G201.1.2 Definitions specific to this appendix.

The following words and terms shall, for the purposes of this appendix, have the meanings shown herein:

   DEVELOPMENT. Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to, buildings or other structures, temporary structures, temporary or permanent storage of materials, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavations or drilling operations and other land-disturbing activities.

   EXISTING CONSTRUCTION. See "Pre-FIRM development."

   EXISTING STRUCTURE. See "Pre-FIRM development."

   FLOOD DESIGN CLASS. A classification of buildings and other structures for determination of flood loads and conditions, and determination of minimum elevation requirements on the basis of risk associated with unacceptable performance.

   FUNCTIONALLY DEPENDENT FACILITY. A facility that cannot be used for 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 loading and unloading of cargo or passengers and shipbuilding and ship repair facilities, but does not include long-term storage or related manufacturing, sales or service facilities.

   HISTORIC STRUCTURE. Any structure that meets one of the following criteria:

      1.   Listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places;

      2.   Certified by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior as meeting the requirements for individual listing in the National Register;

      3.   Certified or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior to be contributing to the historical significance of a registered historic district or a district preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior to qualify as a registered historic district;

      4.   Individually listed or preliminarily determined to be eligible for listing in the New York State Register of Historic Places; or

      5.   Individually listed as a landmark by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. Location within a historic district does not alone qualify as being an individually listed landmark.

   LETTER OF MAP AMENDMENT (LOMA). An official amendment to the FIRM, issued and approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), removing structures or tax lots or portions of tax lots from special flood hazard areas, resulting from a demonstration that the pre-FIRM ground elevations are at or above the base flood elevation.

   LETTER OF MAP REVISION BASED ON FILL (LOMR-F). An official amendment to the FIRM, issued and approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), removing structures or tax lots or portions of tax lots from special flood hazard areas, resulting from the post-FIRM placement of compacted fill, such that the new ground elevation is at or above the base flood elevation.

   LETTER OF MAP REVISION (LOMR). An official amendment to the FIRM, issued and approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), removing or adding structures or tax lots or portions of tax lots from special flood hazard areas, which generally results from physical measures implemented that affect the hydrologic or hydraulic characteristics of a flooding source and thus result in the modification of the existing regulatory floodway, the effective base flood elevations, or the special flood hazard area.

   MANUFACTURED HOME. A structure that is transportable in one or more sections, built on a permanent chassis, designed for use with or without a permanent foundation when attached to the required utilities, and constructed to the Federal Mobile Home Construction and Safety Standards and rules and regulations promulgated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The term also includes mobile homes, park trailers, travel trailers and similar transportable structures that are placed on a site for 180 consecutive days or longer.

   MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION. A parcel (or contiguous parcels) of land divided into two or more manufactured home lots for rent or sale.

   MARKET VALUE OF STRUCTURE. The price that a buyer is willing, but is not under any duty, to pay for a particular structure to an owner who is willing, but not obligated, to sell, exclusive of the value of the land, or of other buildings or structures on the same tax lot. The market value of a structure shall be determined in accordance with rules promulgated by the commissioner.

   NEW CONSTRUCTION. See "Post-FIRM development."

   POST-FIRM DEVELOPMENT. Any development that is not pre-FIRM development.

   POST-FIRM STRUCTURE. See "Post-FIRM development."

   PRE-FIRM DEVELOPMENT. Any development:

      1.   Completed prior to November 16, 1983;

      2.   Under construction on November 16, 1983, provided that the start of construction was prior to said date; or

      3.   Completed on or after November 16, 1983, but that:

         3.1.   Was not located within a special flood hazard area at the start of construction; and

         3.2.   Is now located within a special flood hazard area as a result of a subsequent change to the FIRM.

   PRE-FIRM STRUCTURE. See "Pre-FIRM development."

   RECREATIONAL VEHICLE. A vehicle that is built on a single chassis, 400 square feet (37.16 m 2 ) or less when measured at the largest horizontal projection, designed to be self-propelled or permanently towable by a light-duty truck, and designed primarily not for use as a permanent dwelling but as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel or seasonal use. A recreational vehicle is ready for highway use if it is on its wheels or jacking system, is attached to the site only by quick disconnect-type utilities and security devices and has no permanently attached additions.

   START OF CONSTRUCTION. The date of permit issuance for: (i) post-FIRM developments; (ii) substantial improvements to pre-FIRM structures; and (iii) those pre-FIRM developments that, at the time of permit issuance, were not within a special flood hazard area but that, prior to completion, were within a special flood hazard area as a result of map change; provided the actual commencement of construction, repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, placement or other improvement is within 180 days after the date of permit issuance and such construction activity is not thereafter suspended or abandoned for 180 days or more. For the purposes of this definition:

      1.   The actual commencement of construction means the first placement of permanent construction of a building (including a manufactured home or prefabricated building) on a site, such as the pouring of a slab or footings, installation of pilings or construction of columns.

      2.   Permanent construction does not include land preparation (such as clearing, excavation, grading or filling), the installation of streets or walkways, excavation for a basement (for flood zone purposes), footings, piers or foundations, the erection of temporary forms or the installation of accessory buildings such as garages or sheds not occupied as dwelling units or not part of the main building.

      3.   For a substantial improvement, the actual commencement of construction means the first alteration of any wall, ceiling, floor or other structural part of a building, regardless of whether that alteration affects the external dimensions of the building.

   VARIANCE. A grant of relief from the requirements of this appendix, which permits construction in a manner otherwise prohibited by this appendix.

Section BC G301: Construction Standards

G301.1 All developments.

To the extent required by Section G102.1, all developments, including but not limited to utility installation, site improvements, placement of prefabricated buildings and manufactured homes, new building construction, alterations and repairs, shall be designed and constructed to resist the effects of flood hazards and flood loads in accordance with this appendix and ASCE 24.