2007M45-FEMA Flood Plain
ORDINANCE NO., 07 -M-45
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SCHERTZ,
TEXAS CONFIRMING A FLOOD DAMAGE PREVENTION PROGRAM;
DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE; AND
OTHER MATTERS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
WHEREAS, the Texas Legislature has, in Section 16.315 of the Texas Water Code, as
amended, delegated to local governments the responsibility to adopt regulations designed to minimize
flood losses; and
WHEREAS, the City of Schertz, Texas (the "City") has previously established such
regulations in Article XIII of the City's Unified Development Code, as amended (the "UDC"); and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City has determined that it is in the best interests of the
City to confirm such program through this Ordinance;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF SCHERTZ, TEXAS:
Part 1
The City's Code of Ordinances is hereby amended by adoption of this Ordinance and the
following flood damage prevention provisions:
ARTICLE I
TITLE OF ORDINANCE, FINDINGS OF FACT, PURPOSE AND METHODS
Section 1.
Title of Ordinance
This Ordinance shall be referred to as the "Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance".
Section 2.
Findings of Fact
( a) The flood hazard areas of the City of Schertz are subject to periodic inundation, which
results in loss of life and property, health and safety hazards, disruption of commerce and
governmental services, and extraordinary public expenditures for flood protection and relief, all of
which adversely affect the public's health, safety and general welfare.
(b) These flood losses are created by the cumulative effect of obstructions in floodplains
which cause an increase in flood heights and velocities, and by the occupancy of flood hazard areas by
uses vulnerable to floods and hazardous to other lands because they are inadequately elevated,
floodproofed or otherwise protected from flood damage.
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Section 3.
Statement of Purpose
It is the purpose of this Ordinance to promote the public health, safety and general welfare and
to minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions in specific areas by provisions designed
to
( a) protect human life and health;
(b) minimize expenditure of public money for costly flood control projects;
(c) minimize the need for rescue and relief efforts associated with flooding and generally
undertaken at the expense of the general public;
(d) minimize prolonged business interruptions;
(e) minimize damage to public facilities and utilities such as water and gas mains, electric,
telephone and sewer lines, streets and bridges located in floodplains;
(f) help maintain a stable tax base by providing for the sound use and development of
flood-prone areas in such a manner as to minimize future flood blight areas; and
(g)
ensure that potential buyers are notified that property is in a flood area.
Section 4.
Methods of Reducing Flood Losses
In order to accomplish its purposes, this Ordinance uses the following methods:
( a) restrict or prohibit uses that are dangerous to health, safety or property in times of
flood, or cause excessive increases in flood heights or velocities;
(b) require that uses wlnerable to floods, including facilities, which serve such uses, be
protected against flood damage at the time of initial construction;
(c) control the alteration of natural floodplains, stream channels, and natural protective
barriers which are involved in the accommodation of flood waters;
(d) control filling, grading, dredging and other development which may increase flood
damage; and
(e) prevent or regulate the construction of flood barriers which will unnaturally divert
flood waters or which may increase flood hazards to other lands.
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ARTICLE IT
DEFINITIONS
Unless specifically defined below or elsewhere in this Ordinance, words or phrases used in this
Ordinance shall be interpreted to give them the meaning they have in common usage and to give this
Ordinance its most reasonable application.
"Alluvial Fan Flooding" means flooding occurring on the surface of an alluvial fan or similar
landform which originates at the apex and is characterized by high-velocity flows, active processes of
erosion, sediment transport, deposition, and unpredictable flow paths.
"Apex" means a point on an alluvial fan or similar landform below which the flow path ofthe
major stream that formed the fan becomes unpredictable and alluvial fan flooding can occur.
"Appeals Board" means the City Council of the City.
"Appurtenant Structure" means a structure which is on the same parcel of property as the
principal structure to be insured and the use of which is incidental to the use of the principal structure
"Area of Future Conditions Flood Hazard" means the land area that would be inundated by
the l-percent-annual chance (100 year) flood based on future-conditions hydrology.
"Area of Shallow Flooding" means a designated AO, AH, ARI AO, AR/ AH, or YO zone on
the City's Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) with a 1 percent or greater annual chance offlooding to
an average depth of 1 to 3 feet where a clearly defined channel does not exist, where the path of
flooding is unpredictable and where velocity flow may be evident. Such flooding is characterized by
ponding or sheet flow.
