Section
175-81
SPECIFIC STANDARDS
In
all special flood hazard areas where base flood elevations
have been provided in the Flood Insurance Study or generated according
to
Section 175-81.1(A), the following provisions shall apply:
A.
Residential Construction: New construction or
substantial improvement of any residential structure shall have the
lowest
floor, including basement, elevated no lower than one (1) foot
above the base flood elevation.
B.
Non-Residential Construction: New construction or
substantial improvement of any commercial, industrial, or
non-residential
building shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to
no lower
than one (1) foot above the base flood elevation. Buildings located in
all AE
and AH zones may be flood-proofed in lieu of being elevated provided
that all
areas of the building components below the elevation corresponding to
the Base
Flood Elevation (BFE) plus one foot are water tight with walls
substantially
impermeable to the passage of water, and use structural components
having the
capability of resisting hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and the
effect of
buoyancy. A registered professional engineer or architect shall
certify
that the standards of this subsection are satisfied.
C.
Elevated Buildings: Enclosed areas, of new
construction or substantially improved structures, which are below the
regulatory flood protection elevation shall:
1.
Not be designed or used for human
habitation, but shall only be used for parking of vehicles, building
access, or
limited storage of maintenance equipment used in connection with the
premises.
Access to the enclosed area shall be the minimum necessary to
allow for
parking of vehicles (garage door) or limited storage of maintenance
equipment
(standard exterior door), or entry to the living area (stairway or
elevator).
The interior portion of such enclosed area shall not be
partitioned or
finished into separate rooms, except to enclose storage areas;
2.
Be constructed entirely of flood resistant
materials below the regulatory flood protection elevation;
3.
Include, in Zones A and AE measures to
automatically equalize hydrostatic flood forces on
walls by
allowing for the entry and exit of
floodwaters. To meet this requirement, the
openings must either be certified by
a
professional engineer or architect or meet the following minimum design
criteria:
a.
Provide a minimum of two openings on different sides of each enclosed
area
subject to
flooding.
b.
The total net area of all openings must be
at least one (1) square inch for each square foot of enclosed area
subject to
flooding.
c.
If a building has more than one enclosed
area, each area must have openings to allow floodwaters to
automatically enter
and exit.
d.
The bottom of all required openings shall
be no higher than one (1) foot above the adjacent grade.
e.
Openings may be equipped with screens,
louvers, or other opening coverings or devices, provided they permit
the
automatic flow of floodwaters in both directions.
f.
Foundation enclosures made of flexible
skirting are not considered enclosures for regulatory purposes, and,
therefore,
do not require openings. Masonry or wood underpinning, regardless of
structural
status, is considered an enclosure and requires openings as outlined
above.
D.
Standards for Recreational Vehicle: All
recreational vehicles placed on sites must be fully
licensed and ready for highway use (a recreational vehicle is ready for
highway
use if it is on its wheels or jacking system, is attached to the site
only by
quick disconnect type utilities and security devices and has no
permanently
attached additions).