Unless specifically defined below, words or phrases used in this chapter shall be interpreted to give them the meaning they have in common usage and to give this chapter its most reasonable application.
ACCESSORY STRUCTURE. A structure which is on the same parcel of property as the principal structure and the use of which is incidental to the use of the principal structure. Examples of ACCESSORY STRUCTURES include but are not limited to garages and storage sheds.
APPEAL. A request for a review of the Floodplain Administrator’s interpretation of any provision of this chapter or a request for a variance.
AREA OF SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD. The land in the floodplain within a community subject to a 1% or greater change of flooding in any given year.
BASE FLOOD. The flood having a 1% chance of being equalled or exceeded in any given year.
BASEMENT. Any area of the building having its floor sub-grade (below ground level) on all sides.
BFE. Base flood elevation.
CFR. Code of Federal Regulations.
CRITICAL FEATURE. An integral and readily identifiable part of a flood protection system, without which the flood protection provided by the entire system would be compromised.
DEVELOPMENT. Any man-made change in improved and unimproved real estate, including but not limited to buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation, or drilling operations.
DEVELOPMENT PERMIT. A permit issued by the City of Claremore Floodplain Administrator which authorizes development in a special flood hazard area in accordance with this chapter.
ELEVATED BUILDING.
(1) A nonbasement building adequately anchored so as not to impair the structural integrity of the building during a flood of up to the magnitude of the base flood;
(2) In the case of zones AE, A, X, ELEVATED BUILDING also includes a building elevated by means of fill or solid foundation perimeter walls with openings sufficient to facilitate the unimpeded movement of floodwaters.
EXISTING CONSTRUCTION. For the purpose of determining rates, structures for which the “start of construction” commenced before the effective date of the FIRM or before January 1, 1975, for FIRMs effective before that date. EXISTING CONSTRUCTION may also be referred to as “existing structures.”
EXISTING MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION. A manufactured home park or subdivision for which the construction of facilities for servicing the lots on which the manufactured homes are to be affixed (including, at a minimum, the installation of utilities, the construction of streets, and either final site grading or the pouring of concrete pads) is completed before August 4, 1972.
FEMA. Federal Emergency Management Agency.
FIRM. Flood Insurance Rate Map.
FLOOD or FLOODING. A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from:
(1) The overflow of inland or tidal waters; or
(2) The unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source.
FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAP (FIRM). An official map of the City of Claremore, on which the Federal Emergency Management Agency has delineated both the areas of special flood hazards and the risk premium zones applicable to the city.
FLOOD INSURANCE STUDY. The official report provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The report contains flood
profiles, water surface elevation of the base flood, as well as the Flood Boundary-Floodway Map.
FLOOD PROTECTION SYSTEM. Those physical structural works for which funds have been authorized, appropriated, and expended and which have been constructed specifically to modify flooding in order to reduce the extent of the areas within a community subject to a “special flood hazard” and the extent of the depths of associated flooding. Such a system typically includes hurricane tidal barriers, dams, reservoirs, levees, or dikes. These specialized flood modifying works are those constructed in conformance with sound engineering standards.
FLOODPLAIN or FLOOD-PRONE AREA. Any land area susceptible to being inundated by water from any source (see definition of flooding).
FLOODPLAIN ADMINISTRATOR. A person accredited by the OWRB and designated by the City Council of the City of Claremore to administer and implement laws, ordinances and regulations relating to the management of floodplains.
FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT. The operation of an overall program of corrective and preventive measures for reducing flood damage, including but not limited to emergency preparedness plans, flood control works and floodplain management regulations.
FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS. Zoning codes and ordinances, subdivision regulations, building codes, health regulations, special purpose regulations and ordinances (such as floodplain, grading and erosion control regulations and ordinances) and other applications of police power. The term describes such state or local regulations, in any combination thereof, which provide standards for the purpose of flood damage prevention and reduction.
FLOODWAY (REGULATORY FLOODWAY). The channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation more than a designated height. A FLOODWAY is located within areas of special flood hazard established in § 151.06 of this chapter. A FLOODWAY is an extremely hazardous area due to the velocity of floodwaters that carry debris and potential projectiles.
FUNCTIONALLY DEPENDENT USE. A use which cannot perform its intended purpose unless it is located or carried out in close proximity to water. The term includes only docking facilities, port facilities that are necessary for the loading and unloading of cargo or passengers, and ship building and ship repair facilities but does not include long- term or related manufacturing facilities.
HIGHEST ADJACENT GRADE. The highest natural elevation of the ground surface prior to construction next to the proposed walls of a structure.
HISTORIC STRUCTURE. Any structure that is:
(1) Listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places (a listing maintained by the Department of the Interior) or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as meeting the requirements for individual listing on the National Register;
(2) Certified or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as contributing to the historical significance of a registered historic district or a district preliminarily determined by the Secretary to qualify as a registered historic district;
(3) Individually listed on a state inventory of historic places in states with historic preservation programs which have been approved by the Secretary of the Interior; or
(4) Individually listed on a local inventory of historic places in communities with historic preservation programs that have been certified either:
(a) By an approved state program as determined by the Secretary of the Interior; or
(b) Directly by the Secretary of the Interior in states without approved programs.
