A.
The identified floodplain area shall be:
(1)
Any areas of the Township classified as special flood hazard areas
(SFHAs) in the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) and the accompanying Flood
Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) dated August 17, 2015, and issued by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or the most recent revision
thereof, including all digital data developed as part of the Flood
Insurance Study; or
(2)
Any community-identified flood hazard areas.
B.
The above-referenced FIS and FIRMs, and any subsequent revisions
and amendments, are hereby adopted by the Township and declared to
be a part of this chapter.
The identified floodplain area shall consist of the following
specific areas:
A.
The Floodway Area/District identified as floodway in the FIS which
represents the channel of a watercourse and the adjacent land areas
that must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood without
cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation by more than one
foot at any point. This term shall also include floodway areas which
have been identified in other available studies or sources of information
for those special flood hazard areas where no floodway has been identified
in the FIS.
(1)
Within any floodway area, encroachments, including fill, new construction,
substantial improvements, or other development shall not be permitted
unless it has been demonstrated through hydrologic and hydraulic analysis
performed in accordance with standard engineering practice that the
proposed encroachment would not result in any increase in flood levels
within the Township during the occurrence of base flood discharge.
(2)
No new construction or development shall be allowed unless a permit
is obtained from the Department of Environmental Protection Regional
Office.
B.
The AE Area/District shall be those areas identified as an AE Zone
on the FIRM included in the FIS prepared by FEMA for which base flood
elevations have been provided.
(1)
The AE Area adjacent to the floodway shall be those areas identified
as an AE Zone on the FIRM included in the FIS prepared by FEMA for
which base flood elevations have been provided and a floodway has
been delineated.
C.
A Area/District.
(1)
The A Area/District shall be those areas identified as an A Zone
on the FIRM included in the FIS prepared by FEMA and for which no
one-percent annual flood elevations have been provided. For those
areas, elevation and floodway information from other federal, state
or other acceptable sources shall be used when available. Where other
acceptable information is not available, the base flood elevation
shall be determined by using the elevation of a point on the boundary
of the identified floodplain area which is nearest the construction
site.
(2)
In lieu of the above, the Township, upon notice to the applicant,
may allow/require the applicant to determine the elevation with hydrologic
and hydraulic engineering techniques. Hydrologic and hydraulic analyses
shall be undertaken only by professional engineers or others of demonstrated
qualifications, who shall certify that the technical methods used
correctly reflect currently accepted technical concepts. Studies,
analyses, computations, etc., shall be submitted in sufficient detail
to allow a thorough technical review by the Township.
D.
The Shallow Flooding Area/District shall be those areas identified
as Zones AO and AH on the FIRM and in the FIS. These areas are subject
to inundation by one-percent annual chance shallow flooding where
average depths are between one and three feet. In Zones AO and AH,
drainage paths shall be established to guide floodwaters around and
away from structures and slopes.
E.
Community identified flood hazard areas shall be those areas where
the municipality has identified local flood hazard or ponding areas,
as delineated and adopted on a local flood hazard map using best available
topographic data and locally derived information such as flood of
record, historic high-water marks, soils or approximate study methodologies.
Community-identified flood hazard areas shall be those areas
where the Township has identified local flood hazard or ponding areas,
as delineated and adopted on a local flood hazard map using best available
topographic data and locally derived information such as flood of
record, historic high-water marks, soils or approximate study methodologies.
The identified floodplain area may be revised or modified by
the Township where studies or information provided by a qualified
agency or person documents the need for such revision. However, prior
to any such change, approval must be obtained from FEMA. Additionally,
as soon as practicable, but not later than six months after the date
such information becomes available, the Township shall notify FEMA
of the changes by submitting technical or scientific data.
In the event that an applicant seeks to dispute any identified
floodplain boundary, said applicant may appeal said determination
to the Township Zoning Hearing Board within 30 days after such decision
is rendered. The burden of proof shall be on the appellant.
Prior to development occurring in areas where annexation or
other corporate boundary changes are proposed or have occurred, the
Township shall review flood hazard data affecting the lands subject
to boundary changes. The Township shall adopt and enforce floodplain
regulations in areas subject to annexation or corporate boundary changes
which meet or exceed those in CFR 44 60.3.
