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Town of Raymond, NH
Rockingham County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town of Raymond as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Building construction — See Ch. 113.
Zoning — See Ch. 197.
Certificates of occupancy — See Ch. 214.
Site plan review — See Ch. 295.
Subdivision of land — See Ch. 298.
[Adopted 3-8-1975 ATM by Art. 10]
The Town agrees to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program by directing the Board of Selectmen to complete the eligibility application and submit the required information to the Federal Insurance Administration.
[Adopted 3-8-1988 ATM; amended in its entirety 3-11-1997 OTE by Art. 4]
A. 
This article, adopted pursuant to the authority of New Hampshire RSA 674:16, shall be known as the "Town of Raymond, New Hampshire, Floodplain Development Ordinance". The regulations in this article shall overlay and supplement the regulations in the Town of Raymond Zoning Ordinance, and shall be considered part of the Zoning Ordinance for purposes of administration and appeals under state law. If any provision of this article differs or appears to conflict with any provision of the Zoning Ordinance or other ordinance or regulation, the provision imposing the greater restriction or the more stringent standard shall be controlling.
B. 
The following regulations shall apply to all lands designated as special flood hazard areas by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in its Flood Insurance Study for the Town of Raymond, New Hampshire, dated October 19, 1990, together with the associated Flood Insurance Rate Maps and Flood Boundary and Floodway Maps, dated May 2, 1995, and any subsequent revisions thereof which are declared to be a part of this article.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
AREA OF SHALLOW FLOODING
A designated AO or AHD Zone on a community's Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) with a 1% or greater annual chance of flooding to an average depth of one to three 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
The land in the floodplain within a community subject to a 1% or greater chance of flooding in any given year. The area may be designated as Zone A on the 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, A1-30, AE or A99.
BASE FLOOD
The flood having a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year.
BASEMENT
Any area of the building having its floor subgrade (below ground level) on all sides.
BREAKAWAY WALL
A wall that is not part of the structural support of the building and 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.
BUILDING
See "structure."
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.
FEMA
The Federal Emergency Management Agency.
FLOOD BOUNDARY AND FLOODWAY MAP (FLOODWAY)
An official map of the community, on which the Federal Emergency Management Agency has delineated the regulatory floodway. This map should not be used to determine the correct flood hazard zone or base flood elevation; the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) will be used to make determinations of flood hazard zones and base flood elevations.
FLOOD ELEVATION STUDY
An examination, evaluation and determination of flood hazards and, if appropriate, corresponding water surface elevations, or an examination, evaluation and determination of mudslide (i.e., mudflow) and/or flood-related erosion hazards.
FLOOD or FLOODING
A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from:
A. 
The overflow of inland or tidal waters; or
B. 
The unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source.
FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAP (FIRM)
An official map of a community, incorporated with this article, on which the Federal Emergency Management Agency has delineated both the special hazard areas and the risk premium zones applicable to the community.
FLOOD INSURANCE STUDY
See "flood elevation study."
FLOODPLAIN or FLOOD-PRONE AREA
Any land area susceptible to being inundated by water from any source.
FLOODPROOFING
Any combination of structural and nonstructural additions, changes, or adjustments to structures which reduces or eliminates flood damage to real estate or improved real property, water and sanitary facilities, structures and their contents.
FLOODWAY
See "regulatory floodway."
FUNCTIONALLY DEPENDENT USE
A use which cannot perform its intended purpose unless it is located or carried out in close proximity to water. The term includes only docking and port facilities that are necessary for the loading/unloading of cargo or passengers, and ship building/repair facilities but does not include long-term storage or related manufacturing facilities.
HIGHEST ADJACENT GRADE
The highest natural elevation of the ground surface prior to construction next to the proposed walls of a structure.
HISTORIC STRUCTURE
Any structure that is:
A. 
Listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places (a listing maintained by the Department of the 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 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 of historic places in communities with historic preservation programs that have been certified either:
(1) 
By an approved state program as determined by the Secretary of the Interior; or
(2) 
Directly by the Secretary of the Interior in states without approved programs.
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, provided that such enclosure is not built so as to render the structure in violation of the applicable nonelevation design requirements of this article.
