[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council
of the Borough of Emerson 7-16-2019 by Ord. No. 1594-19.[1]Amendments noted where applicable.]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed
former Ch. 156, Flood Damage Prevention, adopted 9-19-1995 by Ord.
No. 1058, as amended.
The purpose of this chapter is to amend and replace Ordinance
Nos. 760 and 921 so as to ensure that the Borough's Floodplain Management
Ordinance complies with all federal regulations.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
The Legislature of the State of New Jersey has, in N.J.S.A.
58:16A-1 et seq. and N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq. and N.J.S.A. 40:48-1
et seq., delegated the responsibility to local government units to
adopt regulations designed to promote the public health, safety, and
general welfare of its citizenry. The National Flood Insurance Act
of 1968 (Title 13 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968)
requires that local municipalities adopt an ordinance and regulations
as contained herein.
A.
The flood hazard areas of Emerson are subject to periodic 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.
B.
These flood losses are caused by the cumulative effect of obstructions
in areas of special flood hazards which increase flood heights and
velocities, and when inadequately floodproofed, elevated or otherwise
protected from flood damage also contribute to the flood loss.
It is the purpose of this chapter to promote the public health,
safety, and general welfare, and to minimize public and private losses
due to flood conditions in specific areas by provisions designed to:
A.
Protect human life and health;
B.
Minimize expenditure of public money for costly flood-control projects;
C.
Minimize the need for rescue and relief efforts associated with flooding
and generally undertaken at the expense of the general public;
D.
Minimize prolonged business interruptions;
E.
Minimize damage to public facilities and utilities such as water
and gas mains, electric, telephone and sewer lines, streets and bridges
located in areas of special flood hazard;
F.
Help maintain a stable tax base by providing for the sound use and
development of areas of special flood hazard so as to minimize future
flood-blight areas;
G.
Ensure that potential buyers are notified that property is in areas
of special flood hazard; and
H.
Ensure that those who occupy the areas of special flood hazard assume
responsibility for their actions.
In order to accomplish its purpose, this chapter includes methods
and provisions for:
A.
Restricting or prohibiting uses which are dangerous to health, safety,
and property due to water or erosion hazards, or which result in damaging
increases in erosion or in flood heights or velocities;
B.
Requiring that uses vulnerable to floods, including facilities which
serve such uses, be protected against flood damage at the time of
initial construction;
C.
Controlling the alteration of natural floodplains, stream channels,
and natural protective barriers, which help accommodate or channel
floodwaters;
D.
Controlling filling, grading, dredging, and other development which
may increase flood damage; and
E.
Preventing or regulating the construction of flood barriers which
will unnaturally divert floodwaters or which may increase flood hazards
in other areas.
Unless specifically defined below, words or phrases used in
this chapter shall be interpreted so as to give them the meaning they
have in common usage and to give this chapter its most reasonable
application.
Areas subject to inundation by 1% annual chance shallow flooding
(usually areas of ponding) where average depths are between one and
three feet. Base flood elevations (BFEs) derived from detailed hydraulic
analyses are shown in this zone.
Areas subject to inundation by 1% annual chance shallow flooding
(usually sheet flow on sloping terrain) where average depths are between
one feet and three feet.
A request for a review of the Borough Administrator's interpretation
of any provision of this chapter or a request for variance.
A designated AO Zone on the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM).
The base flood depths range from one to three feet; a clearly defined
channel does not exist; the path of flooding is unpredictable and
indeterminate; and velocity flow may be evident.
Land in the floodplain within a community subject to a 1%
or greater chance of flooding in any given year. It is shown on the
FIRM as Zone V, VE, V1-30, A, AO, A1-A30, AE, A99, or AH.
A flood having a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded in
any given year.
The flood having a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded
in any given year.
The flood elevation shown on a published Flood Insurance
Study (FIS) including the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). For zones
AE, AH, AO, and A1-30 the elevation represents the water surface elevation
resulting from a flood that has a 1% or greater chance of being equaled
or exceeded in any given year.
