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 §
37-7. Application for a development permit shall be made on forms furnished by the Construction Code 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 §
37-25; and
D. Description of the extent to which any
watercourse will be altered or relocated as a result of proposed development.
The Construction Code Official is
hereby appointed to administer and implement this chapter by granting
or denying development permit applications in accordance with its
provisions.
Duties of the Construction Code Official
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.
(3) Review all development permits to determine if the proposed development is located in the floodway. If located in the floodway, assure that the encroachment provisions of §
37-27A are met.
B. Use of other flood and floodway data. When base flood elevation and floodway data has not been provided in accordance with §
37-7, Basis for establishing areas of special flood hazard, the Construction Code Official 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 §
37-24, Residential construction, and §
37-25, 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 §
37-12C.
(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 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.
(3) Ensure substantial improvements meet the requirements of §
37-24, Residential construction, §
37-25, Nonresidential construction and §
37-26, Manufactured homes.
F. Interpretation of FIRM boundaries. Make interpretations, where needed, as to the exact location of the boundaries of the areas of special flood hazard (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 §
37-15.