Definitions. The following definitions are provided for use in conjunction with the flood hazard area provisions of §
190-70 of these Regulations. The definitions in this section shall be utilized only for issues involving flood hazard areas.
BASE FLOOD
The flood having a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded
in any given year.
BASEMENT
That portion of a building having its floor sub-grade (below
ground level) on all sides.
DEVELOPMENT
Any man-made change to improved or 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.
FLOOD HAZARD AREA
The land within a community subject to a 1% or greater chance
of flooding in any given year. Flood hazard areas include areas subject
to 100-year flooding as shown on the Federal Emergency Management
Agency "Flood Insurance Study," "Floodway" and "Flood Insurance Rate
Maps" effective January 2, 1981 and further revisions. The maps and
study are adopted by reference and declared to be part of this regulation.
FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAP (FIRM)
An official map of a community on which the Federal Emergency
Management Agency has delineated both the areas of special flood hazard
and the risk premium zones applicable to the community.
FLOOD INSURANCE STUDY (FIS)
The official report from the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA), which contains examination, evaluation and determination
of flood hazards and, if appropriate, corresponding water surface
elevations.
FLOOD-PROOFED
Is defined as water-tight with walls substantially impermeable
to the passage of water and with structural components having the
capability of resisting hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and the
effects of buoyancy.
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
one foot.
LOWEST FLOOR
The lowest floor of the lowest enclosed area (including basement).
An unfinished or flood-resistant enclosure, usable solely for parking
of vehicles, building access or storage, in an area other than a basement
area is not considered a building's lowest floor.
MANUFACTURED HOME (also known as "mobile 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 attached to the required utilities. The
term "manufactured home" does not include a "recreational vehicle."
NEW CONSTRUCTION
Structures for which the "start of construction" commenced
on or after the effective date of the initial FIRM (January 2, 1981)
and includes any subsequent improvements to such structures.
RECREATIONAL VEHICLE (also known as a "trailer")
A vehicle which is:
(1)
Built on a single chassis;
(2)
Four hundred square feet or less when measured at the longest
horizontal projections;
(3)
Designed to be self-propelled or permanently tow able by a light-duty
truck; and
(4)
Designed primarily not for use as a permanent dwelling, but
as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel or
seasonal use.
START of CONSTRUCTION
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 of the permit date. The actual start
means either the first placement of permanent construction of a structure
on a site, or any work beyond the stage of excavation. For a substantial
improvement, the actual start of construction means the first alteration
of the building, whether or not that alteration affects the external
dimensions of the building.
SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT
(1)
Any combination of repairs, reconstruction, alteration, or improvements
to a structure taking place over a one-year period, in which the cumulative
cost equals or exceeds 50% of the market value of the structure. The
market value of the structure should be:
(a)
The appraised value of the structure (using the cost approach
to value method) prior to the start of the initial repair or improvement;
or
(b)
In the case of damage, the value of the structure prior to the
damage occurring.
(2)
For the purposes of this definition, "substantial improvement"
is considered to occur when the first alteration of any wall, ceiling,
floor, or other structural part of the building commences, whether
or not that alteration affects the external dimensions of the structure.
The term does not, however, include any project for improvement of
a structure required to comply with existing health, sanitary, or
safety code specifications, which are solely necessary to assure safe
living conditions.
(3)
Use of the above-noted cost approach to value method to determine
market value is based on the value of the bare land plus the depreciated
replacement cost of the structure, using current rates for material,
equipment, and labor. It generally results in the highest market value
for the property.
WATER SURFACE ELEVATION
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.