Any area of the building having its floor subgrade (below
ground level) on all sides.
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 forces without causing damage to the elevated portion
of the building or supporting foundation system.
Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate,
including but not limited to buildings or other structures, dredging,
filling, grading, paving, excavation or drilling operations or storage
of equipment or materials located within the area of special flood
hazard.
A nonbasement building built, in the case of a building in
an area of special flood hazard, to have the top of the elevated floor,
elevated above the base flood elevation plus freeboard by means of
piling, columns (posts and piers), or shear walls parallel to the
flow of the water, and adequately anchored so as not to impair the
structural integrity of the building during a flood up to the magnitude
of the base flood. In an area of special flood hazard, "elevated building"
also includes a building elevated by means of fill or solid foundation
perimeter walls with openings sufficient to facilitate the unimpeded
movement of floodwaters.
The process of gradual wearing away of land masses.
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.
The official map on which the Federal Insurance Administration
has delineated both the areas of special flood hazards and the risk
premium zones applicable to the community.
The official report provided in which the Federal Insurance
Administration has provided flood profiles, as well as the Flood Boundary
Floodway Map and the water surface elevation of the base flood.
A general and temporary condition of partial or complete
inundation of normally dry land area from:
Zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations, building codes,
health regulations, special purpose ordinances (such as a floodplain
ordinance, grading ordinance and erosion control ordinance) and other
applications of police power. The term describes such state or local
regulations, in any combination thereof, which provide standards for
the purpose of flood damage prevention and reduction.
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.
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
0.2 foot.
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 wave action, bridge openings, and the hydrological
effect of urbanization of the watershed.
The highest natural elevation of the ground surface prior
to construction next to the proposed or existing walls of a structure.
Any structure that is:
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;
Certified or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the
Interior as contributing to the historical significance of a registered
historic district preliminarily determined by the Secretary to qualify
as a registered historic district;
Individually listed on the State Inventory of Historic Places
in states with historic preservation programs which have been approved
by the Secretary of the Interior; or
Individually listed on a local inventory of historic places
in communities with historic preservation programs that have been
certified either:
The lowest floor of the lowest enclosed area (including basement).
An unfinished or flood-resistant enclosure, usable solely for the
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 to render the structure in violation
of other applicable nonelevation design requirements of 44 CFR 60.3.
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. The
term "manufactured home" does not include a recreational vehicle.
A parcel (or contiguous parcels) of land divided into two
or more manufactured home lots for rent or sale.
Structures for which the start of construction commenced
on or after the effective date of a floodplain regulation adopted
by a community and includes any subsequent improvements to such structures.
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 on or after the effective date
of the floodplain management regulations adopted by the municipality.
A vehicle which is:
Built on a single chassis;
Four hundred square feet or less when measured at the longest
horizontal projections;
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
a temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel, or
seasonal use.
For other than new construction or substantial improvements
under the coastal barrier resource act, P.L. 97-348, includes substantial
improvement and means the date the building permit was issued, provided
the actual start of construction, repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation,
addition, 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 a slab or footings, the installation of pilings, 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,
foot-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. 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.
A walled and roofed building, a manufactured home, or gas
or liquid storage tank that is principally aboveground.
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.
Any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement
of a structure the cost of which exceeds 50% of the market value of
the structure before the start of construction of the improvement.
This term includes structures which have incurred substantial damage,
regardless of the actual repair work performed. The term does not,
however, include either:
Any project for the improvement of a structure to correct existing
violations of state or local health, sanitary or safety code specifications
which have been identified by the local Code Enforcement Official
and which are the minimum 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.
A grant of relief from the requirements of this chapter which
permits the construction in a manner that would otherwise be prohibited
by this chapter.