"Area of Special Flood Hazard" or "Special Flood Hazard Area" means the land in the
floodplain within a community subject to a 1 percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year.
The area may be designated as Zone A on the Flood Hazard Boundary Map (FHBM). After detailed
rate making has been completed in preparation for publication of the FIRM, Zone A usually is refined
into Zones A, AO, AH, AI-3D, AE, A99, AR, AR/Al-30, AR/AE, AR/AO, AR/AH,AR/A, YO, Yl-
30, VB or V.
"Base Flood" means the flood having a 1 percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any
given year.
"Basement" means any area of a building having its floor subgrade (below ground level) on
all sides.
"BFE" means base flood elevation.
"Breakaway Wall" means a wall that is not part of the structural support of the building and
that is intended through its design and construction to collapse under specific lateral loading forces
without causing damage to the elevated portion of the building or supporting foundation system.
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"Critical Feature" means 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" means any man-made change to 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.
"Elevated Building" means, for insurance purposes, a non-basement building, which has its
lowest elevated floor raised above ground level by foundation walls, shear walls, posts, piers, pilings,
or columns.
"Existing Construction" means, 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" means 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 the floodplain management regulations adopted by the City.
"Expansion to an Existing Manufactured Home Park or Subdivision" means 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).
"Flood" or "Flooding" means 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 Elevation Study", or "Flood Insurance Study" or "FIS" means an examination,
evaluation, and determination of flood hazards and, if appropriate, corresponding water surface
elevations, or an examination, evaluation, and determination of muds Ii de or mudflow, and/or flood-
related erosion hazards.
"Flood Insurance Rate Map" or "FIRM" means an official map of the City, on which the
Federal Emergency Management Agency has delineated both the special flood hazard areas and the
risk premium zones applicable to the community.
"Floodplain" or "Flood Prone Area" means any land area susceptible to being inundated by
water from any source.
"Floodplain Management" means 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.
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"Floodplain Management Regulations" means zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations,
building codes, health regulations, special purpose ordinances (such as a floodplain ordinance, grading
ordinance and erosion control ordinance), and other applications of police power related to flooding
issues. The term describes such state or local regulations, and any combination thereof, which
provide standards for the purpose of flood damage prevention and reduction.
"Flood Protection System" means 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 area within a community 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.
"Flood Proofing" means 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.
"Freeboard" is a factor of safety above the BFE. (The City of Schertz requires 1 foot above
the BFE.)
"Functionally Dependent Use" means a use which cannot achieve 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" means the highest natural elevation of the ground surface prior
to construction next to the proposed walls of a structure.
"Historic Structure" means any structure that is
(a) 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;
(b) 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;
(c) individually listed on a state inventory of historic places in states with historic
preservation programs which have been approved by the Secretary of the Interior; or
(d) individually listed on a local inventory or historic places in communities with historic
preservation programs that have been certified either
(I)
by an approved state program as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, or
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(2) directly by the Secretary of the Interior in states without approved programs.
"Levee" means a man-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" means 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" means 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 Section 60.3 of the National Flood Insurance Program regulations.
"Manufactured Home" means 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 Borne Park or Subdivision" means a parcel (or contiguous parcels) of land
divided into two or more manufactured home lots for rent or sale.
"Mean Sea Level" means, for purposes of the National Flood Insurance Program, the
National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD) of 1929 or other datum, to which base flood elevations
shown on a community's Flood Insurance Rate Map are referenced.
"New Construction" means, 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 regulation
adopted by a community and includes any subsequent improvements to such structures.
"New Manufactured Home Park or Subdivision" means 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 floodplain management regulations adopted by the City.
"Recreational Vehicle" means a vehicle which is (i) built on a single chassis; (ii) 400 square
feet or less when measured at the largest horizontal projections; (ill) designed to be self-propelled or
permanently towable by a light duty truck; and (iv) designed primarily not for use as a permanent
dwelling but as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel, or seasonal use.
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"Regulatory Floodway" or "Floodway" means 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.
"Riverine" means relating to, formed by, or resembling a river (including tributaries), stream,
brook, etc.
