For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ACCESSORY STRUCTURE. A structure which is on the same parcel of property as the principal structure and the use of which is incidental to the use of the principal structure. Examples of ACCESSORY STRUCTURES include, but are not limited to, garages and storage sheds.
AREA OF SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD. The land in the floodplain within the city subject to a 1% or greater chance of flooding in any given year.
BASE FLOOD. The flood having a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year.
BASE FLOOD ELEVATION. The elevation in feet above mean sea level of the base flood or 1% chance flood. Established as 977 feet above mean sea level.
BASEMENT. Any area of the building having its floor sub-grade (below ground level) on all sides.
BFE. Base flood elevation (977 feet above mean sea level).
BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS. The Board established by the City Charter, Article 2, § 7, and appointed by the Council, to hear complaints and arguments relating to city ordinances and recommend or deny variances to the City Council.
C.F.R. Code of Federal Regulations.
CRITICAL FEATURE. An integral and readily identifiable part of a flood protection system, without which the flood protection provided by the entire system would be compromised.
DEVELOPMENT. Any human-made change in improved and unimproved real estate, including, but not limited to, buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation, or drilling operations or storage of equipment or materials.
DEVELOPMENT PERMIT. A permit issued by the City Floodplain Administrator which authorizes development in a special flood hazard area in accordance with this chapter.
ELEVATED BUILDING. A non-basement building built, in the case of a building in Zone A, to have the top of the elevated floor adequately anchored so as not to impair the structural integrity of the building during a flood up to the magnitude of the base flood, in the case of Zone A, ELEVATED BUILDING also includes a building elevated by means of fill or solid foundation perimeter walls with openings sufficient to facilitate the unimpeded movement of flood waters.
EXISTING CONSTRUCTION. For the purposes of determining rates, structures for which the “start of construction” commenced before the effective date of the FIRM or before January 1, 1975, for FIRMs effective before that date. EXISTING CONSTRUCTION may also be referred to as EXISTING STRUCTURES.
EXISTING MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION. A manufactured home park or subdivision for which the construction of facilities for servicing the lots on which the manufactured homes are to be affixed (including, at a minimum, the installation of utilities, the construction of streets and either final site grading or the pouring of concrete pads) is completed before the effective date of this chapter.
EXPANSION TO AN EXISTING MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION. The preparation of additional sites by the construction of facilities for servicing the lots on which the manufactured homes are to be affixed (including the installation of utilities, the construction of streets, and either final site grading or the pouring of concrete pads).
FEMA. The Federal Emergency Management Agency.
FIRM. Flood insurance rate map.
FLOOD or FLOODING. A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from:
(1) The overflow of inland or tidal waters; or
(2) The unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source.
FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAP. An official map of the city on which FEMA has delineated both the areas of special flood hazards and the risk premium zones applicable to the city.
FLOOD INSURANCE STUDY. The official report provided by FEMA for the city, which contains flood profiles, water surface elevation of the base flood, as well as the floodway width, section area, and mean velocity. (A study has not been completed by FEMA.)
FLOODPLAIN ADMINISTRATOR. A person accredited by the OWRB and designated by the City Council to administer and implement laws, ordinances, and regulations relating to the management of the floodplain.
FLOODPLAIN or FLOOD-PRONE AREA. Any land area susceptible to being inundated by water from any source as shown on the FEMA flood insurance rate map for the city.
FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT. The operation of an overall program of corrective and preventive measures for reducing flood damage, including, but not limited to, emergency preparedness plans, flood control works, and floodplain management regulations.
FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS or FLOOD DAMAGE PREVENTION REGULATIONS. Zoning codes and ordinances, subdivision regulations, building codes, health regulations, special purpose regulations and ordinances (such as floodplain, grading and erosion control regulations and ordinances), this chapter, and other applications of police power. The term describes such state or local ordinances, in any combination thereof, which provide standards for the purpose of flood damage prevention and reduction.
FLOOD PROTECTION SYSTEM. Those physical structural works for which funds have been authorized, appropriated, and expended and which have been constructed specifically to modify flooding in order to reduce the extent of the areas within the city subject to a “special flood hazard” and the extent of the depths of associated flooding. Such a system typically includes hurricane tidal barriers, dams, reservoirs, levees, or dikes. These specialized flood modifying works are those constructed in conformance with sound engineering standards.
FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT BOARD. The Walters City Council.
