[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough
of Westwood 7-16-2019 by Ord. No. 19-9.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Uniform construction codes — See Ch. 129.
Land use and development — See Ch. 195.
Soil movement — See Ch. 312.
Stormwater control — See Ch. 325.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Ch. 175,
Flood Damage Prevention, adopted 8-22-1995 by Ord. No. 95-13, as amended.
The Legislature of the State of New Jersey has, in N.J.S.A.
40:48-1 et seq., delegated the responsibility to local governmental
units to adopt regulations designed to promote public health, safety,
and general welfare of its citizenry. Therefore, the Mayor and Council
of the Borough of Westwood, of Bergen County, New Jersey does ordain
as follows.
[Added 9-5-2023 by Ord. No. 23-28]
Where the Uniform Construction Code (UCC), N.J.A.C. 5:23 et
seq., and the New Jersey Flood Hazard Area Control Act (hereinafter
"FHACA"), N.J.A.C. 7:13 et seq., are different with this chapter due
to updates or amendments, the UCC and FHACA shall take precedence.
A.
The flood hazard areas of the Borough of Westwood 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 hazard which increase flood heights and
velocities, and when inadequately anchored, causes damage in other
areas. Uses that are 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 an
area 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 purposes, 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.
A.
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.
B.
AH ZONE
AO ZONE
APPEAL
AREA OF SHALLOW FLOODING
AREA OF SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD
BASE FLOOD
BASE FLOOD ELEVATION (BFE)
BASEMENT
BREAKAWAY WALL
CUMULATIVE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE
CUMULATIVE SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT
DEVELOPMENT
DIGITAL FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAP (DFIRM)
ELEVATED BUILDING
EROSION
EXISTING MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION
FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAP (FIRM)
FLOOD INSURANCE STUDY (FIS)
FLOOD OR FLOODING
FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS
FLOODPROOFING
FLOODWAY
FREEBOARD
HIGHEST ADJACENT GRADE
HISTORIC STRUCTURE
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
LOWEST FLOOR
MANUFACTURED HOME
MANUFACTURED HOME PARK or MANUFACTURED HOME SUBDIVISION
NEW CONSTRUCTION
NEW MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION
RECREATIONAL VEHICLE
START OF CONSTRUCTION
STRUCTURE
VARIANCE
VIOLATION
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meaning
indicated:
Areas subject to inundation by one-percent-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 one-percent annual chance
shallow flooding (usually sheet flow on sloping terrain) where average
depths are between one and three feet.
A request for a review of the Floodplain Manager's interpretation
of any provision of this chapter or a request for a variance.
A designated AO or AH Zone on a community's Digital Flood
Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM) with a one-percent annual or greater chance
of flooding to an average depth of one to three feet where a clearly
defined channel does not exist, where the path of flooding is unpredictable
and where velocity flow may be evident. Such flooding is characterized
by ponding or sheet flow.
Land in the floodplain within a community subject to a one-percent
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 one-percent 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 one-percent 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 lateral loading forces without causing damage to the
elevated portion of the building or supporting foundation system.
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. "Substantial damage" also means flood-related damages
sustained by a structure on two or more separate occasions during
a ten-year period for which the cost of repairs at the time of each
such flood event, on the average, equals or exceeds 35% of the market
value of the structure before the damages occurred.
Any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement
of a structure that equals or exceeds 40% of the market value of the
structure at the time of the improvement or repair when counted cumulatively
for 10 years.
Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate,
including, but not limited to, buildings or other structures, mining,
dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation or drilling operations,
or storage of equipment or materials located within the area of special
flood hazard.
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.
A nonbasement building i) 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 ii) 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 in which the Federal Insurance Administration
has provided flood profiles, as well as the Flood Insurance Rate Map(s)
and the water surface elevation of the base flood.
A general and temporary condition of partial or complete
inundation of normally dry land areas 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 accumulatively 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 or a district preliminarily determined by the Secretary
to qualify as a registered historic district;
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
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 as 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 attached 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 i) built on a single chassis; ii) 400
square feet or less when measured at the longest horizontal projections;
iii) designed to be self-propelled or permanently towable by a light
duty truck; and iv) designed primarily not for use as a permanent
dwelling but as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping,
travel, or seasonal use.
[For other than new construction or substantial improvements
under the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (P.L. No. 97-348[1])]. 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
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 nor does it include the installation
of streets and/or walkways, nor does it include excavation for a basement,
footings or 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 a gas
or liquid storage tank that is principally above ground.
A grant of relief from the requirements of this chapter that
permits 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 chapter. 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.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 16 U.S.C. § 3501 et seq.
This chapter shall apply to all areas of special flood hazards
within the jurisdiction of the Borough of Westwood, Bergen County,
New Jersey.
A.
The areas of special flood hazard for the Borough of Westwood, Community
No. 340081, are identified and defined on the following documents
prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency:
(1)
A scientific and engineering report "Flood Insurance Study, Bergen
County, New Jersey (All Jurisdictions)" dated August 28, 2019.
(2)
Flood Insurance Rate Map for Bergen County, New Jersey (All Jurisdictions)
as shown on Index and panels 34003C0093H, 34003C0094H, 34003C0181H,
34003C0182H, whose effective date is August 28, 2019.
