercourse, lake bed, or regulatory floodplain which may impede, retard, or change the direction of flow, either in itself or by catching or collecting debris carried by floodwater.
RECREATIONAL VEHICLE. A vehicle that is built on a single chassis, is 400 square feet or less when measured at the largest projection, is designed to be self-propelled or permanently towable by a light duty truck, and is designed primarily not for use as a permanent dwelling but as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel, or seasonal use. For the purposes of this chapter, the term RECREATIONAL VEHICLE shall be synonymous with the term TRAVEL TRAILER/TRAVEL VEHICLE.
REGIONAL FLOOD. A flood which is representative of large floods known to have occurred generally in the state and reasonably characteristic of what can be expected to occur on an average frequency in magnitude of the 100-year recurrence interval. REGIONAL FLOOD is synonymous with the term BASE FLOOD used on the Flood Insurance Rate Map.
REGULATORY FLOOD PROTECTION ELEVATION. An elevation no lower than one foot above the elevation of the regional flood, plus any increases in flood elevation caused by encroachments on the floodplain that result from designation of a floodway.
STRUCTURE. Anything constructed or erected on the ground, or attached to the ground or on-site utilities, including, but not limited to, buildings, factories, sheds, detached garages, cabins, manufactured homes, travel trailers/vehicles not meeting the exemption criteria specified in § 152.29 of this chapter, and other similar items.
SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. Damage of any origin sustained by a structure where the cost of restoring the structure to its before-damaged condition would equal or exceed 50% of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred.
SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT. Within any consecutive 365-day period, any reconstruction, rehabilitation (including normal maintenance and repair), repair after damage, addition, or other improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50% of the market value of the structure before the start of construction of the improvement. This term includes structures that have incurred SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE regardless of the actual repair work performed. The term does not, however, include either:
(1) Any project for improvement of a structure to correct existing violations of state or local health, sanitary, or safety code specifications, which have been identified by the local code enforcement official and which are the minimum necessary to assure safe living conditions; or
(2) Any alteration of a HISTORIC STRUCTURE, provided that the alteration will not preclude the structure’s continued designation as a HISTORIC STRUCTURE. For the purpose of this chapter, HISTORIC STRUCTURE shall be as defined in 44 C.F.R. part 59.1.
(Ord. 262, passed 10-12-2009)