A.
No encroachment, alteration, or improvement of any kind shall be
made to any watercourse until all adjacent municipalities which may
be affected by such action have been notified by the municipality
and until all required permits or approvals have been first obtained
from the DEP, Bureau of Dams and Waterway Management. In addition,
FEMA and the DCED, Bureau of Community Planning, shall be notified
prior to any alteration or relocation of any watercourse.
B.
Any new construction, development, uses or activities allowed within
any identified floodplain area shall be undertaken in strict compliance
with the provisions contained in this chapter and any other applicable
codes, ordinances and regulations.
C.
Alteration or relocation of watercourse. No encroachment, alteration,
or improvement of any kind shall be made to any watercourse unless
it can be shown that the activity will not reduce or impede the flood-carrying
capacity of the watercourse in any way.
D.
Technical or scientific data shall be submitted by (choose either
the municipality or the applicant) to FEMA for a letter of map revision
(LOMR) as soon as practicable but within six months of any new construction,
development, or other activity resulting in changes in the BFE. The
situations when a LOMR or a conditional letter of map revision (CLOMR)
are required are:
E.
Any new construction, development, uses or activities allowed within
any identified floodplain area shall be undertaken in strict compliance
with the provisions contained in this chapter and any other applicable
codes, ordinances and regulations.
A.
Residential structures.
(1)
In AE, A1-30, and AH Zones, any new construction or substantial improvement
shall have the lowest floor (including basement) elevated up to, or
above, the regulatory flood elevation.
(2)
In A Zones, where there are no base flood elevations specified on the FIRM, any new construction or substantial improvement shall have the lowest floor (including basement) elevated to or above the base flood elevation and in accordance with § 156-21B(3)(b)[2].
(3)
The design and construction standards and specifications contained
in the 2006 International Building Code (IBC) and in the 2006 International
Residential Code (IRC), or the most-recent revisions thereof, and
ASCE 24 and 34 Pa. Code (Chapters 401-405, as amended) shall be utilized.
B.
Nonresidential structures.
(1)
In AE, A1-30 and AH Zones, any new construction or substantial improvement
of a nonresidential structure shall have the lowest floor (including
basement) elevated up to, or above, the regulatory flood elevation
or be designed and constructed so that the space enclosed below the
regulatory flood elevation:
(2)
In A Zones, where there are no base flood elevations specified on the FIRM, any new construction or substantial improvement shall have the lowest floor (including basement) elevated or completely floodproofed up to, or above, the regulatory flood elevation determined in accordance with § 156-21B(3)(b)[2].
(3)
Any nonresidential structure, or part thereof, made watertight below
the regulatory flood elevation shall be floodproofed in accordance
with the W1 or W2 space classification standards contained in the
publication entitled "Flood-Proofing Regulations," published by the
United States Army Corps of Engineers (June 1972, as amended March
1992), or with some other equivalent standard. All plans and specifications
for such floodproofing shall be accompanied by a statement, certified
by a registered professional engineer or architect, which states that
the proposed design and methods of construction are in conformance
with the above-referenced standards.
(4)
The design and construction standards and specifications contained
in the 2009 International Building Code (IBC) and in the 2009 International
Residential Code (IRC), or the most-recent revisions thereof, and
ASCE 24 and 34 Pa. Code (Chapters 401-405, as amended) shall be utilized.
C.
Space below the lowest floor.
(1)
Fully enclosed space below the lowest floor (excluding basements)
which will be used solely for the parking of a vehicle, building access,
or incidental storage in an area other than a basement shall be designed
and constructed to allow for the automatic entry and exit of floodwaters
for the purpose of equalizing hydrostatic forces on exterior walls.
The term "fully enclosed space" also includes crawl spaces.
(2)
Designs for meeting this requirement must either be certified by
a registered professional engineer or architect or meet or exceed
the following minimum criteria:
(a)
A minimum of two openings having a net total area of not less
than one square inch for every square foot of enclosed space.
(b)
The bottom of all openings shall be no higher than one foot
above grade.
(c)
Openings may be equipped with screens, louvers, etc., or other
coverings or devices, provided that they permit the automatic entry
and exit of floodwaters.
D.
Accessory structures. Structures accessory to a principal building
need not be elevated or floodproofed to remain dry but shall comply,
at a minimum, with the following requirements:
(1)
The structure shall not be designed or used for human habitation
but shall be limited to the parking of vehicles or to the storage
of tools, material, and equipment related to the principal use or
activity.
(2)
Floor area shall not exceed 100 square feet.
(3)
The structure will have a low damage potential.
(4)
The structure will be located on the site so as to cause the least
obstruction to the flow of floodwaters.
(5)
Power lines, wiring, and outlets will be elevated to the regulatory
flood elevation.
