As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
ALLUVIAL SOILS
Soils consisting of or formed from material such as gravel,
sand, silt or clay deposited by flowing water and showing little or
no modification of the original material by soils-forming processes.
APPEAL
A request for a review of the local administrator's interpretation
of any provision of this chapter or a request for a variance.
AREA OF SHALLOW FLOODING
A designated AO or VO Zone on a community's Flood Insurance
Rate Map (FIRM) with base flood depths from one to three feet, where
a clearly defined channel does not exist, where the path of flooding
is unpredictable and indeterminate and where velocity flow may be
evident.
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. This area may
be designated as Zone A, AE, AH, AO, A 1-99, V, VO, VE or V1-30. It
is also commonly referred to as the "base floodplain" or "100-year
floodplain."
BASE FLOOD (100-YEAR FLOOD)
A flood having a frequency or recurrence of one in 100 years
(i.e., a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year).
BASEMENT
That portion of a 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 the supporting foundation
system.
BUILDING
Any structure built for support, shelter or enclosure for
occupancy or storage.
CELLAR
Same meaning as "basement."
CLEAR-CUTTING
The felling of all trees in a woodland or in any contiguous
one acre portion of a larger woodland at one time.
COASTAL HIGH-HAZARD AREA
The area subject to high-velocity waters, including but not
limited to hurricane wave wash. The area is designated on a FIRM as
Zone V1-30, VE, VO or V.
DEVELOPMENT
Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate,
including but not limited to buildings or other structures, mining,
dredging, filling, paving, excavation or drilling operations located
within the area of special flood hazard.
ELEVATED BUILDING
A nonbasement building built to have the lowest floor elevated
above the ground level by means of fill, solid foundation perimeter
walls, pilings, columns (post and piers) or sheer walls.
FILL
Material, exclusive of structures, placed or deposited so
as to form an embankment or raise the surface elevation of the land.
FLOOD
A temporary inundation of normally dry land areas.
FLOOD BOUNDARY AND FLOODWAY MAP (FBFM)
An official map of the community published by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency as part of a riverine community's Flood
Insurance Study. The FBFM delineates a regulatory floodway along watercourses
studies in detail in the Floor Insurance Study.
FLOOD HAZARD AREA
The relatively flat or low area adjoining and including a
watercourse or other body of water (such as a pond, marsh or lake)
which is subject to inundation during the base flood. The flood hazard
area also may be called the "floodplain."
FLOOD HAZARD BOUNDARY MAP (FHBM)
An official map of a community, issued by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, where the boundaries of the areas of special flood
hazard have been defined, but no water surface elevation is provided.
FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAP (FIRM)
An official map of a community on which the Federal Emergency
Management Agency has delineated both the areas of special flood hazard
and the risk premium zones applicable to the community.
FLOOD INSURANCE STUDY
The official report provided by the Federal Emergency Management
Agency. The report contains flood profiles, as well as the Flood Boundary
- Floodway Map and the water surface elevations of the base flood.
FLOOD-FRINGE AREA
That area subject to the base flood not included in the floodway
area. The basis for the outermost boundary of this area shall be the
base flood elevations contained in the flood profiles of the study
referred to in the definition of floodway area below and as shown
on all of the maps referred to in such definition.
FLOODPROOFING
Any combination of structural and nonstructural additions,
changes or adjustments to structures which reduce or eliminate flood
damage to real estate or improved real property, water and sanitary
facilities, structures and their contents.
FLOODWAY AREA
That area within the flood hazard area capable of carrying
the waters of the base flood without increasing the water surface
elevation of the base flood more than one foot at any point. The land
included in the floodway area will be the areas identified as "floodway"
in the Flood Insurance Study prepared by the Federal Emergency Management
Agency. The term shall also include floodway areas, which have been
identified in other available studies or sources of information for
these floodplain areas where no floodway has been identified in the
Flood Insurance Study prepared by the Federal Emergency Management
Agency.
FLOOR
The top surface of an enclosed area in a building, including
basement, i.e., the top of a slab in concrete slab construction or
the top of wood flooring in wood frame construction.
FUNCTIONALLY DEPENDENT USE
A use which cannot perform its intended purpose unless it
is located or carried out in close proximity to water, such as a docking
or port facility necessary for the loading and unloading of cargo
or passengers, shipbuilding and ship repair. The term does not include
long-term storage, manufacture, sales or service facilities.
GENERAL FLOODPLAIN AREA
That floodplain area for which no detailed flood elevations
or floodway information is provided. Such areas are shown as Zone
A on the maps accompanying the Flood Insurance Study prepared by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency. For these areas, elevation and
floodway information from other federal, state or other acceptable
source shall be used when available. When such other acceptable information
is not available, the 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.
HIGHEST ADJACENT GRADE
The highest natural elevation of the ground surface, prior
to construction, next to the proposed walls of a structure.
LOWEST FLOOR
The lowest level, including basement or cellar, of the lowest
enclosed area. An unfinished or flood-resistant enclosure usable solely
for parking of vehicles, building access or storage in an area other
than a basement 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
chapter.
MANUFACTURED HOME
A structure, transportable in one or more sections, which
is built on a permanent chassis and designed to be used with or without
a permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities. The
term also includes park trailers, travel trailers and similar transportable
structures placed on a site for 180 consecutive days or longer and
intended to be improved property.
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.
NEW CONSTRUCTION
Structures for which the start of construction commenced
on or after the effective date of this chapter.
SAND DUNES
Naturally occurring accumulations of sand in ridges or mounds
landward of the beach.
SELECTIVE CUTTING
The felling of certain but not all trees in an area for the
purposes of removing dead, damaged, mature or marketable timber; improving
the quality of a tree stand or species; or personal domestic needs.
START OF CONSTRUCTION
The initiation, excluding planning and design, of any phase
of a project, physical alteration of the property, and shall include
land preparation, such as clearing, grading and filling; installation
of streets and/or walkways; excavation for a basement, footings, piers
or foundations; or the erection of temporary forms. It also includes
the placement and/or installation on the property of accessory buildings
(garages, sheds), storage trailers and building materials. For manufactured
homes, the "actual start" means affixing of the manufactured home
to its permanent site.
STRUCTURE
A walled and roofed building, a manufactured home or a gas
or liquid storage tank that is principally above ground.
SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT
Any repair, reconstruction or improvement of a structure,
the cost of which equals or exceeds 50% of the market value of the
structure either before the improvement or repair is started or, if
the structure has been damaged and is being restored, before the damage
occurred. For the purposes of this definition, "substantial improvement"
is considered to commence 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.
The term does not, however, include either:
(1)
Any project for improvement of a structure to comply with existing
state or local building, fire, health, sanitary or safety code specifications
which are solely necessary to assure safe living conditions; or
(2)
Any alteration of a structure or contributing structure listed
on the National Register of Historic Places or a State Inventory of
Historic Places.
VARIANCE
A grant of relief from the requirements of this chapter which
permits construction or use in a manner that would otherwise be prohibited
by this chapter.
WOODLAND
Generally, a plant community predominantly of trees and other
woody vegetation, growing more or less closely together. For purposes
of this chapter, an area, grove or stand of mature or largely mature
trees [i.e., six inches diameter at breast height (DBH)] covering
1/4 acre or more or a grove or stand of mature trees (i.e., 12 inches
or greater caliper) consisting of 10 or more individual trees shall
be deemed a "woodland."