(A) Identification. The identified floodplain area shall be those areas of the city which are subject to the 100-year flood, as shown on the flood insurance rate map (FIRM) and described in the flood insurance study (FIS) prepared for the city by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) dated June 16, 2005, or the most recent revision thereof.
(B) Description of floodplain areas. The identified floodplain shall consist of the following four specific areas.
(1) The floodway area (F1) shall be those areas identified as such in the FIS and as shown on the floodway map or FIRM. In the approximated floodplain area (F4) for which no regulatory floodway is designated, the regulatory floodway is determined to be the channel of the river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas to a distance of one-half the width of the floodplain as measured from the top of the bank of the channel to the upland limit of the floodplain. The term shall also include floodway areas identified in other studies for the approximated area discussed in division (E) below.
(2) The floodway fringe area (F2) shall be those areas for which specific 100-year flood elevations have been provided in the FIS but which lie beyond the floodway area. The areas are shown on the floodway map or FIRM.
(3) The AE area without floodway (F3) shall be those areas identified as an AE Zone on the FIRM included in the FIS prepared by FEMA for which 100-year flood elevations have been provided in the FIS, but no floodway has been delineated.
(4) The approximated floodplain area (F4) shall be those areas identified as an A Zone on the FIRM or floodway map included in the FIS prepared by FEMA and for which no 100-year flood elevations have been provided. For these areas, elevation and floodway information from other federal, state, or other acceptable source shall be used when available. Where other acceptable information is not available, the Floodplain Administrator may require the applicant to determine the elevation with hydrologic and hydraulic engineering or other techniques. Only professional engineers or others of demonstrated qualifications shall undertake hydrologic and hydraulic analyses. The responsible professional shall certify that the technical methods used correctly reflect currently accepted technical concepts. The resultant study shall include a cover letter, signed by the responsible professional, providing a statement of findings in basic terms. In addition, studies, analyses, computation, and the like used to determine base flood elevations and floodways as described in division (A) above shall be submitted in sufficient detail to allow a thorough technical review by the city.
(C) Changes in designation of area. The delineation of the identified floodplain area may be revised by the city where natural or human-made changes have occurred and/or more detailed studies conducted or undertaken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a River Basin Commission, or other qualified agency or individual document the necessity for such changes. However, prior to any such change, approval must be obtained from the Federal Insurance Administration (FIA). The community may delineate and regulate new approximated area (F4) by using simplistic methods involving locally derived information, such as flood of record and topographic data.
(D) Elevations prevail.
(1) If the lowest natural grade adjacent to proposed development within an identified flood hazard area is at or above the base flood elevation specified in the flood insurance study, the structure shall not be required to conform to the flood prevention design and construction standards or flood- related development codes in § 1731.06. Topographic data certified by a registered professional engineer or licensed professional surveyor shall be submitted in sufficient detail to allow a thorough review by the Floodplain Administrator. The applicant is advised to apply for a letter of map amendment (LOMA) from FEMA to have the special flood hazard area designation removed from the parcel or structure.
(2) If the lowest natural grade adjacent to proposed development is below the base flood elevation specified in the flood insurance study, the site shall be considered to be within the floodplain area and the proposed structure shall be required to conform to all appropriate provisions of this ordinance.
(E) Boundary disputes. Should a dispute concerning any district boundary arise, an initial determination shall be made by the Floodplain Administrator and any party aggrieved by this decision may appeal to the Board of Appeals of the city. The burden of proof shall be on the appellant/applicant.
(Prior Code, § 1731.03)
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