[Ord. 2015-04, 10/13/2015]
1.
The identified floodplain area shall be:
A.
Any areas of Manchester Township classified as special flood hazard
areas (SFHAs) in the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) and the accompanying
Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), dated December 16, 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; and
B.
Any community-identified flood hazard areas.
2.
The above-referenced FIS and FIRMs, and any subsequent revisions
and amendments, are hereby adopted by Manchester Township and declared
to be a part of this chapter.
[Ord. 2015-04, 10/13/2015]
1.
The identified floodplain area shall consist of the following specific
areas:
A.
The Floodway Area shall be those areas identified in the FIS and
the FIRM as Floodway and which represent the channel of a watercourse
and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge
the base flood without increasing the water surface elevation 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 and FIRM.
(1)
Within any Floodway Area, no encroachments, including fill,
new construction, substantial improvements, or other development,
shall 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 community during the occurrence of the
base flood discharge.
(2)
Within any Floodway Area, no new construction or development
shall be allowed, unless the appropriate permit is obtained from the
Department of Environmental Protection's 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.
(2)
AE Area without 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 but no floodway has been
determined.
(a)
No permit shall be granted for any construction, development,
use, or activity within any AE Area/District without floodway unless
it is demonstrated that the cumulative effect of the proposed development
would not, together with all other existing and anticipated development,
increase the BFE at any point.
(b)
No new construction or development shall be located within the
area measured 50 feet landward from the top-of-bank of any watercourse,
unless the appropriate permit is obtained from the Department of Environmental
Protection's regional office.
C.
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
base flood elevations have been provided. For these 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.
(1)
In lieu of the above, the applicant must 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 municipality.
D.
The AO and AH 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
on slopes.
E.
Community-identified flood hazard areas shall be those areas where
Manchester 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.
[Ord. 2015-04, 10/13/2015]
1.
The identified floodplain area may be revised or modified by the
Board of Supervisors where studies or information provided by a qualified
agency or person documents the need for such revision. However, prior
to any such change to the special flood hazard area, approval must
be obtained from FEMA.
2.
Additionally, as soon as practicable, but not later than six months
after the date such information becomes available, a community shall
notify FEMA of the changes to the special flood hazard area by submitting
technical or scientific data.
[Ord. 2015-04, 10/13/2015]
Should a dispute concerning any identified floodplain boundary
arise, an initial determination shall be made by Manchester Township,
and any party aggrieved by this decision or determination may appeal
to the Board of Supervisors. The burden of proof shall be on the appellant.
[Ord. 2015-04, 10/13/2015]
Prior to development occurring in areas where annexation or
other corporate boundary changes are proposed or have occurred, the
community shall review flood hazard data affecting the lands subject
to boundary changes. The community shall adopt and enforce floodplain
regulations in areas subject to annexation or corporate boundary changes
which meet or exceed those in 44 CFR 60.3.
