Unless specifically defined below, words or phrases used in this chapter shall be interpreted so as to give them the meaning they have in common usage and to give this chapter its most reasonable application.
"ADDITION (TO AN EXISTING BUILDING)." Any walled and roofed expansion to the perimeter of a building in which the addition is connected by a common load-bearing wall other than a fire wall. Any walled and roofed addition which is connected by a fire wall or is separated by independent perimeter load-bearing walls is new construction.
"APPEAL." A request for a review of the Mayor's interpretation of any provision of this chapter or a request for a variance.
"AREA OF SHALLOW FLOODING." A designated AO zone on a community's Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) with base flood depths from one to three feet where a clearly defined channel does not exist, where the path of flooding is unpredictable and indeterminate, and where velocity flow may be evident.
"AREA OF SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD." The land in the floodplain within a community subject to a one percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year.
"BASE FLOOD." The flood having a one percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year.
"BASEMENT." That portion of a building having its floor subgrade (below ground level) on all sides.
"BREAKAWAY WALL." A wall that is not part of the structural support of the building and is intended through its design and construction to collapse under specific lateral loading forces without causing damage to the elevated portion of the building or the supporting foundation system.
"BUILDING." A walled and roofed building that is principally above ground, a manufactured home, a gas or liquid storage tank, or other man-made facilities or infrastructures.
"DEVELOPMENT." Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including, but not limited to buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation or drilling operations, or permanent storage of materials or equipment.
"ELEVATED BUILDING." A non-basement building built to have the lowest floor elevated above the ground level by means of fill, solid foundation perimeter walls, pilings, columns (posts and piers), shear walls, or breakaway walls.
"EXISTING CONSTRUCTION." Any structure 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." 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 first floodplain management ordinance adopted by the city based on specific technical base flood elevation data which established the area of special flood hazards.
"EXPANSION TO AN EXISTING MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION." 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" or "FLOODING." A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from:
(1) The overflow of inland or tidal water; or
(2) The unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source.
"FLOOD HAZARD/BOUNDARY MAP (FHBM)." An official map of a community issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where the boundaries of the Areas of Special Flood Hazard have been designated as Zone A.
"FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAP (FIRM)." An official map of a community, on which the Federal Emergency Management Agency has delineated both the areas of special flood hazard and the risk premium zones applicable to the community.
"FLOOD INSURANCE STUDY." The official report provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The report contains flood profiles, as well as the Flood Boundary Floodway Map and the water surface elevation of the base flood.
"FLOODWAY." 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 one foot.
"FLOOR." The top surface of an enclosed area in a building (including the basement); i.e., top of slab in concrete slab construction or top of wood flooring in wood frame construction. The term does not include the floor of a garage used solely for parking vehicles.
"FUNCTIONALLY DEPENDENT FACILITY." A facility which cannot be used for its intended purpose unless it is located or carried out in close proximity to water, such as a docking or port facility necessary for the loading and unloading of cargo or passengers, shipbuilding, ship repair, or seafood processing facilities. The term does not include long-term storage, manufacture sales or service facilities.
"HIGHEST ADJACENT GRADE." The highest natural elevation of the ground surface, prior to construction, next to the proposed walls of a building.
"HISTORIC STRUCTURE." 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 the 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.
"LOWEST FLOOR." 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 requirements of 60.3.
"MANUFACTURED HOME." A structure, transportable in one or more sections, which is built on a permanent chassis and designed to be used with or without a permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities. The term also includes park trailers, travel trailers and similar transportable structures, placed on a site for one hundred and eighty (180) consecutive days or longer and intended to be improved property.
"MEAN SEA LEVEL." The average height of the sea for all stages of the tide. It is used as a reference for establishing various elevations within the floodplain. For purposes of this chapter, the term is synonymous with National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD).
"NATIONAL GEODETIC VERTICAL DATUM (NGVD)." As corrected in 1929 is a vertical control used as a reference for establishing varying elevations within the floodplain.
"NEW CONSTRUCTION." Structures for which the "start of construction" commenced on or after the effective date of the city's floodplain management regulations and includes any subsequent improvements to such structures.
"NEW MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION." 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 the city's floodplain management regulations.
"100 YEAR FLOOD." See BASE FLOOD.
"RECREATIONAL VEHICLE." A vehicle which is:
(A) Built on a single chassis;
(B) 400 square feet or less when measured at the largest horizontal projection;
(C) Designed to be self-propelled or permanently towable to 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.
"START OF CONSTRUCTION." Includes substantial improvement, and means the date the building permit was issued, provided the actual start of construction, repair, reconstruction, or improvement was within 180 days of the permit date. The actual start means the first placement of permanent construction of a building (including a manufactured home) on a site, such as the pouring of slabs or footings, installation of piles, 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 a 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 building. 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." A walled and roofed building that is principally above ground, a manufactured home, a gas or liquid storage tank, or other man-made facilities or infrastructures.
"SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE." Damage of any origin sustained by a structure whereby the cost of restoring the structure to its before damaged condition would equal or exceed 50 percent of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred.
"SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT." Any combination of repairs, reconstruction, alteration, or improvements to a building , taking place during a five (5) year period, in which the cumulative cost equals or exceeds fifty percent of the market value of the building. The market value of the building should be (1) the appraised value of the building prior to the start of the initial repair or improvement, or (2) in the case of damage, the value of the building prior to the damage occurring. This term includes structures which have incurred "substantial damage", regardless of the actual repair work performed. For the purposes of this definition, "substantial improvement" is considered to occur when the first alteration of any wall, ceiling, floor, or other structural part of the building commences, whether or not that alteration affects the external dimensions of the building. The term does not, however, include either: (1) any project for improvement of a building required to comply with existing health, sanitary, or safety code specifications which have been identified by the Code Enforcement Officer and which are solely necessary to assure safe living conditions or (2) Any alteration of a "historic structure" provided that the alteration will not preclude the structure's continued designation as a "historic structure".
"SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVED EXISTING MANUFACTURED HOME PARKS OR SUBDIVISIONS." The repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation or improvement of the streets, utilities, and pads equals or exceeds 50 percent of the value of the streets, utilities and pads before the repair, reconstruction or improvement commenced.
"VARIANCE." A grant of relief from the requirements of this chapter which permits construction in a manner otherwise prohibited by this chapter where specific enforcement would result in unnecessary hardship.
(Ord. 1-95, passed 2-13-95)