(A) Lands to which chapter applies. This chapter shall apply to all lands within the jurisdiction of the city shown on the Official Zoning Map and/or the attachments thereto as being located within the boundaries of the Floodway, Flood Fringe, or General Flood Plain Districts. This chapter does not permit any use, activity or subdivision of property which is not permitted in the underlying zone pursuant to the provisions of Chapters 150 through 153 of the City Code.
(B) Establishment of Official Zoning Map. The Official Zoning Map together with all materials attached thereto is hereby adopted by reference and declared to be a part of this chapter. The attached material shall include the Flood Insurance Study for Washington County, Minnesota and Incorporated Areas and Flood Insurance Rate Map panels therein numbered 27163C0020E, 27163C0040E, 27163C0045E, 27163C0107E, 27163C0109E, 27163C0126E, 27163C0127E, 27163C0128E, 27163C0129E, 27163C0131E, 27163C0132E, 27163C0133E and 27163C0134E, all dated February 3, 2010 and prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Official Zoning Map shall be on file in the Office of the City Clerk and the Community Development Director.
(C) Regulatory flood protection elevation. The regulatory flood protection elevation shall be an elevation no lower than 1 foot above the elevation of the regional flood plus any increases in flood elevation caused by encroachments on the flood plain that result from designation of a floodway.
(D) Interpretation.
(1) In their interpretation and application, the provisions of this chapter shall be held to be minimum requirements and shall be liberally construed in favor of the city and shall not be deemed a limitation or repeal of any other powers granted by state statutes.
(2) The boundaries of the zoning districts shall be determined by scaling distances on the Official Zoning Map. Where interpretation is needed as to the exact location of the boundaries of the district as shown on the Official Zoning Map, as for example where there appears to be a conflict between a mapped boundary and actual field conditions and there is a formal appeal of the decision of the Zoning Administrator, the Board of Adjustment shall make the necessary interpretation. All decisions will be based on elevations on the regional (100-year) flood profile, the ground elevations that existed on the site at the time the community adopted its initial flood plain chapter or on the date of the first National Flood Insurance Program map showing the area within the 100-year flood plain if earlier, and other available technical data. Persons contesting the location of the district boundaries shall be given a reasonable opportunity to present their case to the Board of Adjustment and to submit technical evidence.
(E) Abrogation and greater restrictions. It is not intended by this chapter to repeal, abrogate, or impair any existing easements, covenants, or deed restrictions. However, where this chapter imposes greater restrictions, the provisions of this chapter shall prevail. All other regulations inconsistent with this chapter are hereby repealed to the extent of the inconsistency only.
(F) Warning and disclaimer of liability. This chapter does not imply that areas outside the flood plain districts or land uses permitted within such districts will be free from flooding or flood damages. This chapter shall not create liability on the part of the city or any officer or employee thereof for any flood damages that result from reliance on this chapter or any administrative decision lawfully made thereunder.
(G) Severability. If any section, clause, provision, or portion of this chapter is adjudged unconstitutional or invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of this chapter shall not be affected thereby.
(H) Annexations. The Flood Insurance Rate Map panels adopted by reference into division (B) above may include flood plain areas that lie outside of the corporate boundaries of the city at the time of adoption of this chapter. If any of these flood plain land areas are annexed into the city after the date of adoption of this chapter, the newly annexed flood plain lands shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter immediately upon the date of annexation into the city.
(I) Definitions. 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 4 sides, regardless of the depth of excavation below ground level.
CONDITIONAL USE. A specific type of structure or land use listed in the official control that may be allowed but only after an in-depth review procedure and with appropriate conditions or restrictions as provided in the official zoning controls or building codes.
EQUAL DEGREE OF ENCROACHMENT. A method of determining the location of floodway boundaries so that flood plain lands on both sides of a stream are capable of conveying a proportionate share of flood flows.
FLOOD. A temporary increase in the flow or stage of a stream or in the stage of a wetland or lake that results in the inundation of normally dry areas.
FLOOD FREQUENCY. The frequency for which it is expected that a specific flood stage or discharge may be equaled or exceeded.
FLOOD FRINGE. That portion of the flood plain outside of the floodway. FLOOD FRINGE is synonymous with the term “floodway fringe” used in the Flood Insurance Study for Washington County, Minnesota and Incorporated Areas.
FLOOD PLAIN. The beds proper and the areas adjoining a wetland, lake or watercourse which have been or hereafter may be covered by the regional flood.
FLOOD PROOFING. A combination of structural provisions, changes, or adjustments to properties and structures subject to flooding, primarily for the reduction or elimination of flood damages.
FLOODWAY. The bed of a wetland or lake and the channel of a watercourse and those portions of the adjoining flood plain which are reasonably required to carry or store the regional flood discharge.
LOWEST FLOOR. The lowest floor of the lowest enclosed area (including basement). An unfinished or flood resistant enclosure, used solely for parking of vehicles, building access, or storage in an area other than a basement area, is not considered a building’s LOWEST FLOOR.
MANUFACTURED HOME. A structure, transportable in 1 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, channel modification, culvert, building, wire, fence, stockpile, refuse, fill, structure, or matter in, along, across, or projecting into any channel, watercourse, or regulatory flood plain which may impede, retard, or change the direction, of the flow of water, either in itself or by catching or collecting debris earned by such water.
PRINCIPAL USE OR STRUCTURE. The primary or predominant use for which a lot and structure, if located thereon, is conducted or maintained, as contrasted to an accessory use or structure.
REACH. A hydraulic engineering term to describe a longitudinal segment of a stream or river influenced by a natural or man-made obstruction. In an urban area, the segment of a stream or river between 2 consecutive bridge crossings would most typically constitute a REACH.
RECREATIONAL VEHICLE (RV). A vehicle that is built on a single chassis, is 400 square feet or less when measured at the largest horizontal 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 Minnesota and reasonably characteristic of what can be expected to occur on an average frequency in the magnitude of the 100-year recurrence interval. REGIONAL FLOOD is synonymous with the term “base flood” 1% annual chance flood or 100-year flood elevation used in a flood insurance study.
REGULATORY FLOOD PROTECTION ELEVATION. Shall be an elevation no lower than 1 foot above the elevation of the regional flood plus any increases in flood elevation caused by encroachments on the flood plain 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, recreational vehicles not meeting the exemption criteria specified in 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:
(a) 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.
(b) Any alteration of an historic structure provided that the alteration will not preclude the structure’s continued designation as an historic structure. For the
purpose of this chapter, HISTORIC STRUCTURE shall be as defined in 44 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 59.1.
VARIANCE. A modification of a specific permitted development standard required in an official control including this chapter to allow an alternative development standard not stated as acceptable in the official control, but only as applied to a particular property for the purpose of alleviating a hardship, practical difficulty or unique circumstance as defined in the city’s Zoning Code.
(Ord. 597, passed 7-12-2010)