12-1-4: DEFINITIONS:
Unless specifically defined below, words or phrases used in this chapter shall be interpreted to give them the meaning they have in common usage and to give this chapter its most reasonable application.
AREA OF SHALLOW FLOODING: Means a designated AO, AH, AR/AO, AR/AH, or VO Zone on a community's Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) with a one percent (1%) chance or greater annual chance of flooding to an average depth of one foot (1') to three feet (3') where a clearly defined channel does not exist, where the path of flooding is unpredictable and where velocity flow may be evident. Such flooding is characterized by ponding or sheet flow.
AREA OF SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD-RELATED EROSION HAZARD: Is the land within a community subject to a one percent (1%) or greater chance of flooding in any given year. The area may be designated at Zone A on the FHBM. After detailed ratemaking has been completed in preparation for publication of the flood insurance rate map, Zone A usually is refined into Zones A, AO, AH, A1-30, AE, A99, AR, AR/A1-30, AR/AE, AR/AO, AR/AH, AR/A, VO, or V1-30, VE, or V. For purposes of these regulations, the term "special flood hazard area" is synonymous in meaning with the phrase "area of special hazard".
BASE FLOOD: Means the flood having a one percent (1%) chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year.
BASE FLOOD ELEVATION (BFE): Is the water surface elevation of the one percent (1%) annual chance of flood. The height in relation to mean sea level expected to be reached by the waters of the base flood at pertinent points in the floodplains of coastal and riverine areas.
BASEMENT: Means any area of the building having its floor sub- grade (below ground level) on all sides.
BREAKAWAY WALL: Means any man-made change in improved and unimproved real estate, including but not limited to buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation or drilling operations or storage of equipment or materials.
BUILDING: See definition of structure.
EROSIONS: Means the process of the gradual wearing away of land masses. This peril is not per se covered under the program.
EXISTING CONSTRUCTION: Means for the purposes of determining rates, structures for which the "start of construction" commenced before the effective date of the FIRM or before January 1, 1975 for FIRMs effective before that date. "Existing construction" may also be referred to as "existing structures".
EXISTING MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION: Means a manufactured home park or subdivision for which the construction of facilities for servicing the lots on which the manufactured homes are to be affixed (including, at a minimum, the installation of utilities, the construction of streets, and either final site grading or the pouring of concrete pads) is completed before the effective date of the floodplain management regulations adopted by a community.
EXISTING STRUCTURES: See definition of existing construction.
EXPANSION TO AN EXISTING MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION: Means the preparation of additional sites by the construction of facilities for servicing the lots on which the manufactured homes are to be affixed (including the installation of utilities, the construction of streets, and either final site grading or the pouring of concrete pads).
FLOOD ELEVATION DETERMINATION: Means a determination by the Administrator of the water surface elevations of the base flood, that is, the flood level that has one percent (1%) or greater chance of occurrence in any given year.
FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAP (FIRM): Means an official map of a community, on which the Administrator has delineated both the areas of special flood hazards and the risk premium zones applicable to the community.
FLOOD INSURANCE STUDY OR FLOOD ELEVATION STUDY: Means an examination, evaluation and determination of flood hazards and, if appropriate, corresponding water surface elevations, or an examination, evaluation and determination of mudslide (i.e., mudflow) and/or flood-related erosion hazards.
FLOOD OR FLOODING: Means a general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from:
   A.   The overflow of inland or tidal waters.
   B.   The unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source.
   C.   Mudslides (i.e., mudflows) which are proximately caused by flooding as defined in subsection B of this definition and are akin to a river of liquid and flowing mud on the surfaces of normally dry land areas, as when earth is carried by a current of water and deposited along the path of the current.
The collapse or subsidence of land along the shore of a lake or other body of water as a result of erosion or undermining caused by waves or currents of water exceeding anticipated cyclical levels or suddenly caused by an unusually high water level in a natural body of water, accompanied by a severe storm, or by an unanticipated force of nature, such as flash flood or an abnormal tidal surge, or by some similarly unusual and unforeseeable event which results in flooding as defined in subsection A of this definition.