FLOODWAY. The channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation more than a designated height. A FLOODWAY is located within areas of special flood hazard established in § 152.03(B). A FLOODWAY is an extremely hazardous area due to the velocity of flood waters that carry debris and potential projectiles.
FUNCTIONALLY DEPENDENT USE. A use that cannot perform 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 the loading and unloading of cargo or passengers, and ship building and ship repair facilities, but does not include long-term storage or related manufacturing facilities.
HIGHEST ADJACENT GRADE. The highest natural elevation of the ground surface prior to construction next to the proposed walls of a structure.
HISTORIC STRUCTURE. Any structure that is:
(1) Listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places (a listing maintained by the Department of Interior) or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as meeting the requirements for individual listing on the National Register;
(2) Certified or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as contributing to the historical significance of a registered historic district or a district preliminarily determined by the Secretary to qualify as a registered historic district;
(3) Individually listed on a state inventory of historic places in states with historic preservation programs which have been approved by the Secretary of Interior; or
(4) Individually listed on a local inventory of historic places in communities with historic preservation programs that have been certified either:
(a) By an approved state program as determined by the Secretary of the Interior; or
(b) Directly by the Secretary of the Interior in states without approved programs.
LEVEE. A human-made structure, usually an earthen embankment, designed and constructed in accordance with sound engineering practices to contain, control, or divert the flow of water so as to provide protection from temporary flooding.
LEVEE SYSTEM. A flood protection system which consists of a levee or levees and associated structures, such as closure and drainage devices, which are constructed and operated in accordance with sound engineering practices.
LOWEST FLOOR. The lowest floor of the lowest enclosed area (including basement). An unfinished or flood resistant enclosure, usable solely for parking or 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 requirement of 44 C.F.R. § 60.3.
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 MANUFACTURED HOME does not include a “recreational vehicle.”
MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION. A parcel (or contiguous parcels) of land divided into two or more manufactured home lots for rent or sale.
MEAN SEA LEVEL. For purposes of the National Flood Insurance Program, the North American Vertical Datum (NAVD) of 1988 or other datum, to which base flood elevations shown on the city flood insurance rate map are referenced.
NEW CONSTRUCTION. For the purpose of determining insurance rates, structures for which the “start of construction” commenced on or after the effective date of an initial FIRM or after December 31, 1974, whichever is later, and includes any subsequent improvements to such structures. For floodplain management purposes, NEW CONSTRUCTION means structures for which the “start of construction” commenced on or after the effective date of a floodplain management ordinance adopted by the City Council and includes any subsequent improvements to such structures.
NEW MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION. A manufactured home park or subdivision for which the construction of facilities for servicing the lots on which the manufactured homes are to be affixed (including at a minimum, the installation of utilities, the construction of streets, and either final site grading or the pouring of concrete pads) is completed on or after the effective date of this chapter adopted by the City Council.
OWRB. The Oklahoma Water Resources Board.
RECREATIONAL VEHICLE. A vehicle which is: built on a single chassis; 400 square feet or less when measured at the largest horizontal projections; 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.
START OF CONSTRUCTION. Either 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 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. For a substantial improvement, the actual START OF CONSTRUCTION means the first alteration of any wall, ceiling, floor, or other structural part of a building, whether or not that alteration affects the external dimensions of the building.
STRUCTURE. A walled and roofed building, including a gas or liquid storage tank that is principally above ground, as well as a manufactured home.
SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. Damage of any origin sustained by a structure whereby the cost of restoring the structure to its before-damaged condition would equal or exceed 50% of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred.
SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT. Any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50% of the market value of the structure before “start of construction” of the improvement. This includes structures that have incurred “substantial damage,” regardless of the actual repair work performed. The term does not, however, include either:
(1) Any project for improvement of a structure to correct existing violations of state or local health, sanitary, or safety code specifications which have been identified by the local code enforcement official and which are the minimum necessary conditions; or
(2) Any alteration of a “historic structure,” provided that the alteration would not preclude the structure’s continued designation as a “historic structure.”
VARIANCE. A grant of relief by the city to a person from the terms of these regulations when specific enforcement would result in unnecessary hardship. A VARIANCE, therefore, permits construction or development in a manner otherwise prohibited by these regulations.
VIOLATION. The failure of a structure or other development to be fully compliant with this chapter.
WATER SURFACE ELEVATION. The height, in relation to the North American Vertical Datum (NAVD) of 1988 (or other datum, where specified), of floods of various magnitudes and frequencies in the floodplains of coastal or riverine areas.
(Prior Code, § 152.02) (Ord. 12-1692, passed 6-5-2012)