1. Purpose. The purpose of the FO Floodplain Overlay District is to reduce the potential for property damage and hazards to life caused by flooding. The regulations are intended to implement and ensure consistency with the ILCS Ch. 615, Act 5, 18(g) Rivers, Lakes, and Streams Act and the National Flood Insurance Program. The intent of this overlay district is to:
a. Encourage the utilization of appropriate construction practices in order to prevent or minimize flood damage in the future.
b. Minimize the occurrence of future blight areas in the floodplain.
c. Prevent increases in flood heights that could increase flood damage and result in conflicts between property owners.
d. Reduce financial burdens imposed on the community, its governmental units, and its residents by controlling development which, alone or in combination with other development, will create additional burden to pay the costs of rescue, relief, emergency preparedness measures, pumping, and temporary dikes or levees in areas subject to flooding.
e. Comply with federal, state, and Kane County floodplain management requirements.
2. Administration. The Zoning Administrator shall administer the requirements of this section per § 156.03.C.4 (Floodplain Development Permit).
3. Applicability.
a. Definition of Applicability. The requirements of the FO Floodplain Overlay District shall apply to all areas of the 100-year floodplain within the jurisdiction of the Village that are identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as flood areas at high risk of flooding, with accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), as may be revised by FEMA. The FIRMs are adopted by reference and declared to be part of this Ordinance. The FIRMs are on file at the Village. The FO District includes the following zones:
(1) Floodway. Those areas of the floodplain that are designated as floodway on the Flood Insurance Rate Map adopted by § 156.06.L.3.a (Definition of Applicability).
(2) Flood Fringe. Those areas of the 100-year floodplain that are located outside of the floodway on the Flood Insurance Rate Map adopted by § 156.06.L.3.a (Definition of Applicability).
b. Platted Lots Within Floodplain. If a lot is located either partially or totally within the 100-year floodplain, the requirements of the FO District shall be applied to the entire lot.
c. Relationship to Other Regulations. The requirements of the FO District do not abrogate, supersede, or limit the permitting requirements or authority of the State as administered by IDNR-OWR for floodplains or the requirements of the Kane County Stormwater Management Ordinance. However, where the FO District imposes stricter rules, those stricter rules apply. These standards also do not require that approvals or other letters of exemption be obtained from IDNR-OWR in situations covered by the statewide floodplain construction permitting program.
4. General Requirements.
a. Base Flood Height Increases. No development shall be allowed in floodplain areas which will:
(1) Obstruct flow by blocking the conveyance of floodwaters by itself or with other development, increasing base flood height.
(2) Increase base flood height due to floodplain storage area lost, which equals or exceeds one one-hundredth of a foot.
b. Required Setback. A minimum setback of 50 feet shall be maintained from any waterbody or wetland, as measured from the shoreline, to help prevent flooding and the natural process of erosion from threatening structures and their foundations.
(1) No principal or accessory structures shall encroach within the required setback area.
(2) Required setback areas shall be comprised of native vegetation.
(3) Exceptions to the native vegetation requirement may be allowed to facilitate water dependent activities, utility maintenance, or recreational access such as beaches and boat launches, as determined appropriate by the Zoning Administrator. Pedestrian or bicycle paths, wayfinding and educational signs, or maintenance accessways for utilities may be permitted to encroach within the required setback, with Floodplain Development Permit approval (refer to § 156.03.C.4 (Floodplain Development Permit)).
5. Uses Allowed in Floodway. The following uses shall be permitted in the designated floodway upon approval of a Floodplain Development Permit. Any use not listed is prohibited.
a. Community garden.
b. Park.
c. Utility, not requiring structures.
d. Open Space.
e. Multi-modal path or trail.
6. Development Standards in Flood Fringe. Development is allowed in the Flood Fringe area upon approval of a Floodplain Development Permit (refer to § 156.03.C.4 (Floodplain Development Permit)), subject to all standards of the underlying zoning district and the standards of this Section.
a. Uses Allowed in Flood Fringe. Any building, structure, or use allowed as a permitted or special use in the underlying zoning district is permitted in the Flood Fringe area, subject to compliance with the general requirements (see § 156.06.L.4 (General Requirements)) and floodproofing requirements (see § 156.06.L.6.b (Floodproofing Required)) of the FO District, which shall control when more restrictive.
b. Floodproofing Required. Any building, structure, or use constructed in the Flood Fringe area shall be designed to withstand flood velocities, forces, and other factors associated with the base flood. Floodproofing measures shall be designed to protect the structure or development to the flood protection elevation and such measures shall be certified by a registered professional engineer or architect.
(1) All flood-proofing measures shall be designed to:
(a) Withstand floor pressures, depths, velocities, uplift and impact forces, and other base flood factors.
(b) Protect structures to the flood protection elevation.
(c) Anchor structures to foundations to resist flotation and lateral movement.
(d) Ensure that structural walls and floors are watertight to the flood protection elevation, and the interior remains completely dry during flooding without human intervention.
(e) Place essential utilities above the flood protection elevation.
(2) Examples of flood-proofing measures include the following:
(a) Installation of watertight doors, bulkheads and shutters.
(b) Reinforcement of walls and floors to resist rupture or collapse caused by water pressure or floating debris.
(c) Use of paints, membranes, or mortars to reduce seepage of water through walls.
(d) Addition of mass or weight to structures to prevent flotation.
(e) Installation of pumping facilities and/or subsurface drainage systems to relieve foundation wall and basement floor pressures and to lower water levels in structures.
(f) Construction of water supply wells and waste treatment systems to prevent the entry of flood waters.
(g) Installation of cutoff valves on sewer lines or the elimination of gravity basement drains.