The purpose of this chapter is to ensure public safety; minimize hazards to persons and property from flooding, to protect watercourses from encroachment, and to maintain the capability of floodplains to retain and carry off floodwaters. The Town of Coventry elects to comply with the requirements of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (P.L. 90-488, as amended).[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 42 U.S.C. § 4001 et seq.
A. 
Floodplain overlay district; boundaries.
[Amended 3-31-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-1; 7-11-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-1]
(1) 
The special flood hazard areas are herein established as a floodplain overlay district. The district includes all special flood hazard areas with the Town of Coventry designated as Zone A, AE, AH, AO, A99 or VE on the Kent County Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and digital FIRM issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the administration of the National Flood Insurance Program. The map panels of the Kent County FIRM that are wholly or partially within the Town of Coventry are shown in Table 1:
Table 1
FEMA FIRM Map Panel
Effective Date
44003C0060H
July 19, 2023
44003C0070J
July 19, 2023
44003C0080H
July 19, 2023
44003C0090J
July 19, 2023
(2) 
The exact boundaries of the district may be defined by the 1% base flood elevations shown on the FIRM and further defined by the Kent County Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report dated July 19, 2023. The FIRM and FIS report and any revisions thereto are incorporated herein by reference and are on file with the Planning Department.
B. 
The requirements of Chapter 131 shall apply to any construction which lies partly or wholly within an area of special flood hazard on the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and Flood Hazard Boundary Map prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as heretofore set forth. Said Flood Map, including any amendments adopted after the date hereof, is hereby made part of this chapter.
The degree of flood protection required by this chapter is considered reasonable but does not imply total flood protection.
The requirements set forth in this chapter shall be in addition to any other applicable requirements of the Town, state or federal law and any other regulation which may be applicable. Where this chapter imposes a greater restriction, the provisions of this chapter shall control.