(6)
Permanently affixed utility equipment and appliances, such as furnaces,
heaters, washers, dryers, etc., are prohibited.
(7)
Sanitary facilities are prohibited.
(8)
The structure shall be adequately anchored to prevent flotation or
movement and shall be designed to automatically provide for the entry
and exit of floodwaters for the purpose of equalizing hydrostatic
forces on the walls. Designs for meeting this requirement must either
be certified by a registered professional engineer or architect or
meet or exceed the following minimum criteria:
(a)
A minimum of two openings having a net total area of not less
than one square inch for every square foot of enclosed space.
(b)
The bottom of all openings shall be no higher than one foot
above grade.
(c)
Openings may be equipped with screens, louvers, etc., or other
coverings or devices, provided that they permit the automatic entry
and exit of floodwaters.
The following standards shall apply for all construction and
development proposed within any identified floodplain area:
A.
Fill. If fill is used, it shall:
(1)
Extend laterally at least 15 feet beyond the building line from all
points.
(2)
Consist of soil or small rock materials only. Sanitary landfills
shall not be permitted.
(3)
Be compacted to provide the necessary permeability and resistance
to erosion, scouring, or settling.
(4)
Be no steeper than one vertical to three horizontal, unless substantiated
data justifying steeper slopes are submitted to, and approved by,
the floodplain administrator.
(5)
Be used to the extent to which it does not adversely affect adjacent
properties.
B.
Drainage. Storm drainage facilities shall be designed to convey the
flow of stormwater runoff in a safe and efficient manner. The system
shall ensure proper drainage along streets and provide positive drainage
away from buildings where drainage is the method of conveyance utilized.
The system shall also be designed to prevent the discharge of excess
runoff onto adjacent properties.
C.
Water and sanitary sewer facilities and systems.
(1)
All new or replacement water and sanitary sewer facilities and systems
shall be located, designed and constructed to minimize or eliminate
flood damages and the infiltration of floodwaters.
(2)
Sanitary sewer facilities and systems shall be designed to prevent
the discharge of untreated sewage into floodwaters.
(3)
No part of any on-site sewage system shall be located within any
identified floodplain area except in strict compliance with all state
and local regulations for such systems. If any such system is permitted,
it shall be located so as to avoid impairment to it, or contamination
from it, during a flood.
D.
Other utilities. All other utilities, such as gas lines, electrical
and telephone systems, shall be located, elevated (where possible)
and constructed to minimize the chance of impairment during a flood,
according to the requirements, regulations or other procedures established
by the DEP.
E.
Streets. The finished elevation of all new streets shall be no more
than one foot below the regulatory flood elevation.
F.
Storage. All materials that are buoyant, flammable, explosive or, in times of flooding, could be injurious to human, animal, or plant life, and not listed in § 156-27, Development which may endanger human life, shall be stored at or above the regulatory flood elevation and/or floodproofed to the maximum extent possible, to preclude their causing damage to life and property.
G.
Placement of buildings and structures. All buildings and structures
shall be designed, located, and constructed so as to offer the minimum
obstruction to the flow of water and shall be designed to have a minimum
effect upon the flow and height of floodwater. The following shall
not be placed or caused to be placed in identified flood-prone areas:
fences, except two-wire fences, other structures or other matter which
may impede, retard or change the direction of the flow of water, or
that will catch or collect debris carried by such water, or that are
placed where the natural flow of the stream or floodwaters would carry
the same downstream to the damage or detriment of either public or
private property adjacent to the flood-prone areas.
H.
Anchoring.
(1)
All buildings and structures shall be firmly anchored in accordance
with accepted engineering practices to prevent flotation, collapse,
or lateral movement.
(2)
All air ducts, large pipes, storage tanks, and other similar objects
or components located below the regulatory flood elevation shall be
securely anchored or affixed to prevent flotation.
I.
Floors, walls and ceilings.
(1)
Wood flooring used at or below the regulatory flood elevation shall
be installed to accommodate a lateral expansion of the flooring, perpendicular
to the flooring grain, without causing structural damage to the building.
(2)
Plywood used at or below the regulatory flood elevation shall be
of a marine or water-resistant variety.
(3)
Walls and ceilings at or below the regulatory flood elevation shall
be designed and constructed of materials that are water-resistant
and will withstand inundation.
(4)
Windows, doors, and other components at or below the regulatory flood
elevation shall be made of metal or other water-resistant material.
J.
Paints and adhesives.
(1)
Paints or other finishes used at or below the regulatory flood elevation
shall be of a marine or water-resistant quality.
(2)
Adhesives used at or below the regulatory flood elevation shall be
of a marine or water-resistant quality.