The failure of a structure or other development to be fully
compliant with this ordinance. A new or substantially improved structure
or other development without the elevation certificate, other certifications,
or other evidence of compliance required in 44 CFR 60.3(b)(5), (c)(4),
(c)(10), (e)(2), (e)(4), or (e)(5) is presumed to be in violation
until such time as that documentation is provided.
This chapter shall apply to all areas of special flood hazards
within the jurisdiction of the Borough of Emerson, County of Bergen,
State of New Jersey.
The areas of special flood hazard for the Borough of Emerson,
Community No. 340030, are identified and defined on the following
documents prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency:
A.
A scientific and engineering report "Flood Insurance Study, Bergen
County, New Jersey (All Jurisdictions)" dated August 28, 2019.
B.
Flood Insurance Rate Map for (Bergen) County, New Jersey (All Jurisdictions)
as shown on Index and Panels 34003C0181H, 34003C0182H, 34003C0183H,
34003C0184H, 34003C0201H whose effective date is August 28, 2019.
No structure or land shall hereafter be constructed, relocated
to, extended, converted, or altered without full compliance with the
terms of this chapter and other applicable regulations. Violations
of the provisions of this chapter by failure to comply with any of
its requirements (including violations of conditions and safeguards
established in connection with conditions) 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 $500 or imprisoned for not more than 90 days, or both, for each
violation and, in addition, shall pay all costs and expenses involved
in the case. Nothing herein contained shall prevent the Borough of
Emerson from taking such other lawful action as is necessary to prevent
or remedy any violation.
This chapter is not intended to repeal, abrogate, or impair
any existing easements, covenants, or deed restrictions. However,
where this chapter and other ordinance, easement, covenant, or deed
restriction conflict or overlap, whichever imposes the more stringent
restrictions shall prevail.
In the interpretation and application of this chapter, all provisions
shall be:
A.
The degree of flood protection required by this chapter is considered
reasonable for regulatory purposes and is based on scientific and
engineering considerations. Larger floods can and will occur on rare
occasions. Flood heights may be increased by man-made or natural causes.
This chapter does not imply that land outside the area of special
flood hazards or uses permitted within such areas will be free from
flooding or flood damages.
B.
This chapter shall not create liability on the part of the Borough
of Emerson any officer or employee thereof, or the Federal Insurance
Administration, for any flood damages that result from reliance on
this chapter or any administrative decision lawfully made thereunder.
A.
A development permit shall be obtained before construction or development begins including placement of manufactured homes, within an area of special flood hazard established in § 156-8. Application for a development permit shall be made on forms furnished by the Borough Clerk and may include, but are not limited to, plans in duplicate drawn to scale showing nature, location, dimensions, and elevations of the area in question; existing or proposed structures, fill, storage of materials, drainage facilities, and the location of the foregoing.
B.
Specifically, the following information is required:
(1)
Elevation, in relation to mean sea level, of the lowest floor (including
basement) of all structures;
(2)
Elevation, in relation to mean sea level, to which any structure
has been floodproofed;
(3)
Certification by a registered professional engineer or architect that the design and methods of construction of any floodproofed nonresidential structure are in accordance with accepted standards of practice for meeting the applicable provisions of § 156-18B. The certificate will also include the specific elevation (in relation to mean sea level) to which such structures are floodproofed.
(4)
Description of the extent to which any watercourse will be altered
or relocated as a result of proposed development.
The Borough Administrator is hereby appointed to administer
and implement this chapter by granting or denying development permit
applications in accordance with its provisions.
Duties and responsibilities of the Borough Administrator shall
include but not be limited to:
A.
Permit review:
(1)
Review all development permits to determine that the permit requirements
of this chapter have been satisfied.
(2)
Review all development permits to determine that all necessary permits
have been obtained from those federal, state or local government agencies
from which prior approval is required.
B.