B.
The above documents are hereby adopted and declared to be a part
of this chapter. The Flood Insurance Study and maps are on file at
the Municipal Building, 101 Washington Avenue, Westwood, New Jersey.
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. Violation 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 be punishable as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article III, General Penalty, of the Code of the Borough of Westwood for each violation, and in addition shall pay all costs and expenses involved in the case. Nothing herein contained shall prevent the Borough of Westwood 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 Westwood, 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 development permit shall be obtained before construction or development begins, including placement of manufactured homes, within any area of special flood hazard established in § 175-7. Application for a development permit shall be made on forms furnished by the Construction Official and may include, but not be limited to, plans, in duplicate, drawn to scale, showing the 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. Specifically, the following information is required:
A.
Elevation, in relation to mean sea level, of the lowest floor (including
basement) of all structures;
B.
Elevation, in relation to mean sea level, to which any structure
has been floodproofed.
C.
Certification by a registered professional engineer or architect that the floodproofing methods for any nonresidential structure meet the floodproofing criteria in § 175-17B; and
D.
Description of the extent to which any watercourse will be altered
or relocated as a result of proposed development.
The Floodplain Manager is hereby appointed to administer and
implement this chapter by granting or denying development permit applications
in accordance with its provisions.
Duties of the Floodplain Manager 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 governmental
agencies from which prior approval is required.
B.
Use of other base flood and floodway data. When base flood elevation and floodway data has not been provided in accordance with section § 175-7 Basis for establishing areas of special flood hazard, the Floodplain Manager 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 §§ 175-17, Specific standards, Subsection A, Residential construction, and 175-17 Specific standards, Subsection B, 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.
(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 the flood-carrying capacity is not
diminished.
E.
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 substantially
damaged structures and provide a letter of substantial damage determination
to the owner and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection,
Bureau of Flood Control.
F.
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 § 175-15.
A.
Appeal Board.
(1)
The Zoning Board as established by the Borough of Westwood shall
hear and decide appeals and requests for variances from the requirements
of this chapter.
(2)
The Zoning Board of Adjustment shall hear and decide appeals when
it is alleged there is an error in any requirement, decision, or determination
made by the Floodplain Manager in the enforcement or administration
of this chapter.
(3)
Those aggrieved by the decision of the Zoning Board of Adjustment,
or any taxpayer, may appeal such decision to the Superior Court of
New Jersey, as provided in N.J.S.A 40:55D-1 et seq.
(4)
In passing upon such applications, the Zoning Board of Adjustment
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 Subsection A(4) and the purposes of this chapter, the Zoning Board of Adjustment may attach such conditions to the granting of variances as it deems necessary to further the purposes of this chapter.
(6)
The Zoning Board of Adjustment 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 that the items in Subsection A(4)(a) through (k) have been fully considered. As the lot size increases beyond the 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 the 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, extraordinary public expense, create nuisances, cause fraud on or victimization of the public as identified in Subsection A(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 materials 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;
and
(4)
Base flood elevation data shall be provided for subdivision proposals
and other proposed new development which contain at least 50 lots
or five acres (whichever is less).
E.
Enclosure openings. All new construction and substantial improvements
having 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:
(1)
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.
(2)
The bottom of all openings shall be no higher than one foot above
grade.
(3)
Openings may be equipped with screens, louvers, or other covering
or devices, provided that they permit the automatic entry and exit
of floodwaters.
In all areas of special flood hazards where base flood elevation data have been provided as set forth in § 175-7, Basis for establishing areas of special flood hazard, or in § 175-14B, 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 two feet, 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 two feet 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.
(3)
An
access drive (public or private) or parking area serving a new multifamily
residence, single-family, duplex residence shall be constructed such
that the travel surface is at least one foot above the flood hazard
area design flood elevation as required by the Flood Hazard Control
Act[1] rules at N.J.A.C. 7:13-12.6, as revised. Deviations from
these standards shall be deemed a variance subject to the review and
variance procedures contained in this chapter and the Municipal Land
Use Law.[2]
[Added 11-9-2021 by Ord. No. 21-24]
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,
either:
(1)
Elevated at or above the more restrictive base flood elevation plus
two feet, or as required by ASCE/SEI 24-14, Table 2-1; and
(2)
Require within any AO or AH Zone on the municipality's DFIRM to elevate
above the depth number specified in feet plus two feet 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; or
(3)
Be floodproofed so that below the more restrictive, base flood elevation
plus two feet, or as required by ASCE/SEI 24-14, Table 6-1, the structure
is watertight with walls substantially impermeable to the passage
of water;
(4)
Have structural components capable of resisting hydrostatic and hydrodynamic
loads and effects of buoyancy; and
(5)
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 § 175-14C(2).
C.
Manufactured homes.
(1)
Manufactured homes shall be anchored in accordance with § 175-16A(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 two feet, or as required by ASCE/SEI 24-14, Table 2-1; and
(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 is securely anchored
to an adequately anchored foundation system to resist floatation,
collapse, and lateral movement.
Located within areas of special flood hazard established in § 175-7 are areas designated as floodways. Since the floodway is an extremely hazardous area due to the velocity of floodwaters which carry debris, potential projectiles, 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 encroachment 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 accumulative
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.