MANUFACTURED 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 connected to the required utilities. For floodplain management purposes, the term "manufactured home" also includes park trailers, travel trailers, and other similar vehicles placed on a site for greater than 180 consecutive days.
MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION
A parcel (or contiguous parcels) of land divided into two or more manufactured home lots for rent or sale.
MEAN SEA LEVEL
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.
ONE-HUNDRED-YEAR FLOOD
See "base flood."
RECREATIONAL VEHICLE
A vehicle which is built on a single chassis; 400 square feet or less when measured at the largest horizontal projection; designed to be self-propelled or permanently towable by a light-duty truck; and designed primarily not for use as a permanent dwelling but as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel or seasonal use.
REGULATORY 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 increasing the water surface elevation. These areas are designated as floodways on the Flood Boundary and Floodway Maps.
RIVERINE
Relating to, formed by, or resembling a river (including tributaries), stream, brook, etc.
SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD AREA
An area having special flood, mudslide (i.e., mudflow) and/or flood-related erosion hazards, and shown on an FHBM or FIRM as Zone A, AO, A1-30, AE, A99, and AH. (See "area of special flood hazard.")
START OF CONSTRUCTION
Includes substantial improvement, and means the date the building permit was issued, provided the actual start of construction, repair, reconstruction, 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 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 a 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.
STRUCTURE
For floodplain management purposes, a walled and rooted building, including a gas or liquid storage tank, that is principally aboveground, as well as a manufactured home.
SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE
Damage of any origin sustained by a structure whereby the cost of restoring the structure to its before-damaged condition would equal or exceed 50% of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred.
SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT
Any combination of repairs, reconstruction, alteration, or improvements to a structure in which the cumulative cost equals or exceeds 50% of the market value of the structure. The market value of the structure should be the appraised value of the structure prior to the start of the initial repair or improvement, or in the case of damage, the value of the structure prior to the damage occurring. 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. This term includes structures which have incurred substantial damage, regardless of actual repair work performed. The term does not, however, include any project or improvement of a structure required to comply with existing health, sanitary, or safety code specifications which are solely necessary to assure safe living conditions or any alteration of a historic structure, provided that the alteration will not preclude the structure's continued designation as a historic structure.
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.
All proposed development in any special flood hazard areas shall require a permit.
The Building Inspector shall review all building permit applications for new construction or substantial improvements to determine whether proposed building sites will be reasonably safe from flooding. If a proposed building site is in a flood-prone area, all new construction and 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; be constructed with materials resistant to flood damage; be constructed by methods and practices that minimize flood damages; and 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.
Where new and replacement water and sewer systems (including on-site systems) are proposed in flood prone areas, the applicant shall provide the Building Inspector with assurance that new and replacement sanitary sewage systems will be designed to minimize or eliminate infiltration of floodwaters into the systems and discharges from the systems into floodwater, and on-site waste disposal systems will be located to avoid impairment to them or contamination from them during periods of flooding.
For all new or substantially improved structures located in Zones A, A1-30, AE or AH, the applicant shall furnish the following information to the Building Inspector:
A. 
The as-built elevation (in relation to NGVD) of the lowest floor (including basement) and include whether or not such structures contain a basement;
B. 
If the structure has been floodproofed, the as-built elevation (in relation to NGVD) to which the structure was floodproofed; and
C. 
Any certification of floodproofing.
The Building Inspector shall not grant a building permit until the applicant certifies that all necessary permits have been received from those governmental agencies from which approval is required by Federal or State Law, including Section 404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, 33 U.S.C. 1334.
A. 
In riverine situations, prior to the alteration or relocation of a watercourse, the applicant for such authorization shall notify the Wetlands Board of the New Hampshire Environmental Services Department and submit copies of such notification to the Building Inspector. Further, the applicant shall be required to submit copies of said notification to those adjacent communities as determined by the Building Inspector including notice of all hearings before the Wetlands Board.
B. 
The applicant shall submit to the Building Inspector certification provided by a registered professional engineer assuring that the flood-carrying capacity of an altered or relocated watercourse can and will be maintained.
C. 
Along watercourses that have not had a regulatory floodway designated, no new construction, substantial improvements or other development (including fill) shall be permitted within Zones M-30 and AE on the FIRM, unless it is demonstrated by the applicant 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.
A. 
