(a) Floodplain development permit. A floodplain development permit shall be required for all proposed construction or other development, including the placement of manufactured homes, in the areas described in § 16-402(a). No person, firm, corporation or unit of government shall initiate any development or substantial improvement or cause the same to be done without first obtaining a separate floodplain development permit for each structure or other development.
(b) Designation of Floodplain Administrator. The Zoning Administrator is hereby appointed to administer and implement the provisions of this article.
(c) Duties and responsibilities of Floodplain Administrator. Duties of the Floodplain Administrator shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) Review of all applications for floodplain development permits to assure that sites are reasonably safe from flooding and that the floodplain development permit requirements of this article have been satisfied;
(2) Review of all applications for floodplain development permits for proposed development to assure that all necessary permits have been obtained from federal, state or local governmental agencies from which prior approval is required by federal, state or local law;
(3) Review all subdivision proposals and other proposed new development, including manufactured home parks or subdivisions, to determine whether such proposals will be reasonably safe from flooding;
(4) Issue floodplain development permits for all approved applications;
(5) Notify adjacent communities and the Division of Water Resources, State Department of Agriculture, prior to any alteration or relocation of a watercourse, and submit evidence of such notification to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA);
(6) Assure that the flood-carrying capacity is not diminished and shall be maintained within the altered or relocated portion of any watercourse;
(7) Verify and maintain a record of the actual elevation (in relation to mean sea level) of the lowest floor, including basement, of all new or substantially improved structures;
(8) Verify and maintain a record of the actual elevation (in relation to mean sea level) that the new or substantially improved non-residential structures have been floodproofed; and
(9) When floodproofing techniques are utilized for a particular non-residential structure, the Floodplain Administrator shall require certification from a registered professional engineer or architect.
(d) Application for floodplain development permit. To obtain a floodplain development permit, the applicant shall first file an application in writing on a form furnished for that purpose. Every floodplain development permit application shall:
(1) Describe the land on which the proposed work is to be done by lot, block and tract, house and street address, or similar description that will readily identify and specifically locate the proposed structure or work;
(2) Identify and describe the work to be covered by the floodplain development permit;
(3) Indicate the use or occupancy for which the proposed work is intended;
(4) Indicate the assessed value of the structure and the fair market value of the improvement;
(5) Specify whether development is located in designated flood fringe or floodway;
(6) Identify the existing base flood elevation and the elevation of the proposed development;
(7) Give such other information as reasonably may be required by the Floodplain Administrator;
(8) Be accompanied by plans and specifications for proposed construction; and
(9) Be signed by the permittee or his authorized agent who may be required to submit evidence to indicate such authority.
(Ord. 1977, passed 6-12-2014)