(A) Residential construction. New construction or substantial improvement of any residential structure (or manufactured home) shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated no lower than three feet above the base flood elevation. Should solid foundation perimeter walls be used to elevate a structure, openings sufficient to facilitate the unimpeded movements of flood waters shall be provided in accordance with standards of division (B) of this section.
(1) In an AO zone, elevated above the highest adjacent grade to a height equal to or exceeding the depth number specified in feet on the FIRM, or elevated at least two feet above the highest adjacent grade if no depth is specified.
(2) In an A zone, where no technical data has been produced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, elevated three feet above the base flood elevation, as determined by this community. The Flood Safety Officer will determine the method by which base flood elevations are determined. Methods include but are not limited to detailed hydrologic and hydraulic analyses, use of existing data available from other sources, use of historical data, best supportable and reasonable judgment in the event no data can be produced. Title 401 KAR (Kentucky Administrative Regulations) Chapter 4, Regulation 060, states as a part of the technical requirements for a state floodplain permit: The applicant shall provide cross sections for determining floodway boundaries (and thereby base flood elevations) at any proposed construction site where FEMA maps are not available. All cross sections shall be referenced to mean sea level and shall have vertical error tolerances of no more than + five-tenths (0.5) foot. Cross sections elevations shall be taken at those points which represent significant breaks in slope and at points where hydraulic characteristics of the base floodplain change. Each cross section shall extend across the entire base floodplain and shall be in the number and at the locations specified by the cabinet. If necessary to ensure that significant flood damage will not occur, the cabinet may require additional cross sections or specific site elevations which extend beyond those needed for making routine regulatory floodway boundary calculations.
(3) In all other zones, elevated three feet above the base flood elevation.
(B) Nonresidential construction. New construction or substantial improvement of any commercial, industrial, or nonresidential structure (including manufactured homes used for non-residential purposes) shall have the lowest floor, including basement, and attendant utility and sanitary facilities elevated no lower than three feet above the level of the base flood elevation. Structures located in all zones may be floodproofed in lieu of being elevated provided that all areas of the structure below the required elevation are watertight with walls substantially impermeable to the passage of water and use structural components having the capability of resisting hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and effects of buoyancy. A registered professional engineer or architect shall certify that the standards of this division are satisfied. Certification shall be provided to the official as set forth in § 151.20.
(C) Elevated buildings.
(1) New construction or substantial improvements of elevated buildings that include fully enclosed areas formed by foundation and other exterior walls below the base flood elevation shall be designed to preclude finished living space and designed to allow for the entry and exit of floodwaters to automatically equalize hydrostatic flood forces on exterior walls. Designs for complying with this requirement must either be certified by a professional engineer or architect or meet the following minimum criteria (FEMA Technical Bulletin 1-93):
(a) Provide a minimum of two openings having a total net area of not less than one square inch for every square foot of enclosed area subject to flooding;
(b) The bottom of all openings shall be no higher than one foot above grade; and
(c) Openings may be equipped with screens, louvers, valves, or other coverings or devices provided they permit the automatic flow of floodwaters in both directions.
(2) Electrical, plumbing, and other utility connections are prohibited below the base flood elevation.
(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.
(5) The total floor area of all such enclosed areas shall not exceed 300 square feet.
(6) For enclosures greater than seven feet in interior height, where elevation requirements exceed six feet above the highest adjacent grade, a copy of the legally recorded deed restriction prohibiting the conversion of the area below the lowest floor to a use or dimension contrary to the structures' originally approved design, shall be presented as a condition of issue of the final certificate of occupancy.
(D) Floodways. Located within areas of special flood hazard established in § 151.07 are areas designated as floodways. Since the floodway is an extremely hazardous area due to the velocity of flood waters which carry debris and potential projectiles, and has erosion potential, the following provisions shall apply:
(1) Encroachments, including fill, new construction, substantial improvements, and other developments are prohibited unless certification (with supporting data) by a registered professional engineer is provided demonstrating that encroachments shall not result in any increase in flood levels during occurrence of the base flood discharge;
(2) If division (D)(1) above is satisfied, all new construction and substantial improvements shall comply with all applicable flood hazard reduction provisions of this chapter.
(3) The placement of manufactured homes (mobile homes) is prohibited, except in an existing manufactured homes (mobile homes) park or subdivision. A replacement manufactured home may be placed on a lot in an existing manufactured home park or subdivision provided the anchoring standards of division (E)(2)(c) below and the elevation standards of division (E)(2)(a) below and § 151.30(J) above are met.
(E) Standards for manufactured homes and recreational vehicles.
(1) All manufactured homes placed or substantially improved outside of a manufactured home park or subdivision, in a new manufactured home park or subdivision, 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 meet all the requirements for new construction, including elevation and anchoring.
(2) All manufactured homes placed or substantially improved in an existing manufactured home park or subdivision must be elevated so that:
(a) The lowest floor of the manufactured home is elevated no lower than three feet above the base flood elevation, and
(b) The manufactured home chassis is supported by reinforced piers or other foundation elements of at least an equivalent strength, of no less than 36 inches above grade.
(c) The manufactured home must be securely anchored to an adequately anchored foundation system to resist flotation, collapse and lateral movement.
(d) In an existing manufactured home park or subdivision on which a manufactured home has incurred substantial damage as the result of a flood, and manufactured home must meet the standards of division (E)(2)(a) through (c) above.
(e) All recreational vehicles placed on sites located within A, A1-30, AO, AH, and AE on the community's Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) must either:
1. Be on the site for fewer than 180 consecutive days;
2. Be fully licensed and ready for highway use; or
3. Meet the permit requirements for new construction of this chapter, including anchoring and elevation requirements for manufactured homes.
(3) A recreational vehicle is ready for highway use if it is licensed and insured in accordance with the State of Kentucky motor vehicle regulations, is on its wheels or jacking system, is attached to the site only by quick disconnect type utilities and security devices, and has no permanently attached additions.
(Ord. 16-2008, passed 8-5-2008)