In special flood hazard areas, the Building Inspector shall determine the one-hundred-year-flood elevation in the following order of precedence according to the data available:
(1) 
In Zones A1-30, AE and AH, refer to the elevation data provided in the community's Flood Insurance Study and accompanying FIRM or FHBM.
(2) 
In unnumbered A zones the Building Inspector shall obtain, review, and reasonably utilize any one-hundred-year-flood elevation data available from federal, state or other sources, including data for development proposals submitted to the community (for example, subdivisions, site approvals, etc.).
(3) 
In Zone AO, the one-hundred-year-flood elevation is determined by adding the elevation of the highest adjacent grade to the depth number specified on the FIRM or, if no depth number is specified on the FIRM, at least two feet.
B. 
The Building Inspector's one-hundred-year-flood elevation determination will be used as criteria for requiring in Zones A1-30, AE, AN, AO and A that:
(1) 
All new construction and substantial improvements of residential structures have the lowest floor (including basement) elevated to or above the one-hundred-year-flood level.
(2) 
All new construction and substantial improvements of nonresidential structures have the lowest floor (including basement) elevated to or above the one-hundred-year-flood level or, together with attendant utility and sanitary facilities, shall:
(a) 
Be floodproofed so that below the one-hundred-year-flood elevation the structure is watertight with walls substantially impermeable to the passage of water;
(b) 
Have structural components capable of resisting hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and the effects of buoyancy; and
(c) 
Be certified by a registered professional engineer or architect that the design and methods of construction are in accordance with accepted standards of practice for meeting the provisions of this section.
(3) 
All manufactured homes to be placed or substantially improved within special flood hazard areas shall be elevated on a permanent foundation such that the lowest floor of the manufactured home is at or above the base flood level and is securely 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.
(4) 
For all new construction and substantial improvements, fully enclosed areas below the lowest floor that are subject to flooding are permitted, providing the enclosed areas meet the following requirements: the enclosed area is unfinished or flood resistant, usable solely for parking of vehicles, building access or storage; the area is not a basement; shall be designed to automatically equalize hydrostatic flood forces on exterior walls by allowing for the entry and exit of floodwaters. Designs for meeting this requirement must either be certified by a registered professional engineer or architect or must meet or exceed the following minimum criteria:
(a) 
A minimum of two openings having a total net area of not less than one square inch for every square foot of enclosed area subject to flooding shall be provided.
(b) 
The bottom of all openings shall be no greater than one foot above grade.
(c) 
Openings may be equipped with screens, louvers, or other coverings or devices, provided that they permit the automatic entry and exit of floodwaters.
(5) 
Proposed structures to be located on slopes in special flood hazard areas, Zones AH and AD, shall include adequate drainage paths to guide floodwaters around and away from the proposed structures.
C. 
Recreational vehicles placed on sites within Zones A1-30, AH, and AE shall either be on the site for fewer than 180 consecutive days; be fully licensed and ready for highway use; or meet all standards of Section 60.3(b)(1) of the National Flood Insurance Program Regulations and the elevation and anchoring requirements for manufactured homes in Paragraph (c)(6) of Section 60.3.
A. 
Any order, requirement, decision or determination of the Building Inspector made under this article may be appealed to the Zoning Board of Adjustment as set forth in RSA 676:5.
B. 
If the applicant, upon appeal, requests a variance as authorized by RSA 674:33 I(b), in determining whether or not any variance will be contrary to the spirit of this article, the Board of Adjustment shall consider the following:
(1) 
That the variance will not result in increased flood heights, additional threats to public safety, or extraordinary public expense;
(2) 
That, if the requested variance is for activity within a designated regulatory floodway, no increase in flood levels during the base flood discharge will result; and
(3) 
That the variance is the minimum necessary, considering the flood hazard, to afford relief.
C. 
The Zoning Board of Adjustment shall notify the applicant in writing that the issuance of a variance to construct below the base flood level will result in increased premium rates for flood insurance up to amounts as high as $25 for $100 of insurance coverage and such construction below the base flood level increases risks to life and property. Such notification shall be maintained with a record of all variance actions.
D. 
The community shall maintain a record of all variance actions, including the justification for their issuance; and report such variances issued in its annual or biennial report submitted to FEMA'S Federal Insurance Administrator.