LEVEE. A man-made structure, usually an earthen embankment, designed and constructed in accordance with sound engineering practices to contain, control, or divert the flow of water so as to provide protection from temporary flooding.
LEVEE SYSTEM. A flood protection system which consists of a levee or levees, and associated structures, such as closure and drainage devices, which are constructed and operated in accordance with sound engineering practices.
LOWEST FLOOR. The lowest floor of the lowest enclosed area (including basement). An unfinished or flood resistant enclosure, usable solely for parking or vehicles, building access, or storage in an area other than a basement area is not considered a building’s lowest floor, provided that such enclo-sure is not built to render the structure in violation of the applicable non-elevation design requirement of 44 CFR 60.3, the National Flood Insurance Program regulations.
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 connected to the required utilities. For floodplain management purposes the term MANUFACTURED HOME also includes park trailers, travel trailers, and other similar vehicles placed on a site for greater than 180 consecutive days. For insurance purposes the term MANUFACTURED HOME does not include park trailers, travel trailers, and other similar vehicles.
MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION. A parcel (of contiguous parcels) of land divided into two or more manufactured home lots for rent or sale.
MEAN SEA LEVEL. For purposes of the National Flood Insurance Program, the North American Vertical Datum (NAVD) of 1988 or other datum, to which the base flood elevations shown on a community’s flood insurance rate map are referenced.
NEW CONSTRUCTION. For floodplain management purposes, structures for which the start of construction commenced on or after the effective date of an initial FIRM or after December 31, 1974, whichever is later, and includes any subsequent improvements to such structures. For floodplain management purposes, NEW CONSTRUCTION means structures for which the “start of construction” commenced on or after the effective date of a floodplain management regulation adopted by the City of Claremore City Council and includes and subsequent improvements to such structures.
NEW MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION. A manufactured home park or subdivision for which the construction of facilities for servicing the lots on which the manufactured homes are to be affixed (including at a minimum, the installation of utilities, the construction of streets, and either final site grading or the pouring of concrete pads) is completed on or after the effective date of floodplain management regulations adopted by the City of Claremore.
OWRB. The Oklahoma Water Resources Board.
RECREATIONAL VEHICLE. A vehicle which is:
(1) Built on a single chassis;
(2) Four hundred square feet or less when measured at the largest horizontal projections;
(3) Designed to be self-propelled or permanently towable by a light duty truck; and
(4) Designed primarily not for use as a permanent dwelling but as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel, or seasonal use.
START OF CONSTRUCTION. For other than new construction or substantial improvements under the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (Pub. L. 97-348), includes substantial improvement and means the date the building permit was issued, provided the actual start of construction, repair, reconstruction, placement, or other improvement was within 180 days of the permit date. The ACTUAL START means either the first placement of permanent construction of a structure on a site, such as the pouring of slab or footings, the installation of piles, the construction of columns, or any work beyond the stage of excavation; or the placement of a manufactured home on a foundation. PERMANENT CONSTRUCTION does not include land preparation, such as clearing, grading, and filling; nor does it include the installation of streets or walkways; nor does it include excavation of basement, footings, piers, or foundations or the erection of temporary forms; nor does it include the installation on the property of accessory buildings, such as garages or shed not occupied as dwellings or not part of the main structure.
STRUCTURE. A walled and roofed building, including a gas or liquid tank, that is principally above ground, as well as a manufactured home.
SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. Damage of any origin sustained by a structure whereby 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 DAMAGE shall be considered cumulative if flood related damage sustained by a structure on two separate occasions during a ten-year period for which the cost of repairs at the time of each such flood event, on the average, equals or exceeds 25% of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred.
SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT. Any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50% of the market value of the structure before “start of construction” of the improvement. This includes structures that have incurred “substantial damage,” regardless of the actual repair work performed. This 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 conditions; or
(2) Any alteration of a “historic structure” provided that the alteration would not preclude the structure’s continued designation as a “historic structure.”
VARIANCE. A grant of relief to a person from the requirements of this chapter when specific enforcement would result in unnecessary hardship. A variance, therefore, permits construction or development in a manner otherwise prohibited by this chapter. For full requirements see 44 CFR 60.6, the National Flood Insurance Program regulations.
VIOLATION. The failure of a structure of other development to be fully compliant with the community's floodplain management regulations. A structure or other development without the elevation certificate, other certifications, or other evidence of compliance required in 44 CFR 60.3(b)(5), (c)(4), (c)(10), (d)(3), (e)(4), or (e)(5) is presumed to be in violation until such time as that documentation is provided.
WATER SURFACE ELEVATION. The height, in relation to the North American Vertical Datum (NAVD) of 1988 (or other datum, here specified), of floods of various magnitudes and frequencies in the floodplains of coastal or riverine areas.
(`83 Code, § 12-304) (Ord. 87-10, passed 7-20-87; Am. Ord. 2012-03, passed 2-20-12; Am. Ord. 2019-15, passed 11-4-19)