[Ord. No. 8101 §1, 12-8-2014]
A. Statutory Authorization. The Legislature of the
State of Missouri has, in RSMo. 89.020, delegated the responsibility
to local governmental units to adopt floodplain management regulations
designed to protect the health, safety, and general welfare. Therefore,
the City Council of the City of Florissant, Missouri, ordains as follows.
B. Findings Of Fact.
1.
Flood losses resulting from periodic inundation. The special flood hazard areas of the City of Florissant, Missouri,
are subject to inundation which results in loss of life and property,
health and safety hazards, disruption of commerce and governmental
services, extraordinary public expenditures for flood protection and
relief, and impairment of the tax base, all of which adversely affect
the public health, safety and general welfare.
2.
General causes of the flood losses. These flood
losses are caused by:
a.
The cumulative effect of development in any delineated floodplain
causing increases in flood heights and velocities; and
b.
The occupancy of flood hazard areas by uses vulnerable to floods,
hazardous to others, inadequately elevated, or otherwise unprotected
from flood damages.
3.
Methods used to analyze flood hazards. The
Flood Insurance Study (FIS) that is the basis of this Chapter uses
a standard engineering method of analyzing flood hazards which consist
of a series of interrelated steps:
a.
Selection of a base flood that is based upon engineering calculations
which permit a consideration of such flood factors as its expected
frequency of occurrence, the area inundated, and the depth of inundation.
The base flood selected for this Chapter is representative of large
floods which are characteristic of what can be expected to occur on
the particular streams subject to this Chapter. It is in the general
order of a flood which could be expected to have a one-percent chance
of occurrence in any one (1) year, as delineated on the Federal Insurance
Administrator's FIS, and illustrative materials for St. Louis
County dated February 4, 2015, as amended, and any future revisions
thereto.
b.
Calculation of water surface profiles are based on a standard
hydraulic engineering analysis of the capacity of the stream channel
and overbank areas to convey the regulatory flood.
c.
Computation of a floodway required to convey this flood without
increasing flood heights more than one (1) foot at any point.
d.
Delineation of floodway encroachment lines within which no development
is permitted that would cause any increase in flood height.
e.
Delineation of flood fringe, i.e., that area outside the floodway
encroachment lines but still subject to inundation by the base flood.
C. Statement Of Purpose. It is the purpose of this Chapter to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare; to minimize those losses described in Section
415.010(B)(1); to establish or maintain the community's eligibility for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) as defined in 44 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 59.22(a)(3); and to meet the requirements of 44 CFR 60.3(d) by applying the provisions of this Chapter to:
1.
Restrict or prohibit uses that are dangerous to health, safety,
or property in times of flooding or cause undue increases in flood
heights or velocities;
2.
Require that uses vulnerable to floods, including public facilities
that serve such uses, be provided with flood protection at the time
of initial construction; and
3.
Protect individuals from buying lands that are unsuited for
the intended development purposes due to the flood hazard.
Violation of the provisions of this Chapter or failure to comply
with any of its requirements (including violations of conditions and
safeguards established in connection with granting of variances) shall
constitute a misdemeanor. Any person who violates this Chapter or
fails to comply with any of its requirements shall, upon conviction
thereof, be fined not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00),
and, in addition, shall pay all costs and expenses involved in the
case. Each day such violation continues shall be considered a separate
offense. Nothing herein contained shall prevent the City of Florissant
or other appropriate authority from taking such other lawful action
as is necessary to prevent or remedy any violation.
The regulations, restrictions, and boundaries set forth in this
Chapter may, from time to time, be amended, supplemented, changed,
or appealed to reflect any and all changes in the National Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973; provided, however, that no such action may
be taken until after a public hearing in relation thereto, at which
parties of interest and citizens shall have an opportunity to be heard.
Notice of the time and place of such hearing shall be published in
a newspaper of general circulation in the City of Florissant, and
at least twenty (20) days shall elapse between the date of this publication
and the public hearing. A copy of such amendments will be provided
to the Region VII office of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA). The regulations of this Chapter are in compliance with the
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) regulations.
Unless specifically defined below, words or phrases used in
this Chapter shall be interpreted so as to give them the same meanings
they have in common usage and to give this Chapter its most reasonable
application.
AGENCY
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
AGRICULTURAL STRUCTURE
Any structure used exclusively in connection with the production,
harvesting, storage, drying, or raising of agricultural commodities.
APPEAL
A request for review of the floodplain administrator's
interpretation of any provision of this Chapter or a request for a
variance.
APPURTENANT STRUCTURE
A structure that is on the same parcel of property as the
principal structure to be insured and the use of which is incidental
to the use of the principal structure.
AREA OF SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD
The land in the floodplain within a community subject to
a one-percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year.
BASE FLOOD
The flood having a one-percent chance of being equaled or
exceeded in any given year.