Use of other base flood data. When base flood elevation and floodway data has not been provided in accordance with § 156-8, Basis for establishing areas of special flood hazard, the local administrator shall obtain, review, and reasonably utilize any base flood elevation and floodway data available from a federal, state or other source, in order to administer § 156-18A, Residential construction, and § 256-18B, Nonresidential construction.
C.
Information to be obtained and maintained:
(1)
Obtain and record the actual elevation (in relation to mean sea level)
of the lowest floor (including basement) of all new or substantially
improved structures, and whether or not the structure contains a basement.
(2)
For all new or substantially improved floodproofed structures:
(a)
Verify and record the actual elevation (in relation to mean
sea level); and
(b)
Maintain the floodproofing certifications required in § 156-13B(2).
(3)
Maintain for public inspection all records pertaining to the provisions
of this chapter.
D.
Alteration of watercourses:
(1)
Notify adjacent communities and the New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection, Bureau of Flood Control and the Land Use Regulation Program
prior to any alteration or relocation of a watercourse, and submit
evidence of such notification to the Federal Insurance Administration.
(2)
Require that maintenance is provided within the altered or relocated
portion of said watercourse so that the flood-carrying capacity is
not diminished.
E.
Interpretation of FIRM boundaries: make interpretations, where needed, as to the exact location of the boundaries of the areas of special flood hazards (for example, where there appears to be a conflict between a mapped boundary and actual field conditions). The person contesting the location of the boundary shall be given a reasonable opportunity to appeal the interpretation as provided in § 156-16.
F.
Substantial damage review.
(1)
After an event resulting in building damages, assess the damage to
structures due to flood and nonflood causes.
(2)
Record and maintain the flood and nonflood damage of substantial
damage structures and provide a letter of substantial damage determination
to the owner and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection,
Bureau of Flood Control.
A.
Appeals.
(1)
The Land Use Board established by the Borough of Emerson shall hear
and decide appeals and requests for variances from the requirements
of this chapter.
(2)
The Land Use Board shall hear and decide appeals when it is alleged
there is an error in any requirement, decision, or determination made
by the Borough Administrator in the enforcement or administration
of this chapter.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
(3)
Those aggrieved by the decision of the Land Use Board or any taxpayer
may appeal such decision to the Superior Court of New Jersey, as provided
in relevant New Jersey statutes.
(4)
In passing upon such applications, the Land Use Board shall consider
all technical evaluations, all relevant factors, standards specified
in other sections of this chapter, and:
(a)
The danger that materials may be swept onto other lands to the
injury of others;
(b)
The danger to life and property due to flooding or erosion damage;
(c)
The susceptibility of the proposed facility and its contents
to flood damage and the effect of such damage on the individual owner;
(d)
The importance of the services provided by the proposed facility
to the community;
(e)
The necessity to the facility of a waterfront location, where
applicable;
(f)
The availability of alternative locations for the proposed use
which are not subject to flooding or erosion damage;
(g)
The compatibility of the proposed use with existing and anticipated
development;
(h)
The relationship of the proposed use to the Comprehensive Plan
and floodplain management program of that area;
(i)
The safety of access to the property in times of flood for ordinary
and emergency vehicles;
(j)
The expected heights, velocity, duration, rate of rise, and
sediment transport of the floodwaters and the effects of wave action,
if applicable, expected at the site; and
(k)
The costs of providing governmental services during and after
flood conditions, including maintenance and repair of public utilities
and facilities such as sewer, gas, electrical, and water systems,
and streets and bridges.
(5)
Upon consideration of the factors of § 156-16A(4) and the purposes of this chapter, the Land Use Board may attach such conditions to the granting of variances as it deems necessary to further the purposes of this chapter.
(6)
The Borough Administrator shall maintain the records of all appeal
actions, including technical information, and report any variances
to the Federal Insurance Administration upon request.
B.
Conditions for variances.