"Start of Construction" (for other than new construction or substantial improvements under
the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (Pub. L. 97-348)), includes substantial improvement and means the
date the building permit was issued, provided the actual start of construction, repair, reconstruction,
rehabilitation, addition placement, or other improvement was within 180 days ofthe permit date. The
actual start means 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" means, for floodplain management purposes, 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" means damage of any origin sustained by a structure whereby the
cost of restoring the structure to its before-damaged condition would equal or exceed fifty percent
(50%) of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred.
"Substantial Improvement" means any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other
improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds fifty percent (500.10) of the market
value of the structure before "start of construction" of the improvement. This term includes
structures which 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 to assure safe
living conditions, or (2) any alteration of a "historic structure", provided that the alteration will not
preclude the structure's continued designation as a "historic structure".
"Variance" means a grant of relief by a community from the terms of a floodplain
management regulation as more fully described in Section 60.6 of the National Flood Insurance
Program regulations.
"Violation" means the failure of a structure or other development to be fully compliant with
the community's floodplain management regulations. A structure or other development without the
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elevation certificate, other certifications, or other evidence of compliance required in Section
60.3(b)(5), (c)(4), (c)(lO), (d)(3), (e)(2), (e)(4), or (e)(5) of the National Flood Insurance Program
regulations is presumed to be in violation until such time as that documentation is provided.
"Water Surface Elevation" means the height, in relation to the National Geodetic Vertical
Datum (NGVD) of 1929 (or other datum, where specified), of floods of various magnitudes and
frequencies in the floodplains of coastal or riverine areas.
ARTICLE ill
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 5.
Lands to Which This Ordinance Applies
The ordinance shall apply to all areas of special flood hazard within the corporate limits [and
extraterritorial jurisdiction) of the City.
Section 6.
Basis for Establishing the Areas of Special Flood Hazard
The areas of special flood hazard identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in
the current scientific and engineering report entitled, "The Flood Insurance Study (PIS) for
Guadalupe County, Texas and Incorporated Areas Volume 1 & 2," dated November 2,2007, with
accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Maps and/or Flood Boundary-Floodway Maps (FIRM and/or
FBFM) dated November 2,2007. And any revisions thereto are hereby adopted by reference and
declared to be a part of this Ordinance.
Section 7.
Establishment of Floodplain Development Permit
A Floodplain Development Permit shall be required to ensure conformance with the
provisions of this Ordinance as further set forth in Article 4, Section C.
Section 8.
Compliance
No structure or land shall hereafter be located, altered, or have its use changed without full
compliance with the terms of this Ordinance and other applicable regulations.
Section 9.
Abrogation and Greater Restrictions
This Ordinance is not intended to repeal, abrogate, or impair any existing easements,
covenants, or deed restrictions. However, where this Ordinance and another ordinance, easement,
covenant, or deed restriction conflict or overlap, whichever imposes the more stringent restrictions, as
determined by the City, shall prevail.
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Section 10. Interpretation
In the interpretation and application of this Ordinance, all provisions shall be (1) considered as
minimum requirements; (2) liberally construed in favor of the City; and (3) deemed neither to limit nor
repeal any other powers granted under Texas statutes.
Section 11. Warning and Disclaimer of Liability
The degree of flood protection required by this Ordinance is considered reasonable for
regulatory purposes and is based on scientific and engineering considerations. On rare occasions
greater floods can and will occur, and flood heights may be increased by man-made or natural causes.
This Ordinance does 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. This Ordinance shall not create
liability on the part of the City or any official or employee thereof for any flood damages that result
from reliance on this Ordinance or any administrative decision lawfully made hereunder.
ARTICLE IV
ADMINISTRA nON
Section 12. Designation of the Floodplain Administrator
The City Manager is hereby appointed the Floodplain Administrator to administer and
implement the provisions of this Ordinance and other appropriate sections ofEmergency Management
and Assistance - National Flood Insurance Program Regulations pertaining to floodplain management.