BASEMENT
Any area of the structure having its floor subgrade (below
ground level) on all sides.
COMMUNITY
Any State or area or political subdivision thereof, which
has authority to adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations
for the areas within its jurisdiction.
DEVELOPMENT
Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate,
including but not limited to buildings or other structures, levees,
levee systems, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation
or drilling operations, or storage of equipment or materials.
ELEVATED BUILDING
For insurance purposes, a non-basement building which has
its lowest elevated floor raised above ground level by foundation
walls, shear walls, posts, piers, pilings, or columns.
EXISTING CONSTRUCTION
For the purposes of determining rates, structures for which
the "start of construction" commenced before the effective date of
the FIRM or before January 1, 1975, for FIRMs effective before that
date. "Existing construction" may also be referred to as "existing
structures."
EXISTING MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION
A manufactured home park or subdivision for which the construction
of facilities for servicing the lots on which the manufactured homes
are to be affixed (including, at a minimum, the installation of utilities,
the construction of streets, and either final site grading or the
pouring of concrete pads) is completed before the effective date of
the floodplain management regulations adopted by a community.
EXPANSION TO AN EXISTING MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION
The preparation of additional sites by the construction of
facilities for servicing the lots on which the manufactured homes
are to be affixed (including the installation of utilities, the construction
of streets, and either final site grading or the pouring of concrete
pads).
FLOOD ELEVATION DETERMINATION
A determination by the Administrator of the water surface
elevations of the base flood, that is, the flood level that has a
one-percent or greater chance of occurrence in any given year.
FLOOD FRINGE
The area outside the floodway encroachment lines but still
subject to inundation by the regulatory flood.
FLOOD HAZARD BOUNDARY MAP (FHBM)
An official map of a community, issued by the Administrator,
where the boundaries of the flood areas having special flood hazards
have been designated as (unnumbered or numbered) A Zones.
FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAP (FIRM)
An official map of a community, on which the Administrator
has delineated both the special flood hazard areas and the risk premium
zones applicable to the community.
FLOOD INSURANCE STUDY (FIS)
An examination, evaluation and determination of flood hazards
and, if appropriate, corresponding water surface elevations.
FLOOD or FLOODING
A general and temporary condition of partial or complete
inundation of normally dry land areas from:
1.
The overflow of inland waters; and/or
2.
The unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters
from any source.
FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT
The operation of an overall program of corrective and preventive
measures for reducing flood damage, including but not limited to emergency
preparedness plans, flood control works, and floodplain management
regulations.
FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS
Zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations, building codes,
health regulations, special purpose ordinances (such as floodplain
and grading ordinances) and other applications of police power. The
term describes such State or local regulations, in any combination
thereof, that provide standards for the purpose of flood damage prevention
and reduction.
FLOODPROOFING
Any combination of structural and non-structural additions,
changes, or adjustments to structures that reduce or eliminate flood
damage to real estate or improved real property, water and sanitary
facilities, or structures and their contents.
FLOODWAY or 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 cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation more than
one (1) foot.
FREEBOARD
A factor of safety usually expressed in feet above a flood
level for purposes of floodplain management. "Freeboard" tends to
compensate for the many unknown factors that could contribute to flood
heights greater than the height calculated for a selected size flood
and floodway conditions, such as bridge openings and the hydrological
effect of urbanization of the watershed.
FUNCTIONALLY DEPENDENT USE
A use that cannot perform its intended purpose unless it
is located or carried out in close proximity to water. This term includes
only docking facilities and facilities that are necessary for the
loading and unloading of cargo or passengers 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:
1.
Listed individually on 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;
2.
Certified or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the
Interior as contributing to the historical significance of a registered
historic district or a district preliminarily determined by the Secretary
to qualify as a registered historic district;
3.
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
4.
Individually listed on a local inventory of historic places
in communities with historic preservation programs that have been
certified either:
a.
By an approved State program as determined by the Secretary
of the Interior; or
b.
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 floodproofing design requirements of this
Chapter.
MANUFACTURED HOME
A structure, transportable in one (1) or more sections, that
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."
MAP
The Flood Hazard Boundary Map (FHBM), Flood Insurance Rate
Map (FIRM), or the Flood Boundary and Floodway Map (FBFM) for a community
issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
MEAN SEA LEVEL
For purposes of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP),
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 (FIRM) are referenced.
NEW CONSTRUCTION
For the purposes of determining insurance rates, structures
for which the "start of construction" commenced on or after the effective
date of an initial FIRM or after December 31, 1974, whichever is later,
and includes any subsequent improvements to such structures. For floodplain
management purposes, "new construction" means structures for which
the "start of construction" commenced on or after the effective date
of the floodplain management regulations adopted by a community and
includes any subsequent improvements to such structures.
