No structure or land use shall hereafter be constructed, located, extended, converted, or altered without full compliance with the provisions of this Chapter and other applicable regulations. Violations of the provisions of this Chapter by failure to comply with any of its requirements (including violation of conditions and safeguards required by conditions of approval) shall be subject to the penalties established by this County Code. Nothing in this Chapter shall prevent the County from taking lawful action as is necessary to prevent or remedy any violation.
(a) Abrogation and Greater Restrictions. The provisions of this Chapter are not intended to repeal, abrogate, or impair any existing easements, covenants, or deed restrictions or any map changes made by FEMA. However, where this Chapter or other section, easement, covenant, or deed restriction or map revision as may be made by FEMA conflict or overlap, the more stringent regulations or standards shall govern.
(b) Interpretation. In the interpretation and application of this Chapter all provisions shall be considered as minimum requirements, liberally construed in favor of the governing body and deemed neither to limit nor repeal any other powers granted under State statutes.
(c) Implementation. The requirements of this Chapter shall be integrated into the processing and review of all land use applications and development permits where specific flood hazard review and flood protection requirements are made by the County.
(d) Warning and Disclaimer of Liability. The degree of flood protection required by this Chapter is considered reasonable for regulatory purposes and is based on scientific and engineering considerations. Larger floods can and will occur on rare occasions. Flood heights may be increased by man-made or natural causes. These regulations do not imply that land outside the areas of special flood hazards or uses permitted within such areas will be free from flooding or flood damages. These provisions shall not create liability on the part of the County, any officer or employee thereof, the State of California, or FEMA, for any flood damages that result from reliance on these regulations or any administrative decision lawfully made hereunder.
(e) Severability. If any section, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Chapter is, for any reason, declared by the courts to be unconstitutional or invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the ordinance as a whole, or any part thereof, other than the part so declared.
(Ord. 4011, passed - -2007; Am. Ord. 4163, passed - -4163; Am. Ord. 4254, passed - -2014; Am. Ord. 4469, passed - -2024)