Section 13. Duties and Responsibilities of the Floodplain Administrator
The duties and responsibilities of the Floodplain Administrator shall include, but not be limited
to, the following:
( a) maintain and hold open for public inspection all records pertaining to the provisions of
this Ordinance;
(b) review permit application to determine whether to ensure that the proposed building
site project, including the placement of manufactured homes, will be reasonably safe from flooding;
(c) review, approve or deny all applications for development permits required by adoption
of this Ordinance;
(d) review permits for proposed development to assure that all necessary permits have
been obtained from those Federal, State or local governmental agencies (including Section 404 of the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, 33 U.S.C. 1334) from which prior
approval is required;
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(e) where interpretation is needed as to the exact location of the boundaries of the areas of
special flood hazards (for example, where there appears to be a conflict between a mapped boundary
and actual field conditions) the Floodplain Administrator shall make the necessary interpretation;
(f) notify, in riverine situations, adjacent communities and the State Coordinating Agency,
which is the Texas Water Board, prior to any alteration or relocation of a watercourse, and submit
evidence of such notification to the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
(g) assure that the flood carrying capacity within the altered or relocated portion of any
watercourse is maintained;
(h) when base flood elevation data has not been provided in accordance with Article 3,
Section B, of this Ordinance, obtain, review and reasonably utilize any base flood elevation data and
floodway data available from a Federal, State or other source, in order to administer the provisions of
Article 5;
(i) when a regulatory floodway has not been designated, require that no new
construction, substantial improvements, or other development (including fill) shall be permitted within
Zones AI-3D and AE on the community's FIRM, unless it is demonstrated that the cumulative effect
of the proposed development, when combined with all other existing and anticipated development,
will not increase the water surface elevation of the base flood more than one foot at any point within
the community; and
G) under the provisions of 44 CFR Chapter 1, Section 65.12, of the National Flood
Insurance Program regulations, approve certain development in Zones AI-3D, AE, AH, on the City's
FIRM which increases the water surface elevation of the base flood by more than 1 foot, provided
that the community first completes all of the provisions required by Section 65.12.
Section 14. Permit Procedures
( a) Application for a Floodplain Development Permit shall be presented to the Floodplain
Administrator on forms furnished by such Administrator and may include, but not be limited to, plans
in duplicate drawn to scale showing the location, dimensions, and elevation of proposed landscape
alterations, existing and proposed structures, including the placement of manufactured homes, and the
location of the foregoing in relation to areas of special flood hazard. Additionally, the following
information is required:
(1) elevation (in relation to mean sea level), of the lowest floor (including
basement) of all new and substantially improved structures;
(2) elevation in relation to mean sea level to which any nonresidential structure
shall be floodproofed;
(3) a certificate from a registered professional engineer or architect that the
nonresidential floodproofed structure shall meet the floodproofing criteria of Article 5, SectionB (2);
and
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(4) description of the extent to which any watercourse or natural drainage will be
altered or relocated as a result of proposed development.
(b) Approval or denial of a Floodplain Development Permit by the Floodplain
Administrator shall be based on all of the provisions of this Ordinance and the following relevant
factors:
(1) the danger to life and property due to flooding or erosion damage;
(2) the susceptibility of the proposed facility and its contents to flood damage and
the effect of such damage on the individual owner;
(3) the danger that materials may be swept onto other lands to the injury of others;
(4) the compatibility of the proposed use with existing and anticipated
development;
(5) the safety of access to the property in times of flood for ordinary and
emergency vehicles;
(6) the costs of providing governmental services during and after flood conditions
including maintenance and repair of streets and bridges, and public utilities and facilities such as
sewer, gas, electrical, and water systems;
(7) the expected heights, velocity, duration, rate of rise, and sediment transport of
the floodwaters and the effects of wave action, if applicable, expected at the site;
(8) the necessity to the facility of a waterfront location, where applicable; and
(9) the availability of alternative locations, not subject to flooding or erosion
damage, for the proposed use.
Section 15. Variance Procedures
( a) The Appeals Board, shall hear and render judgment on requests for variances from the
requirements of this Ordinance.
(b) The Appeals Board shall hear and render judgment on an appeal only when it is alleged
there is an error in any requirement, decision, or determination made by the Floodplain Administrator
in the enforcement or administration of this Ordinance.
(c) Any person or persons aggrieved by the decision of the Appeals Board may appeal
such decision to any court of competent jurisdiction.
(d) The Floodplain Administrator shall maintain a record of all actions involving an appeal
and shall report variances to the Federal Emergency Management Agency upon request.
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( e) Variances may be issued for the reconstruction, rehabilitation or restoration of
structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places or the State Inventory of Historic Places,
without regard to the procedures set forth in the remainder of this Ordinance.
(f) Variances may be issued for new construction and substantial improvements to be
erected on a lot of 1/2 acre or less in size contiguous to and surrounded by lots with existing
structures constructed below the base flood level, providing the relevant factors in Section C (2) of
this Article have been fully considered. As the lot size increases beyond the 1/2 acre, the technical
justification required for issuing the variance increases.