(1)
Generally, variances may be issued for new construction and substantial improvements to be erected on a lot of 1/2 acre or less in size contiguous to and surrounded by lots with existing structures constructed below the base flood level, provided the items in § 156-16A(4)(a) through (k) have been fully considered. As the lot size increases beyond 1/2 acre, the technical justification required for issuing the variance increases.
(2)
Variances may be issued for the repair or rehabilitation of historic
structures upon a determination that the proposed repair or rehabilitation
will not preclude the structure's continued designation as a historic
structure and the variance is the minimum necessary to preserve the
historic character and design of the structure.
(3)
Variances shall not be issued within any designated floodway if any
increase in flood levels during the base flood discharge would result.
(4)
Variances shall only be issued upon a determination that the variance
is the minimum necessary, considering the flood hazard, to afford
relief.
(5)
Variances shall only be issued upon:
(a)
A showing of good and sufficient cause;
(b)
A determination that failure to grant a variance would result
in exceptional hardship to the applicant; and
(c)
A determination that the granting of a variance will not result in increased flood heights, additional threats to public safety or extraordinary public expense, create nuisances, cause fraud on or victimization of the public as identified in § 156-16A(4), or conflict with existing local laws or ordinances.
(6)
Any applicant to whom a variance is granted shall be given written
notice that the structure will be permitted to be built with a lowest
floor elevation below the base flood elevation and that the cost of
flood insurance will be commensurate with the increased risk resulting
from the reduced lowest floor elevation.
In all areas of special flood hazards, compliance with the applicable
requirements of the Uniform Construction Code (N.J.A.C. 5:23) and
the following standards, whichever is more restrictive, is required:
A.
Anchoring.
(1)
All new construction and substantial improvements shall be anchored
to prevent flotation, collapse, or lateral movement of the structure.
(2)
All manufactured homes to be placed or substantially improved shall
be anchored to resist flotation, collapse or lateral movement. Methods
of anchoring may include, but are not to be 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.
B.
Construction material and methods.
C.
Utilities.
(1)
All new and replacement water supply systems shall be designed to
minimize or eliminate infiltration of floodwaters into the system;
(2)
New and replacement sanitary sewage systems shall be designed to
minimize or eliminate infiltration of floodwaters into the systems
and discharge from the systems into floodwaters;
(3)
On-site waste disposal systems shall be located to avoid impairment
to them or contamination from them during flooding; and
(4)
For all new construction and substantial improvements, the electrical,
heating, ventilation, plumbing and air-conditioning equipment and
other service facilities shall be designed and/or located so as to
prevent water from entering or accumulating within the components
during conditions of flooding.
D.
Subdivision proposals.
(1)
All subdivision proposals and other proposed new development shall
be consistent with the need to minimize flood damage;
(2)
All subdivision proposals and other proposed new development shall
have public utilities and facilities such as sewer, gas, electrical,
and water systems located and constructed to minimize flood damage;
(3)
All subdivision proposals and other proposed new development shall
have adequate drainage provided to reduce exposure to flood damage;
(4)
Base flood elevation data shall be provided for subdivision proposals
and other proposed new developments which contain at least 50 lots
or five acres (whichever is less).
E.
Enclosure openings. For all new construction and substantial improvements,
fully enclosed areas below the lowest floor that are usable solely
for parking of vehicles, building access or storage in an area other
than a basement and which are subject to flooding 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 minimum of two openings in at least two exterior walls
of each enclosed area 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. The bottom of all openings shall be no higher than
one foot above grade. Openings may be equipped with screens, louvers,
or other coverings or devices, provided that they permit the automatic
entry and exit of floodwaters.
In all areas of special flood hazard where base flood elevation data have been provided as set forth in § 156-8, Basis for establishing areas of special flood hazard, or in § 156-15B, Use of other base flood data, the following standards are required:
A.
Residential construction.
