Unless specifically defined below, words or phrases used in this chapter shall be interpreted so as to give them the same meaning as they have in common usage and so as to give this chapter its most reasonable application.
DEVELOPMENT.
(1) Any human-made change to real estate including, but not necessarily limited to:
(a) Demolition, construction, reconstruction, repair, placement of a building, or any structural alteration to a building;
(b) Substantial improvement of an existing building;
(c) Installation of a manufactured home on a site, preparing a site for a manufactured home, or installing a travel trailer on a site for more than 180 days per year;
(d) Installation of utilities, construction of roads, bridges, culverts, or similar projects;
(e) Construction or erection of levees, dams, walls, or fences;
(f) Drilling, mining, filling, dredging, grading, excavating, paving, or other alterations of the ground surface;
(g) Storage of materials including the placement of gas and liquid storage tanks; and
(h) Channel modifications or any other activity that might change the direction, height, or velocity of flood or surface waters.
(2) DEVELOPMENT does not include routine maintenance of existing buildings and facilities; resurfacing roads; or gardening, plowing, and similar practices that do not involve filling, grading, or construction of levees.
FLOOD. A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from the overflow, the unusual and rapid accumulation of, or the runoff of surface water from any source.
FLOODPLAIN. Any land area susceptible to being inundated by water from any source (see FLOOD).
FLOOD-PROOFING. Any combination of structural and nonstructural additions, changes, or adjustments to structures which reduce or eliminate flood damage to real estate or improved real property, water and sanitary facilities, structures, and their contents.
MANUFACTURED HOME. A structure transportable in one or more sections that is built on a permanent chassis and is designed to be used with or without a permanent foundation when connected to required utilities.
STRUCTURE. For floodplain management purposes, a walled and roofed building, including gas or liquid storage tanks, that is principally above ground. The term includes RVs and travel trailers on site for more than 180 days.
SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. Damage of any origin sustained by a structure whereby the cost of restoring the structure to its before damage condition would equal or exceed 50% of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred regardless of actual repair work performed. Volunteer labor and materials must be included in this determination.
SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT. Any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50% of the market value of the structure before the improvement or repair is started. SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT is considered to occur when the first alteration of any wall, ceiling, floor, or other structural part of the building commences, whether or not that alteration affects the external dimensions of the structure. The term does not, however, include either: any project for improvement of a structure to comply with existing state or local health, sanitary, or safety code specifications which are solely necessary to assure safe living conditions; or any alteration of a structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places or the Illinois Register of Historic Places.
(Ord. 14-05, passed 4-1-2014)