The following provisions shall apply within the Coastal High Hazard FOD:
(A) All new construction and substantial improvements in Zones VE shall be elevated on pilings or columns so that:
(1) The bottom of the lowest horizontal structural member of the lowest floor (excluding the pilings or columns) is elevated to at least one foot above the base flood elevation; and
(2) The pile or column foundation and structure attached thereto is anchored to resist flotation, collapse, and lateral movement due to the effects of wind and water loads acting simultaneously on all building components. Wind and water loading values shall each have a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year (1% annual chance).
(B) A registered professional engineer or architect shall develop or review the structural design, specifications, and plans for the construction, and shall certify that the design and methods of construction to be used are in accordance with accepted standards of practice for meeting the provisions of this chapter.
(C) The Floodplain Administrator shall obtain the elevation (in relation to mean sea level) of the bottom of the lowest horizontal structural member of the lowest floor (excluding pilings and columns) of all new and substantially improved structures in Zones VE. The Floodplain Management Administrator shall maintain a record of all such information.
(D) All new construction shall be located landward of the reach of mean high tide.
(E) All new construction and substantial improvements shall have the space below the lowest floor either free of obstruction or constructed with non-supporting breakaway walls, open wood-lattice work, or insect screening intended to collapse under wind and water loads without causing collapse, displacement, or other structural damage to the elevated portion of the building or supporting foundation system. For the purpose of this chapter, a breakaway wall shall have a design safe loading resistance of not less than ten and no more than 20 pounds per square foot. Use of breakaway walls which exceed a design safe loading resistance of 20 pounds per square foot (either by design or when so required by local codes) may be permitted only if a registered professional engineer or architect certifies that the designs proposed meet the following conditions:
(1) Breakaway wall collapse shall result from water load less than that which would occur during the base flood; and
(2) The elevated portion of the building and supporting foundation system shall not be subject to collapse, displacement, or other structural damage due to the effects of wind and water loads acting simultaneously on all building components (structural and nonstructural). Maximum wind and water loading values to be used in this determination shall each have a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year.
(F) The enclosed space below the lowest floor shall be used solely for parking of vehicles, building access, or storage. Such space shall not be partitioned into multiple rooms, temperature-controlled, or used for human habitation.
(G) The use of fill for structural support of buildings is prohibited. When fill is proposed in a coastal high hazard area for a purpose other than support of a structure, appropriate engineering analyses shall be conducted to evaluate the impacts of the fill prior to issuance of a development permit. If such fill is permitted and results in a change in the boundary of the floodplain, a letter of map revision must be filed in accordance with FEMA/National Flood Insurance Program procedures.
(H) The man-made alteration of sand dunes which would increase potential flood damage is prohibited.
(I) All manufactured homes to be placed or substantially improved on sites within Zones VE on the Northampton County Flood Insurance Rate Map must meet the standards of this section.
(Ord. passed 2-23-2015; Am. Ord. passed 5-12-2015)