(g) Upon consideration of the factors noted above and the intent of this Ordinance, the
Appeals Board may attach such conditions to the granting of variances as it deems necessary to
further the purpose and objectives of this Ordinance.
(h) Variances shall not be issued within any designated floodway if any increase in flood
levels during the base flood discharge would result.
(i) Variances may be issued for the repair or rehabilitation of historic structures upon a
determination that the proposed repair or rehabilitation will not preclude the structure's continued
designation as a historic structure and the variance is the minimum necessary to preserve the historic
character and design of the structure.
0) The following are prerequisites for granting variances:
(1) Variances shall only be issued upon a determination that the variance is the
minimum necessary, considering the flood hazard, to afford relief
(2) Variances shall only be issued upon (i) showing a good and sufficient cause; (ii)
a determination that failure to grant the variance would result in exceptional hardship to the applicant,
and (iii) a determination that the granting of a variance will not result in increased flood heights,
additional threats to public safety, extraordinary public expense, create nuisances, cause fraud on or
victimization of the public, or conflict with existing local laws or ordinances.
(3) Any application to which a variance is granted shall be given written notice that
the structure will be permitted to be built with the lowest floor elevation below the base flood
elevation, and that the cost of flood insurance will be commensurate with the increased risk resulting
from the reduced lowest floor elevation.
(k) Variances may be issued by the City for new construction and substantial
improvements and for other development necessary for the conduct of a functionally dependent use
provided that (i) the criteria outlined in Article 4, Section D (1 )-(9) are met, and (ii) the structure or
other development is protected by methods that minimize flood damages during the base flood and
create no additional threats to public safety.
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ARTICLE V
PROVISIONS FOR FLOOD HAZARD REDUCTION
Section 16. General Standards
In all areas of special flood hazards the following provisions are required for all new
construction and substantial improvements:
( a) all new construction or substantial improvements shall be designed (or modified) and
adequately anchored to prevent flotation, collapse, or lateral movement of the structure resulting from
hydrodynamic and hydrostatic loads, including the effects of buoyancy;
(b) all new construction or substantial improvements shall be constructed by methods and
practices that minimize flood damage;
(c) all new construction or substantial improvements shall be constructed with materials
resistant to flood damage;
(d) all new construction or substantial improvements shall be constructed with electrical,
heating, ventilation, plumbing, and air conditioning equipment and other service facilities that are
designed and/or located so as to prevent water from entering or accumulating within the components
during conditions of flooding;
( e) all new and replacement water supply systems shall be designed to minimize or
eliminate infiltration of flood waters into the system;
(f) new and replacement sanitary sewage systems shall be designed to minimize or
eliminate infiltration of flood waters into the system and discharge from the systems into flood waters;
and
(g) on-site waste disposal systems shall be located to avoid impairment to them or
contamination from them during flooding.
Section 17. Specific Standards
In all areas of special flood hazards where base flood elevation data has been provided as set
forth in (i) Article 3, Section B, (ii) Article 4, Section B (8), or (iii) Article 5, Section C (3), the
following provisions are required:
(a) Residential Construction - new construction and substantial improvement of any
residential structure shall have the lowest floor (including basement), elevated to or above the base
flood elevation plus freeboard. A registered professional engineer, architect, or land surveyor shall
submit a certification to the Floodplain Administrator that the standard of this subsection as proposed
in Article 4, Section C (1) (a), is satisfied.
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(b) Nonresidential Construction - new construction and substantial improvements of any
commercial, industrial, or other nonresidential structure shall either have the lowest floor (including
basement) elevated to or above the base flood level plus freeboard or together with attendant utility
and sanitary facilities, be designed so that below the base flood level the structure is watertight with
walls substantially impermeable to the passage of water and with structural components having the
capability of resisting hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and effects of buoyancy. A registered
professional engineer or architect shall develop and/or review structural design, specifications, and
plans for the construction, and shall certify that the design and methods of construction are in
accordance with accepted standards of practice as outlined in this subsection. A record of such
certification which includes the specific elevation (in relation to mean sea level) to which such
structures are floodproofed shall be maintained by the Floodplain Administrator.
