No person, firm, corporation, or governmental body not exempted by law shall commence any development in the floodplain without first obtaining a development permit from the Zoning Administrator. The Zoning Administrator shall not issue a development permit if the proposed development does not meet the requirements of this chapter.
(A) General development shall not occur in the floodplain where alternative locations exist. Before a permit is issued, the applicant shall demonstrate that:
(1) No reasonable alternative exists outside the floodplain;
(2) Encroachment in the floodplain is the minimum necessary;
(3) The development will withstand the 100-year flood without significant damage; and,
(4) The development will not increase downstream or upstream flooding or erosion.
(5) In the floodplain no encroachments, including fill, new construction, substantial improvements, or other development shall be permitted unless it has been demonstrated through hydrologic and hydraulic analyses performed in accordance with the standard engineering practice by a licensed Illinois State engineer that the proposed encroachment would not result in any increase in the 100-year flood elevation.
(B) Once the applicant has demonstrated the provisions of division (A) of this section, the application for a development permit shall be accompanied by:
(1) Drawings of the site, drawn to scale showing property line dimensions;
(2) Existing grade elevations and all changes in grade resulting from excavation or filling;
(3) The location and dimensions of all buildings and additions to buildings;
(4) The elevation of the lowest floor (including basement) of all proposed buildings subject to the requirements of § 155.007; and
(5) Cost of project or improvements as estimated by a licensed engineer or architect. A signed estimate by a contractor may also meet this requirement.
(C) (1) Upon receipt of an application for a development permit, the Zoning Administrator shall compare the elevation of the site to the base flood elevation. Any development located on land that is shown to be below the current base flood elevation is subject to the provisions of this chapter. In addition, any development located on land shown to be below the base flood elevation and hydraulically connected to a flood source, but not identified as floodplain on the current flood insurance rate map, is subject to the provisions of this chapter. Any development located on land that can be shown by survey data to be higher than the current base flood elevation and which has not been filled after the date of the site’s first flood insurance rate map is not in the floodplain and therefore not subject to the provisions of this chapter.
(2) The Zoning Administrator shall maintain documentation of the existing ground elevation at the development site and certification that this ground elevation existed prior to the date of the site's first flood insurance rate map identification.
(3) The Zoning Administrator shall be responsible for obtaining from the applicant copies of all other federal, state, and local permits, approvals or permit-not-required letters that may be required for this type of activity. The Zoning Administrator shall not issue a permit unless all other federal, state, and local permits have been obtained.
(Ord. O-10-24, passed 8-23-10; Am. Ord. O-15-10, passed 10-13-15) Penalty, see § 155.999