FLOOD PROOFING: Means any combination of structural and non- structural additions, changes, or adjustments to structures which reduce or eliminate flood damage to real estate or improved real property, water and sanitary facilities, structures and their contents.
FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT: Means the operation of an overall program of corrective and preventive measures for reducing flood damage, including but not limited to emergency preparedness plan, flood control works and floodplain management regulations.
FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS: Means zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations, Building Codes, health regulations, special purpose ordinances (such as a floodplain ordinance, grading ordinance and erosion control ordinance) and other applications of police power. The term describes such State or local regulations, in any combination thereof, which provide standards for the purpose of flood damage prevention and reduction.
FLOODPLAIN OR FLOOD-PRONE AREA: Means any land area susceptible to being inundated by water from any source (see definition of flood or flooding).
FLOODWAY (REGULATORY FLOODWAY): Means the channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation more than a designated height.
FLOODWAY ENCROACHMENT LINES: Means the lines marking the limits of floodways on Federal, State and local floodplain maps.
FREEBOARD: Means a factor of safety usually expressed in feet above a flood level for purposes of floodplain management. "Freeboard" tends to compensate for the many unknown factors that could contribute to flood heights greater than the height calculated for a selected size flood and floodway conditions, such as wave action, bridge openings, and the hydrological effect of urbanization of the watershed.
FUNCTIONALLY DEPENDENT USE: Means a use which cannot perform its intended purpose unless it is located or carried out in close proximity to water. The term includes only docking facilities, port facilities that are necessary for the loading and unloading of cargo or passengers, and ship building and ship repair facilities, but does not include long-term storage or related manufacturing facilities.
HIGHEST ADJACENT GRADE: Means the highest natural elevation of the ground surface prior to construction next to the proposed walls of a structure.
HISTORIC STRUCTURE: Means any structure that is:
   A.   Listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places (a listing maintained by the Department of Interior) or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as meeting the requirements for individual listing on the National Register;
   B.   Certified or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as contributing to the historical significance of a registered historic district or a district preliminarily determined by the Secretary to qualify as a registered historic district;
   C.   Individually listed on a state inventory of historic places in states with historic preservation programs which have been approved by the Secretary of Interior; or
   D.   Individually listed on a local inventory of historic places in communities with historic preservation programs that have been certified either:
      1.   By an approved state program as determined by the Secretary of the Interior or;
      2.   Directly by the Secretary of the Interior in states without approved programs.
LEVEE: Means a man-made structure; usually an earthen embankment designed and constructed in accordance with sound engineering practices to contain, control, or divert the flow of water so as to provide protection from temporary flooding.
LEVEE SYSTEM: Means a flood protection system which consists of a levee, or levees, and associated structures, such as closure and drainage devices, which are constructed and operated in accordance with sound engineering practices.
LOWEST FLOOR: Means the lowest floor of the lowest enclosed area (including basement). An unfinished or flood resistant enclosure, usable solely for parking of vehicles, building access or storage in an area other than a basement area is not considered a building's lowest floor; provided that such enclosure is not built so as to render the structure in violation of the applicable non-elevation design requirement of section 60.3 of the National Flood Insurance Program regulations.
MANUFACTURED HOME: Means a structure transportable in one or more sections, which is built on a permanent chassis and is designed for use with or without a permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities. The term "manufactured home" does not include a "recreational vehicle".
MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION: Means a parcel (or contiguous parcels) of land divided into two (2) or more manufactured home lots for rent or sale.
MAP: Means the Flood Hazard Boundary Map (FHBM) or the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for a community issued by the agency.
MEAN SEA LEVEL: Means, for purposes of the National Flood Insurance Program, the National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD) of 1929 or other datum, to which base flood elevations shown on a community's Flood Insurance Rate Map are referenced.
NEW CONSTRUCTION: Means, for the purpose of determining insurance rates, structures for which the "start of construction" commenced on or after the effective date of an initial FIRM or after December 31, 1974, whichever is later, and includes any subsequent improvements to such structures. For floodplain management purposes, "new construction" means structures for which the "start of construction" commenced on or after the effective date of a floodplain management regulation adopted by a community and includes any subsequent improvements to such structures.