NEW MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION
A manufactured home park or subdivision for which the construction
of facilities for servicing the lot on which the manufactured homes
are to be affixed (including, at a minimum, the installation of utilities,
the construction of streets, and either final site grading or the
pouring of concrete pads) is completed on or after the effective date
of floodplain management regulations adopted by the community.
(NFIP)
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
PARTICIPATING COMMUNITY
Also known as an "eligible community," means a community
in which the Administrator has authorized the sale of flood insurance.
PERSON
Includes any individual or group of individuals, corporation,
partnership, association, or any other entity, including Federal,
State, and local governments and agencies.
RECREATIONAL VEHICLE
A vehicle which is:
1.
Built on a single chassis;
2.
Four hundred (400) square feet or less when measured at the
largest horizontal projections;
3.
Designed to be self-propelled or permanently towable 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.
REMEDY A VIOLATION
To bring the structure or other development into compliance
with Federal, State, or local floodplain management regulations or,
if this is not possible, to reduce the impacts of its noncompliance.
REPETITIVE LOSS
Flood-related damages sustained by a structure on two (2)
separate occasions during a ten-year period for which the cost of
repairs at the time of each such flood event equals or exceeds twenty-five
percent (25%) of the market value of the structure before the damage
occurred.
RISK PREMIUM RATES
Those rates established by the Administrator pursuant to
individual community studies and investigations which are undertaken
to provide flood insurance in accordance with Section 1307 of the
National Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 and the accepted actuarial
principles. "Risk premium rates" include provisions for operating
costs and allowances.
SPECIAL HAZARD AREA
An area having special flood hazards and shown on an FHBM,
FIRM or FBFM as Zones (unnumbered or numbered) A and AE.
START OF CONSTRUCTION
Includes substantial improvements and means the date the
building permit was issued, provided the actual start of construction,
repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition placement, or other
improvements was within one hundred eighty (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 slabs
or footings, the installation of piles, the construction of columns,
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, the installation
of streets and/or walkways, excavation for a basement, footings, piers,
or foundations, the erection of temporary forms, nor installation
on the property of accessory structures, such as garages or sheds
not occupied as dwelling units or not part of the main structure.
For a substantial improvement, the "actual start of construction"
means the first alteration of any wall, ceiling, floor, or other structural
part of a building, whether or not that alteration affects the external
dimensions of the building.
STATE COORDINATING AGENCY
That agency of the State government or other office designated
by the Governor of the State or by State statute at the request of
the Administrator to assist in the implementation of the National
Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in that State.
STRUCTURE
For floodplain management purposes, a walled and roofed building,
including a gas or liquid storage tank, that is principally above
ground, as well as a manufactured home. "Structure," for insurance
purposes, means a walled and roofed building, other than a gas or
liquid storage tank, that is principally above ground and affixed
to a permanent site, as well as a manufactured home on a permanent
foundation. For the latter purpose, the term includes a building while
in the course of construction, alteration or repair but does not include
building materials or supplies intended for use in such construction,
alteration or repair, unless such materials or supplies are within
an enclosed building on the premises.
SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE
1.
Damage of any origin sustained by a structure whereby the cost
of restoring the structure to its before-damaged condition would equal
or exceed fifty percent (50%) of the market value of the structure
before the damage occurred. The term includes repetitive loss buildings
(see definition).
2.
For the purposes of this definition, "repair" is considered
to occur when the first repair or reconstruction of any wall, ceiling,
floor, or other structural part of the building commences.
3.
The term does not apply to:
a.
Any project for improvement of a building required to comply
with existing health, sanitary, or safety code specifications which
have been identified by the Code Enforcement Official and which are
solely necessary to assure safe living conditions; or
b.
Any alteration of an "historic structure," provided that the
alteration will not preclude the structure's continued designation
as an "historic structure;" or
c.
Any improvement to a building.
SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT
1.
Any combination of reconstruction, alteration, or improvement
to a building, which equals or exceeds fifty percent (50%) of the
current market value of the building. For the purposes of this definition,
an improvement occurs 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 building.
This term includes structures which have incurred "repetitive loss"
or "substantial damage," regardless of the actual repair work done.
2.
The term does not apply to:
a.
Any project for improvement of a building required to comply
with existing health, sanitary, or safety code specifications which
have been identified by the Code Enforcement Official and which are
solely necessary to assure safe living conditions; or
b.
Any alteration of an "historic structure," provided that the
alteration will not preclude the structure's continued designation
as an "historic structure;" or
c.
Any building that has been damaged from any source or is categorized
as repetitive loss.
VARIANCE
A grant of relief by the community from the terms of a floodplain
management regulation. Flood insurance requirements remain in place
for any varied use or structure and cannot be varied by the community.
VIOLATION
The failure of a structure or other development to be fully
compliant with the community's floodplain management regulations.
A structure or other development without the elevation certificate,
other certifications, or other evidence of compliance required by
this Chapter is presumed to be in violation until such time as that
documentation is provided.
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 floodplain.