(3)
All wooden components (doors, trim cabinets, etc.) shall be finished
with a marine or water-resistant paint or other finishing material.
L.
Equipment. Water heaters, furnaces, air-conditioning and ventilating
units, and other electrical, mechanical, or utility equipment or apparatus
shall not be located below the regulatory flood elevation.
M.
Fuel supply systems. All gas and oil supply systems shall be designed
to prevent the infiltration of floodwaters into the system and discharges
from the system into floodwaters. Additional provisions shall be made
for the drainage of these systems in the event that floodwater infiltration
occurs.
N.
Uniform Construction Code coordination. The standards and specifications
contained in 34 Pa. Code (Chapters 401-405), as amended, and not limited
to the following provisions shall apply to the above and other sections
and subsections of this chapter, to the extent that they are more
restrictive and/or supplement the requirements of this chapter:
(1)
International Building Code (IBC) 2006, or the latest edition thereof:
Sections 801, 1202, 1403, 1603, 1605, 1612, 3402, and Appendix G.
(2)
International Residential Building Code (IRC) 2006, or the latest
edition thereof: Sections R104, R105, R109, R323, Appendix AE101,
Appendix E and Appendix J.
A.
In accordance with the Pennsylvania Flood Plain Management Act, and
the regulations adopted by the DCED as required by the Act, any new
or substantially improved structure which will be used for the production
or storage of any of the following dangerous materials or substances
or which will be used for any activity requiring the maintenance of
a supply (more than 550 gallons or other comparable volume or any
amount of radioactive substances) of any of the following dangerous
materials or substances on the premises shall be subject to the provisions
of this section, in addition to all other applicable provisions:
(1)
Acetone.
(2)
Ammonia.
(3)
Benzene.
(4)
Calcium carbide.
(5)
Carbon disulfide.
(6)
Celluloid.
(7)
Chlorine.
(8)
Hydrochloric acid.
(9)
Hydrocyanic acid.
(10)
Magnesium.
(11)
Nitric acid and oxides of nitrogen.
(12)
Petroleum products (gasoline, fuel oil, etc.).
(13)
Phosphorus.
(14)
Potassium.
(15)
Sodium.
(16)
Sulphur and sulphur products.
(17)
Pesticides (including insecticides, fungicides and rodenticides).
(18)
Radioactive substances, insofar as such substances are not otherwise
regulated.
B.
Within any FW (Floodway Area), any structure of the kind described in Subsection A above shall be prohibited.
C.
Within any Special or Approximate Floodplain Area, any new or substantially improved structure of the kind described in Subsection A above shall be prohibited within the area measured 50 feet landward from the top-of-bank of any watercourse.
D.
Where permitted within any floodplain area, any structure of the kind described in Subsection A above shall be:
E.
Any such structure, or part thereof, that will be built below the
regulatory flood elevation shall be designed and constructed in accordance
with the standards for completely dry floodproofing contained in the
publication "Floodproofing Regulations" (United States Army Corps
of Engineers, June 1972, as amended March 1992), or with some other
equivalent watertight standard.
A.
Within any FW (Floodway Area), manufactured homes shall be prohibited.
B.
Within any Approximate Floodplain or Special Floodplain Area, manufactured
homes shall be prohibited within the area measured 50 feet landward
from the top-of-bank of any watercourse.
C.
Where permitted within any floodplain area, all manufactured homes
and any additions or substantial improvements thereto shall be:
D.
Installation of manufactured homes shall be done in accordance with
the manufacturers' installation instructions as provided by the
manufacturer. Where the applicant cannot provide the above information,
the requirements of Appendix E of the 2006 International Residential
Building Code or the United States Department of Housing and Urban
Development's Permanent Foundations for Manufactured Housing,
1984 Edition, draft or latest revision thereto, shall apply and 34
Pa. Code, Chapters 401-405.
E.
Consideration shall be given to the installation requirements of
the 2006 IBC and the 2006 IRC, or the most-recent revisions thereto,
and 34 Pa. Code, as amended, where appropriate and/or applicable to
units where the manufacturers' standards for anchoring cannot
be provided or were not established for the unit's (units')
proposed installation.
F.
An evacuation plan acceptable to the Swatara Township Director of
Emergency Preparedness indicating alternative vehicular access and
escape routes shall be filed with the Township Building Official for
manufactured home parks.
All subdivision proposals and development proposals containing
at least 50 lots or at least five acres, whichever is the lesser,
in flood hazard areas where base flood elevation data are not available
shall be supported by hydrologic and hydraulic engineering analyses
that determine base flood elevations and floodway information. The
analyses shall be prepared by a licensed professional engineer in
a format required by FEMA for a conditional letter of map revision
or letter of map revision. Submittal requirements and processing fees
shall be the responsibility of the applicant.
