(a) In general.
(1) A floodplain designation is not a zoning classification, but refers to a specific area subject to flooding.
(2) When an FP designation is noted by an "FP" prefix on the official zoning district map, or on the FEMA effective maps, the area designated is referred to in this article as an FP area.
(3) FP areas include those areas:
(A) identified as special flood hazards by FEMA in the:
(i) current scientific and engineering report entitled, "The Flood Insurance Study (FIS) for Dallas County," dated March 21, 2019, with accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Maps and/or Flood Boundary-Floodway Maps (FIRM and/or FBFM) dated March 21, 2019, and any revisions thereto are hereby adopted by reference and declared to be a part of this paragraph,
(ii) current scientific and engineering report entitled, "The Flood Insurance Study (FIS) for Rockwall County," dated September 26, 2008, with accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Maps and/or Flood Boundary-Floodway Maps (FIRM and/or FBFM) dated September 26, 2008, and any revisions thereto are hereby adopted by reference and declared to be a part of this paragraph,
(iii) current scientific and engineering report entitled, "The Flood Insurance Study (FIS) for Collin County," dated June 7, 2017, with accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Maps and/or Flood Boundary-Floodway Maps (FIRM and/or FBFM) dated June 7, 2017, and any revisions thereto are hereby adopted by reference and declared to be a part of this paragraph,
(iv) current scientific and engineering report entitled, "The Flood Insurance Study (FIS) for Denton County," dated April 18, 2011, with accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Maps and/or Flood Boundary-Floodway Maps (FIRM and/or FBFM) dated April 18, 2011, and any revisions thereto are hereby adopted by reference and declared to be a part of this paragraph, or
(v) current scientific and engineering report entitled, "The Flood Insurance Study (FIS) for Kaufman County," dated July 3, 2012, with accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Maps and/or Flood Boundary-Floodway Maps (FIRM and/or FBFM) dated July 3, 2012, and any revisions thereto are hereby adopted by reference and declared to be a part of this paragraph, and
(B) other areas that the director of Dallas Water Utilities has identified as flood risk areas.
(4) The floodplain administrator shall regulate according to both the FEMA effective maps and the regulatory floodplain maps, regardless of adoption by FEMA. The floodplain administrator shall notify the director of development services of all map updates.
(b) Initiation. The addition to or removal from the official zoning district map of an FP prefix may be initiated in the following ways:
(1) An owner of property located within an FP area may apply for the review of an FP designation based upon evidence of a mapping error provided by the owner.
(2) The director of water utilities may, upon his or her own initiative, review the status of an FP designation.
(3) An owner of property located within an FP area may apply for a fill permit and removal of the FP prefix by following the procedure outlined in Section 51A-5.105.
(c) Engineering studies. Hydraulic and hydrologic engineering studies or a field survey must support any changes to an FP designation. The engineering study must be signed and sealed by a licensed professional engineer. The director may require geotechnical core borings as part of his or her investigations under this subsection.
(d) Decision on designation. The director of water utilities shall make a final decision on whether to add or remove an FP prefix on the official zoning district map only after the director determines that engineering studies support the change in the FP designation.
(e) Zoning map revision. The director of water utilities must notify the director of development services in writing that an FP prefix is to be removed from or added to the official zoning district map. The written notification must contain a description of the property affected and the reasons why the FP prefix is being changed.
(f) Letter of Map Change (LOMC). A letter of map change from FEMA is required for removal of an FP prefix from the official zoning map if the area is designated as a flood hazard area on the FIRM. (Ord. Nos. 19455; 19786; 21299; 22920; 24085; 25047; 25716; 27318; 27551; 27697; 27893; 28164; 28671; 29359; 30481; 30994; 31109; 32002; 32039)