(1)
New construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure
located in an A or AE Zone shall have the lowest floor, including
basement together with the attendant utilities (including all electrical,
heating, ventilating, air-conditioning and other service equipment)
and sanitary facilities, elevated at or above the more restrictive
base flood elevation plus one foot or as required by ASCE/SEI 24-14,
Table 2-1;
(2)
Require within any AO or AH Zone on the municipality's DFIRM that
all new construction and substantial improvement of any residential
structure shall have the lowest floor, including basement together
with the attendant utilities and sanitary facilities, elevated above
the depth number specified in feet plus one foot, above the highest
adjacent grade (at least three feet if no depth number is specified).
And, require adequate drainage paths around structures on slopes to
guide floodwaters around and away from proposed structures.
B.
Nonresidential construction. In an area of special flood hazard,
all new construction and substantial improvement of any commercial,
industrial or other nonresidential structure located in an A or AE
Zone shall have the lowest floor, including basement together with
the attendant utilities and sanitary facilities as well as all electrical,
heating, ventilating, air-conditioning and other service equipment:
(1)
Either:
(a)
Elevated at or above the more restrictive base flood elevation
plus one foot or as required by ASCE/SEI 24-14, Table 2-1; and
(b)
Require within any AO or AH Zone on the municipality's DFIRM
to elevate above the depth number specified in feet plus one foot,
above the highest adjacent grade (at least three feet if no depth
number is specified). And, require adequate drainage paths around
structures on slopes to guide floodwaters around and away from proposed
structures.
(2)
Or:
(a)
Be floodproofed so that below the more restrictive, base flood
elevation plus one foot or as required by ASCE/SEI 24-14, Table 6-1,
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 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 applicable provisions of this subsection. Such certification shall be provided to the official as set forth in § 156-15C(2).
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
C.
Manufactured homes.
(1)
Manufactured homes shall be anchored in accordance with § 156-17A(2).
(2)
All manufactured homes to be placed or substantially improved within
an area of special flood hazard shall:
(a)
Be consistent with the need to minimize flood damage;
(b)
Be constructed to minimize flood damage;
(c)
Have adequate drainage provided to reduce exposure to flood
damage;
(d)
Be elevated on a permanent foundation such that the top of the
lowest floor is at or above the more restrictive base flood elevation
plus one foot or as required by ASCE/SEI 24-14, Table 2-1;
(e)
The manufactured home chassis is supported by reinforced piers
or other foundation elements of at least equivalent strength that
are no less than 36 inches in height above grade and be securely anchored
to an adequately anchored foundation system to resist flotation, collapse,
and lateral movement.
Located within areas of special flood hazard established in § 156-8 are areas designated as floodways. Since the floodway is an extremely hazardous area due to the velocity of floodwaters which carry debris, potential projectile, and erosion potential, the following provisions apply:
A.
Prohibit encroachments, including fill, new construction, substantial
improvements, and other development unless a technical evaluation
demonstrates that encroachments shall not result in any increase in
flood levels during the occurrence of the base flood discharge.
C.
In all areas of special flood hazard in which base flood elevation
data has been provided and no floodway has been designated, the cumulative
effect of any proposed development, when combined with all other existing
and anticipated development, shall not increase the water surface
elevation of the base flood more than 0.2 foot at any point.
The regulations set forth in this chapter may contain references
to various uses not presently permitted within the Borough of Emerson.
Said references are not intended to indicate that said uses are now
permitted, and all uses prohibited by the Zoning Code of the Borough
of Emerson[1] remain prohibited, and said code is not in any way amended
by this chapter.
If any section, subsection, paragraph, sentence, clause, or
phrase of this chapter shall be declared invalid for any reason whatsoever,
such a decision shall not affect the remaining portions of the chapter,
which shall remain in full force and effect, and for this purpose
the provisions of this chapter are hereby declared to be severable.
This chapter shall be effective on July 16, 2019, and shall
remain in force until modified, amended or rescinded by the Borough
of Emerson, Bergen County, New Jersey.