(c) Enclosures - new construction and substantial improvements, with fully enclosed
areas below the lowest floor that are usable solely for parking of vehicles, building access, or storage
in an area other than a basement and which are subject to flooding shall be designed to automatically
equalize hydrostatic flood forces on exterior walls by allowing for the entry and exit offloodwaters.
Designs for meeting this requirement must either be certified by a registered professional engineer or
architect or meet or exceed the following minimum criteria:
(1) a minimum of two openings on separate walls having a total net area of not less
than 1 square inch for every square foot of enclosed area subject to flooding;
(2) the bottom of all openings shall be no higher than 1 foot above grade; and
(3) openings may be equipped with screens, louvers, valves, or other coverings or
devices provided that they permit the automatic entry and exit of floodwaters.
(d) Manufactured Homes -
(1) All manufactured homes to be placed within Zone A on the City's FHBM or
FIRM shall be installed using methods and practices which minimize flood damage. For the purposes
of this requirement, manufactured homes must be elevated and anchored to resist flotation, collapse,
or lateral movement. Methods of anchoring may include, but are not limited to, use of over-the-top
or frame ties to ground anchors. This requirement is in addition to applicable State and local
anchoring requirements for resisting wind forces.
(2) Manufactured homes that are placed or substantially improved within Zones
AI-30, AH, and AE on the City's FIRM on sites (i) outside of a manufactured home park or
subdivision, (ii) in a new manufactured home park or subdivision, (iii) in an expansion to an existing
manufactured home park or subdivision, or (iv) in an existing manufactured home park or subdivision
on which a manufactured home has incurred "substantial damage" as a result of a flood, shall be
elevated on a permanent foundation such that the lowest floor of the manufactured home is elevated
to or above the base flood elevation and be securely anchored to an adequately anchored foundation
system to resist flotation, collapse, and lateral movement.
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(3) Manufactured homes must be placed or substantially improved on sites in an
existing manufactured home park or subdivision with Zones AI-3D, AH and AE on the community's
FIRM that are not subject to the provisions of paragraph (4) of this Section be elevated so that either:
(i) the lowest floor of the manufactured home is at or above the base flood
elevation, or
(ii) the manufactured home chassis is supported by reinforced piers or
other foundation elements of at least equivalent strength that are no less than 36 inches in height
above grade and be securely anchored to an adequately anchored foundation system to resist
flotation, collapse, and lateral movement.
( e) Recreational Vehicles - Recreational vehicles placed on sites within Zones AI-30,
AH, and AE on the community's FIRM must either (i) be on the site for fewer than 180 consecutive
days, or (ii) be fully licensed and ready for highway use, or (iii) meet the permit requirements of
Article 4, Section C (1), and the elevation and anchoring requirements for "manufactured homes" in
paragraph (4) of this Section. 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.
Section 18. Standards for Subdivision Proposals
(a) All subdivision proposals including the placement of manufactured home parks and
subdivisions shall be consistent with Article I, Sections B, C, and D of this Ordinance.
(b) All proposals for the development of subdivisions including the placement of
manufactured home parks and subdivisions shall meet Floodplain Development Permit requirements
of Article 3, Section C; Article 4, Section C; and the provisions of Article 5 of this Ordinance.
(c) Base flood elevation data shall be generated for subdivision proposals and other
proposed development including the placement of manufactured home parks and subdivisions which
is greater than 50 lots or 5 acres, whichever is lesser, ifnot otherwise provided pursuant to Article 3,
Section B or Article 4, Section B (8) of this Ordinance.
(d) All subdivision proposals including the placement of manufactured home parks and
subdivisions shall have adequate drainage provided to reduce exposure to flood hazards.
(e) All subdivision proposals including the placement of manufactured home parks and
subdivisions shall have public utilities and facilities such as sewer, gas, electrical and water systems
located and constructed to minimize or eliminate flood damage.
Section 19. Standards for Areas of Shallow Flooding (AO/AH Zones)
Areas located within the areas of special flood hazard established in Article 3, Section B, are
areas designated as susceptible to shallow flooding. These areas have special flood hazards
associated with flood depths of 1 to 3 feet where a clearly defined channel does not exist, where the
50028934.1
15
path of flooding is unpredictable, and where velocity flow may be evident. Such flooding is
characterized by ponding or sheet flow; therefore, the following provisions apply:
(a) All new construction and substantial improvements of residential structures have the
lowest floor (including basement) elevated to or above the base flood elevation or the highest
adjacent grade at least as high as the depth number specified in feet on the City's FIRM (at least 2
feet if no depth number is specified).
