(a) Base Flood. The flood which has been selected to serve as the basis upon which the flood plain management provisions of this and other ordinances have been prepared; for purposes of this article, the one hundred (100) year flood.
(b) Basement. Any area of the building having its flood subgrade (below ground level) on all sides.
(c) 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.
(d) Flood. A general and temporary inundation of normally dry land areas.
(e) Flood Plain.
(1) A relatively flat or low land area adjoining a river, stream, or watercourse which is subject to partial or complete inundation;
(2) An area subject to the unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source.
(f) Floodway. The channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land area that must be reserved to discharge the base flood without increasing the water surface elevation of that flood more than one foot at any point.
(g) Floodproofing. 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.
(h) 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 this article.
(i) Manufactured Home. 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 also includes park trailers, travel trailers, and other similar vehicles placed on a site for greater than 180 consecutive days.
(j) Manufactured Home Park or Subdivision. A parcel (or contiguous parcels) of land divided into two or more manufactured home lots for rent or sale.
(k) New Construction. Structures for which the Start of Construction as herein defined commenced on or after the effective date of this article.
(l) One-Hundred (100) Year Flood. A flood that has one chance in one-hundred or a one percent change of being equaled or exceeded in any given year.
(m) Person. An individual or group of individuals, corporation, partnership, association or other entity, including state and local governments and agencies.
(n) Principally Above Ground. Where at least 51 percent of the actual cash value of a structure, less land value, is above ground.
(o) Start of Construction. 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 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 structure.
(p) Structure. A walled and roofed building, including gas or liquid storage tank, that is principally above ground, as well as a manufactured home.
(q) Substantial Improvement. Any repair, reconstruction, or improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the structure either:
(1) Before the improvement or repair is started or,
(2) If the structure has been damaged, and is being restored, before the damage occurred.
For the purpose 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 dimension of the structure. The term does not, however, include either:
A. Any project for improvement of a structure to comply with existing state or local health, sanitary, or safety code specifications which are solely necessary to assure safe living conditions or
B. Any alteration of a structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places or a State Inventory of Historic Places.
(Ord. 1989-2. Passed 2-6-89.)