(A) Statutory authorization. The legislature of the State of North Carolina has, in Part 6, Article 21 of G.S. Chapter 143; Part 2, Article 9, G.S. Chapter 160D; and Article 8 of G.S. Chapter 160A, delegated the responsibility to local governmental units to adopt regulations designed to promote the public health, safety and general welfare of its citizenry.
(B) Findings of fact.
(1) The flood hazard areas within the jurisdiction of the City of Greenville are subject to periodic inundation which results in loss of life and property, health and safety hazards, disruption of commerce and governmental services, extraordinary public expenditures for flood protection and relief, and impairment of the tax base, all of which adversely affect the public health, safety and general welfare.
(2) These flood losses are caused by the cumulative effect of obstructions in floodplains causing increases in flood heights and velocities, and by the occupancy in flood prone areas by uses vulnerable to floods or hazardous to other lands which are inadequately elevated, floodproofed, or otherwise unprotected from flood damages.
(C) Statement of purpose. It is the purpose of this chapter to promote the public health, safety and general welfare and to minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions within flood prone areas by provisions designed to:
(1) Restrict or prohibit uses which are dangerous to health, safety and property due to water or erosion hazards, or which result in damaging increases in erosion or in flood heights or velocities;
(2) Require that uses vulnerable to floods, including facilities, which serve such uses, be protected against flood damage at the time of initial construction;
(3) Control the alteration of natural floodplains, stream channels, and natural protective barriers, which are involved in the accommodation of floodwaters;
(4) Control filling, grading, dredging and all other development which may increase erosion or flood damage; and
(5) Prevent or regulate the construction of flood barriers which will unnaturally divert flood waters or which may increase flood hazards to other lands.
(D) Objectives. The objectives of this chapter are:
(1) To protect human life and health;
(2) To minimize expenditure of public money for costly flood control projects;
(3) To minimize the need for rescue and relief efforts associated with flooding and generally undertaken at the expense of the general public;
(4) To minimize prolonged business losses and interruptions;
(5) To minimize damage to public facilities and utilities such as water and gas mains, electric, telephone, cable and sewer lines, streets and bridges located in flood prone areas;
(6) Minimize damage to private and public property due to flooding;
(7) Make flood insurance available to the community through the National Flood Insurance Program;
(8) Maintain the natural and beneficial functions of floodplains;
(9) To help maintain a stable tax base by providing for the sound use and development of flood prone areas in such a manner as to minimize flood blight areas; and
(10) To ensure that potential homebuyers are notified that property is in a special flood hazard area.
(Ord. No. 03-123, passed 12-15-2003; Ord. No. 20-022, passed 5-18-2020; Ord. No. 21-032, § 1, passed 6-21-2021)