(a) Manufactured homes that are placed or substantially improved on sites outside a manufactured home park or subdivision; in a new manufactured home park or sub-division; in an expansion to an existing manufactured home park or subdivision; or in an existing manufactured home park or subdivision on which a manufactured home has incurred substantial damage as the result of a flood, must be elevated on a permanent foundation such that the lowest floor and the associated electrical, ventilation, plumbing, heating and air conditioning equipment (including ductwork), and other service facilities of the manufactured home is elevated no lower than 4 feet above the base flood elevation and be securely anchored to an adequately anchored foundation system to resist flotation, collapse, and lateral movement.
(b) Manufactured homes that are to be placed or substantially improved on sites in an existing manufactured home park or subdivision that are not subject to the provisions of § 8-34(a) must be elevated so that the lowest floor and the associated electrical, ventilation, plumbing, heating and air conditioning equipment (including ductwork), and other service facilities of the manufactured home is elevated no lower than 4 feet above the base flood elevation, and be securely anchored to an adequately anchored foundation to resist flotation, collapse, and lateral movement.
(c) Manufactured homes shall be anchored to prevent flotation, collapse, or lateral movement. For the purpose of this requirement, manufactured homes must be anchored to resist flotation, collapse, or lateral movement in accordance with Section 40-29-10 of the South Carolina Manufactured Housing Board Regulations. When the elevation requirement would be met by an elevation of the chassis at 36 inches or less above the grade at the site, the chassis shall be supported by reinforced piers or other foundation elements of at least equivalent strength. When the elevation of the chassis is above 36 inches in height an engineering certification for the support system is required.
(d) An evacuation plan must be developed for evacuation of all residents of all new, substantially improved or substantially damaged manufactured home parks or subdivisions located within flood-prone areas. This plan shall be filed with and approved by the local administrator and the local emergency preparedness coordinator.
(e) Recreational vehicles. A recreational vehicle is ready for highway use if it is on wheels or jacking system, is attached to the site only by quick-disconnect type utilities and security devices, and has no permanently attached additions. Recreational vehicles placed on sites shall either be on site for fewer than 180 consecutive days and be fully licensed and ready for highway use, or meet the requirements of §§ 8-32 (and its subsections) and 8-34 (and its subsections).
(f) Elevated buildings. New construction and substantial improvements of elevated buildings that include fully enclosed areas that are usable solely for the parking of vehicles, building access, or storage in an area other than a basement, and which are subject to flooding shall be designed to preclude finished space and be designed to automatically equalize hydrostatic flood forces on exterior walls by allowing for the entry and exit of floodwaters. Elevated buildings where the lowest floor is elevated more than 5 feet above the base flood elevation must either: (1) provide from a South Carolina licensed surveyor certify that the elevation below the lowest floor is at least 4 feet above the base flood elevation, or (2) execute a non-conversion agreement.
(1) Designs for complying with this requirement must either be certified by a SC Professional Engineer or Architect or meet the following minimum criteria:
a. Provide a minimum of 2 openings on different walls having a total net area of not less than 1 square inch for every square foot of enclosed area subject to flooding;
b. The bottom of each opening must be no more than 1 foot above the higher of the interior or exterior grade immediately under the opening;
c. Only the portions of openings that are below the base flood elevation (BFE) may be counted towards the required net open area;
d. Openings may be equipped with screens, louvers, valves, or other coverings or devices provided they permit the automatic flow of floodwaters in both directions; and
e. Fill placed around foundation walls must be graded so that the grade inside the enclosed area is equal to or higher than the adjacent grade outside the building on at least 1 side of the building.
(2) Hazardous velocities. Hydrodynamic pressure must be considered in the design of any foundation system where velocity waters or the potential for debris flow exists. If flood velocities are excessive (greater than 5 feet per second), foundation systems must be designed by a registered professional engineer.
(3) Access to the enclosed area shall be the minimum necessary to allow for parking of vehicles (garage door) or limited storage of maintenance equipment used in connection with the premises (standard exterior door) or entry to the living area (stairway or elevator).
(4) The interior portion of such enclosed area shall not be partitioned or finished into separate rooms, except to enclose a single storage area and must be void of utilities except for essential lighting as required, and cannot be temperature controlled. One wet location switch and/or outlet connected to a ground fault interrupt breaker may be installed below the required lowest floor elevation specified in §§ 8-33(a), 8-33(b), 8-34 (and its subsections).
(Ord. 4085, § 2, passed 2-20-2007; Ord. 4631, § 2, passed 6-17-2014; Ord. 5031, passed 11-6-2018; Ord. 5276, passed 4-6-2021)