(b) All new construction and substantial improvements of non-residential structures;
(1) must have the lowest floor (including basement) elevated to or above the base
flood elevation or the highest adjacent grade at least as high as the depth number specified in feet on
the City's FIRM (at least 2 feet if no depth number is specified), or
(2) together with attendant utility and sanitary facilities must be designed so that
below the base specified flood depth in an AO Zone, or below the Base Flood Elevation in an AH
Zone, level the structure is watertight with walls substantially impermeable to the passage of water
and with structural components having the capability of resisting hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads
of effects of buoyancy.
(c) A registered professional engineer or architect shall submit a certification to the
Floodplain Administrator that the standards of this Section, as proposed in Article 4, Section Care
satisfied.
(d) Within Zones AH or AO, there must be adequate drainage paths around structures on
slopes, to guide flood waters around and away from proposed structures.
Section 20. Floodways
Land located within areas of special flood hazard established in Article 3, Section B, are areas
designated as floodways. Since the floodway is an extremely hazardous area due to the velocity of
flood waters which carry debris, potential projectiles, and erosion potential, the following provisions
shall apply:
(a) Encroachments are prohibited, including fill, new construction, substantial
improvements and other development within the adopted regulatory floodway unless it has been
demonstrated through hydrologic and hydraulic analyses performed in accordance with standard
engineering practice that the proposed encroachment would not result in any increase in flood levels
within the community during the occurrence of the base flood discharge.
(b) If Article 5, Section E (1) above is satisfied, all new construction and substantial
improvements shall comply with all applicable flood hazard reduction provisions of Article 5.
(c) Under the provisions of 44 CFR Chapter 1, Section 65.12, of the National Flood
Insurance Program Regulations, the City may permit encroachments within the adopted regulatory
floodway that would result in an increase in base flood elevations, provided that the City first
completes all of the provisions required by Section 65.12.
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Section 21. Penalties for Non-Compliance
No structure or land shall hereafter be constructed, located, extended, converted, or altered
without full compliance with the terms of this Ordinance and other applicable regulations. Violation
of the provisions of this Ordinance by failure to comply with any of its requirements (including
violations of conditions and safeguards established in connection with conditions) shall constitute a
misdemeanor. Any person who violates this Ordinance or fails to comply with any ofits requirements
shall upon conviction thereofbe fined not more than $500 for each violation, and in addition shall pay
all costs and expenses involved in the case. Nothing herein contained shall prevent the City from
taking such other lawful action as is necessary to prevent or remedy any violation.
Part 2
Article XIII of the UDC, as currently in effect, shall be repealed effective on the effective date
of this Ordinance, and such Article of the UDC is hereby reserved for future use.
Part 3
Section 1. The recitals contained in the preamble hereof are hereby found to be true, and
such recitals are hereby made a part of this Ordinance for all purposes and are adopted as a part of the
judgment and findings of the Council.
Section 2. All ordinances, or parts thereof, which are in conflict or inconsistent with any
provision of this Ordinance are hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict, and the provisions of
this Ordinance shall be and remain controlling as to the matters resolved herein.
Section 3. This Ordinance shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of
the State of Texas and the United States of America.
Section 4. If any provision of this Ordinance or the application thereof to any person or
circumstance shall be held to be invalid, the remainder of this Ordinance and the application of such
provision to other persons and circumstances shall nevertheless be valid, and the Council hereby
declares that this Ordinance would have been enacted without such invalid provision.
Section 5. It is officially found, determined, and declared that the meeting at which this
Ordinance is adopted was open to the public and public notice of the time, place, and subject matter
of the public business to be considered at such meeting, including this Ordinance, was given, all as
required by Chapter 551, as amended, Texas Government Code.
Section 6. By vote of not less than two-thirds of the members of the City Council present
at the meeting at which this Ordinance was first considered, the City Council has determined that an
emergency exists which requires immediate action, and this Ordinance is hereby adopted on a single
reading and shall be effective upon the date hereof and any publication required by law.
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50028934.1
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PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED on first and final reading this the 9~day of
October, 2007.
ATTEST:
~~t;I~AL1 )~Z:;~ ,
City ecret
(SEAL OF CITY)
50028934.1
Mayor
18
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