In addition to the purpose and statement of community development
objectives found in this Zoning Code, the specific intent of the "FP"
Floodplain Conservation District shall be to protect areas of floodplain
subject to and necessary for the containment of floodwaters, and to
permit and encourage the retention of open space land uses which will
be so located and utilized as to constitute a harmonious and appropriate
aspect of the continuing physical development of the Township. Furthermore,
in light of the Township's certification as eligible for federal
flood insurance, it is the intent of such District to provide adequate
protection for flood-prone properties within the Township. In advancing
these principles and the general purpose of this Zoning Code and the
Comprehensive Plan, the following shall be specific objectives of
the "FP" Floodplain Conservation District:
(a) Protect areas of the floodplain necessary to contain floodwaters.
(b) To permit only those uses in the floodplain that are compatible with
preserving natural conditions and stream flow.
(c) Promote the general health, welfare, and safety of the Township by
preventing development in areas prone to flooding.
(d) Encourage the utilization of appropriate construction practices in
order to prevent or minimize flood damage in the future.
(e) Minimize danger to public health by protecting water supply and natural
drainage.
(f) Reduce financial burdens imposed on the Township, its governmental
units, and its residents, by preventing excessive development in areas
subject to flooding.
(g) Comply with federal and state floodplain management requirements.
The Floodplain Conservation District is defined and established
as a district applicable to those areas of the Township subject to
inundation by the waters of the one-percent-annual-chance flood (one-hundred-year
flood) consisting of the following specific areas:
(a) Areas delineated on the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, as prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, dated March 2, 2016, and subsequent revisions thereto. Said floodplain areas are identified in Article
IV of Chapter
1290 and consist of the following specific areas:
(3)
AE Zone without Floodway.
(4)
AE Zone adjacent to defined Floodway.
(b) In lieu of the mapping provided for above, the Township may 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.
(c) The Floodplain Conservation District shall be deemed an overlay on
any zoning district now or hereafter applicable to any lot.
(d) It shall be unlawful for any person, partnership, business or corporation
to undertake, or cause to be undertaken, any construction or development
anywhere within the special flood hazard area of Lower Gwynedd Township
unless a permit has been obtained from the Floodplain Administrator.
(e) A permit shall not be required for minor repairs to existing buildings
or structures.
(f) Except where this chapter prescribes a greater setback due to the
boundaries of the floodplain, the minimum setback from any watercourse
for a structure shall be equal to the horizontal distance from the
top-of-bank of the watercourse, extended to a point at which the elevation
is one foot above the elevation of the top-of-bank, as verified by
the Township Engineer.
This ordinance supersedes any other conflicting provisions which
may be in effect within the Floodplain Conservation District defined
by this article. However, any other such ordinance provisions shall
remain in full force and effect to the extent that those provisions
are more restrictive. If there is any conflict between any of the
provisions of this Ordinance, the more restrictive shall apply.