NEW MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION: Means a manufactured home park or subdivision for which the construction of facilities for servicing the lots on which the manufactured homes are to be affixed (including at a minimum, the installation of utilities, the construction of streets, and either final site grading or the pouring of concrete pads) is completed on or after the effective date of floodplain management regulations adopted by a community.
RECREATIONAL VEHICLE: Means a vehicle which is:
   A.   Built on a single chassis;
   B.   Four hundred (400) square feet or less when measured at the largest horizontal projections;
   C.   Designed to be self-propelled or permanently towable by a light duty truck; and
   D.   Designed primarily not for use as a permanent dwelling but as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel, or seasonal use.
SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD AREA: See definition of "area of special flood hazard".
SPECIAL HAZARD AREA: Means an area having special flood, mudslide (i.e., mudflow), or flood-related erosion hazards, and shown on an FHBM or FIRM as Zone A, AO, A1-30, AE, AR, AR/A1-30, AR/AE, AR/AO, AR/AH, AR/A, A99, AH, VO, V1-30, VE, M, or E.
START OF CONSTRUCTION: Includes substantial improvement and means the date the building permit was issued, provided the actual start of construction, repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, placement, or other improvement was within one hundred eighty (180) days of the permit date. The actual start means either the first placement of permanent construction of a structure on a site, such as the pouring of slab or footings, the installation of piles, the construction of columns, or any work beyond the stage of excavation; or the placement of a manufactured home on a foundation. Permanent construction does not include land preparation, such as clearing, grading and filling; nor does it include the installation of streets and/or walkways; nor does it include excavation for basement, footings, piers or foundations or the erection of temporary forms; nor does it include the installation on the property of accessory buildings, such as garages or sheds not occupied as dwelling units or not part of the main structure. For a substantial improvement, the actual start of construction means the first alteration of any wall, ceiling, floor, or other structural part of a building, whether or not that alteration affects the external dimensions of the building.
STRUCTURE: Means, for floodplain management purposes, a walled and roofed building, including a gas or liquid storage tank, that is principally above ground, as well as a manufactured home. Structure for insurance purposes means:
   A.   A building with two (2) or more outside rigid walls and a fully secured roof, that is affixed to a permanent site;
   B.   A manufactured home ("a manufactured home", also known as a mobile home, is a structure built on a permanent chassis, transported to its site in 1 or more sections, and affixed to a permanent foundation); or
   C.   A travel trailer without wheels built on a chassis and affixed to a permanent foundation, that is regulated under the community's floodplain management and building ordinances or laws.
For the latter purpose, "structure" does not mean a recreational vehicle or a park trailer or other similar vehicle, except as described in subsection C of this definition, or a gas or liquid storage tank.
SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE: Means damage of any origin sustained by a structure whereby the cost of restoring the structure to its before damaged condition would equal or exceed fifty percent (50%) of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred.
SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT: Means any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds fifty percent (50%) of the market value of the structure before "start of construction" of the improvement. This includes structures which have incurred "substantial damage", regardless of the actual repair work performed. The term does not, however, include either:
   A.   Any project for improvement of a structure to correct existing violations of State or local Health, Sanitary, or Safety Code specifications which have been identified by the local code enforcement official and which are the minimum necessary to assure safe living conditions or
   B.   Any alteration of a "historic structure" provided that the alteration will not preclude the structure's continued designation as a "historic structure".
VARIANCE: Is a grant of relief to a person from the requirement of this chapter when specific enforcement would result in unnecessary hardship.
VIOLATION: Means the failure of a structure or other development to be fully compliant with the community's floodplain management regulations. A structure or other development without the elevation certificate, other certifications, or other evidence of compliance required in section 60.3(b)(5), (c)(4), (c)(10), (d)(3), (e)(2), (e)(4), or (e)(5) is presumed to be in violation until such time as that documentation is provided.
WATER SURFACE ELEVATION: Means the height, in relation to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD) of 1929 (or other datum, where specified), of floods of various magnitudes and frequencies in the floodplains of coastal or riverine areas. (Ord. 11-01, 4-19-2011)