(A) The town’s Planning Board as established by the Board of Commissioners, hereinafter referred to as the “Appeal Board”, shall hear and decide requests for variances from the requirements of this chapter in areas not governed by municipalities. The Board of Commissioners or its designees will be the first appeal authority for those applicants within county municipalities or their ETJs (extra-territorial jurisdictions).
(B) Any person aggrieved by the decision of the Appeal Board may appeal such decision to the Court, as provided in G.S. Ch. 7A.
(C) Variances may be issued for:
(1) The repair or rehabilitation of historic structures upon the determination that the proposed repair or rehabilitation will not preclude the structure’s continued designation as a historic structure and that the variance is the minimum necessary to preserve the historic character and design of the structure;
(2) Functionally dependant facilities if determined to meet the definition as stated in § 151.05 of this chapter; and
(3) Any other type of development; provided, it meets the requirements stated in this section.
(D) In passing upon variances, the Appeal Board shall consider all technical evaluations, all relevant factors, all standards specified in other sections of this chapter, and:
(1) The danger that materials may be swept onto other lands to the injury of others;
(2) The danger to life and property due to flooding or erosion damage;
(3) The susceptibility of the proposed facility and its contents to flood damage and the effect of such damage on the individual owner;
(4) The importance of the services provided by the proposed facility to the community;
(5) The necessity to the facility of a waterfront location as defined under § 151.05 of this chapter as a functionally dependant facility, where applicable;
(6) The availability of alternative locations, not subject to flooding or erosion damage, for the proposed use;
(7) The compatibility of the proposed use with existing and anticipated development;
(8) The relationship of the proposed use to the comprehensive plan and floodplain management program for that area;
(9) The safety of access to the property in times of flood for ordinary and emergency vehicles;
(10) The expected heights, velocity, duration, rate of rise and sediment transport of the flood waters and the effects of wave action, if applicable, expected at the site; and
(11) The costs of providing governmental services during and after flood conditions including maintenance and repair of public utilities and facilities such as sewer, gas, electrical and water systems, and streets and bridges.
(E) A written report addressing each of the above factors shall be submitted with the application for a variance.
(F) Upon consideration of the factors listed above and the purposes of this chapter, the Appeal Board may attach such conditions to the granting of variances as it deems necessary to further the purposes of this chapter.
(G) Variances shall not be issued within any designated floodway or non-encroachment area if any increase in flood levels during the base flood discharge would result.
(H) Conditions for variances.
(1) Variances shall not be issued when the variance will make the structure in violation of other federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.
(2) Variances shall only be issued upon a determination that the variance is the minimum necessary, considering the flood hazard, to afford relief.
(3) Variances shall only be issued upon:
(a) A showing of good and sufficient cause;
(b) A determination that failure to grant the variance would result in exceptional hardship; and
(c) A determination that the granting of a variance will not result in increased flood heights, additional threats to public safety, or extraordinary public expense, create nuisance, cause fraud on or victimization of the public or conflict with existing local laws or ordinances.
(4) Any applicant to whom a variance is granted shall be given written notice specifying the difference between the base flood elevation (BFE) and the elevation to which the structure is to be built and a written statement that the cost of flood insurance will be commensurate with the increased risk resulting from the reduced reference level elevation. Such notification shall be maintained with a record of all variance actions.
(5) The Floodplain Administrator shall maintain the records of all appeal actions and report any variances to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state upon request.
(Ord. passed 6-6-2005)