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.
means a request for a review of the Floodplain Administrator's interpretation of any provision of this chapter or a request for a variance.
means a designated AO or AH 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. Such flooding is characterized by ponding or sheet flow.
See "Special flood hazard area."
means the flood having a one percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year (also called the "100-year flood").
means any area of the building having its floor subgrade (below ground level) on all sides.
are any type of walls, whether solid or lattice, and whether constructed of concrete, masonry, wood, metal, plastic or any other suitable building material which is not part of the structural support of the building and which is designed to break away under abnormally high tides or wave action without causing any damage to the structural integrity of the building on which they are used or any buildings to which they might be carried by floodwaters. A breakaway wall shall have a safe design loading resistance of not less than 10 and no more than 20 pounds per square foot. Use of breakaway walls must be certified by a registered engineer or architect and shall conform to the following conditions:
means an area of special flood hazard extending from offshore to the inland limit of a primary frontal dune along an open coast and any other area subject to high velocity wave action from storms or seismic actions. It is an area subject to high velocity waters, including coastal and tidal inundation or tsunamis.
means any manmade 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 and storage of equipment or materials.
means the advance or infringement of uses, plant growth, fill, excavation, buildings, permanent structures or development into a floodplain, which may impede or alter the flow capacity of a floodplain.
means a general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from (1) the overflow of flood waters, (2) the unusual and rapid accumulation of runoff of surface waters from any source, and/or (3) the collapse or subsidence of land along the shore of a lake or other body of water as a result of erosion or cyclical levels or suddenly caused by an unusually high water level in a natural body of water, accompanied by a severe storm, or by an unanticipated force of nature, such as flash flood or an abnormal tidal surge, or by some similarly unusual and unforeseeable event which results in flooding as defined in this definition.
means the official map on which the Federal Emergency Management Agency or Federal Insurance Administration has delineated both the area of flood hazard and the floodway.
means the official map on which the Federal Emergency Management Agency or Federal Insurance Administration has delineated both the areas of special flood hazards and the risk premium zones applicable to the community.
means the official report provided by the Federal Insurance Administration that includes flood profiles, and the FIRM, the flood boundary and floodway map, and the water surface elevation of the base flood.
means the collapse or subsidence of land along the shore of a lake or other body of water as a result of undermining caused by waves or currents of water exceeding anticipated cyclical levels or suddenly caused by an unusually high water level in a natural body of water, accompanied by a severe storm, or by an unanticipated force of nature, such as a flash flood or an abnormal tidal surge, or by some similarly unusual and unforeseeable event which results in flooding.
means any land area susceptible to being inundated by water from any source (see definition of "flooding").
means the operation of an overall program of corrective and preventive measures for reducing flood damage, including but not limited to emergency preparedness plans, flood-control works and floodplain management regulations.
means this chapter and other zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations, building codes, health regulations, special purpose ordinances (such as grading and erosion control) and other application of police power which control development in flood-prone areas. This term describes Federal, State or local regulations in any combination thereof, which provide standards for preventing and reducing flood loss and damage.
means 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.
means 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 one foot. Also referred to as "regulatory floodway."
as related to Article VI of this chapter, Variance Procedure, means that the variance granted must not cause fraud on or victimization of the public. In examining this requirement, the City Council will consider the fact that every newly constructed building adds to government responsibilities and remains a part of the community for 50 to 100 years. Buildings that are permitted to be constructed below the base flood elevation are subject during all those years to increased risk of damage from floods, while future owners of the property and the community as a whole are subject to all the costs, inconvenience, danger and suffering that those increased flood damages bring. In addition, future owners may purchase the property, unaware that it is subject to potential flood damage, and can be insured only at very high flood insurance rates.
means a use which cannot perform its intended purpose unless it is located or carried out in close proximity to water. The term includes only docking facilities, port facilities that are necessary for the loading and unloading of cargo or passengers, and ship building and ship repair facilities, but does not include long-term storage or related manufacturing facilities.
as related to Article VI of this chapter, Variance Procedure, means the exceptional hardship that would result from a failure to grant the requested variance. The City Council requires that the variance be exceptional, unusual, and peculiar to the property involved. Mere economic or financial hardship alone is not exceptional. Inconvenience, aesthetic considerations, physical handicaps, personal preferences, or the disapproval of one's neighbors likewise cannot, as a rule, qualify as an exceptional hardship. All of these problems can be resolved through other means without granting a variance, even if the alternative is more expensive, or requires the property owner to build elsewhere or put the parcel to a different use than originally intended.
means the highest natural elevation of the ground surface prior to construction next to the proposed walls of a structure.
means 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 by an approved State program, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, or directly by the Secretary of the Interior, in states without approved programs.
means the lowest floor of the lowest enclosed area including basement (see "Basement" definition).
An unfinished or flood-resistant enclosure is not considered a building's lowest floor provided it conforms to applicable nonelevation design requirements, including, but not limited to:
For residential structures, all subgrade-enclosed areas are prohibited as they are considered to be basements (see "Basement" definition). This prohibition includes below-grade garages and storage areas.
means a structure, transportable in one or more sections, which is built on a permanent chassis and is designed to use with or without a permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities. The term "manufactured home" does not include a "recreational vehicle."
means a parcel (or contiguous parcels) of land divided into two or more manufactured home lots for sale or rent.
is defined in SMC § 8.48.043(B).
means, for purposes of the National Flood Insurance Program, the North American Vertical Datum (NAVD) of 1988, or other datum, to which base flood elevations shown on a community's flood insurance rate map are referenced.
means, for floodplain management purposes, structures for which the "start of construction" commenced on or after August 28, 1980 (Ord. 975, July 29, 1980), and includes any subsequent improvements to such structures.
means a flood which has a one percent annual probability of being equaled or exceeded. It is identical to the "base flood," which will be the term used throughout this chapter.
means an individual or his agent, firm, partnership, association or corporation, or agent of the aforementioned groups, or this state or its agencies or political subdivisions.
as related to Article VI of this chapter, Variance Procedure, means that the granting of a variance must not result in anything which is injurious to safety or health of an entire community or neighborhood, or any considerable number of persons, or unlawfully obstructs the free passage or use, in the customary manner, of any navigable lake, or river, bay, stream, canal, or basin.
means a vehicle which is
Built on a single chassis;
Four hundred square feet or less when measured at the largest horizontal projection;
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 temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel or seasonal use.
means to bring the structure or other development into compliance with state or local floodplain management regulations, or, if this is not possible, to reduce the impacts of its noncompliance. Ways that impacts may be reduced include protecting the structure or other affected development from flood damages, implementing the enforcement provisions of the ordinance or otherwise deterring future similar violations, or reducing State or Federal financial exposure with regard to the structure or other development.
means relating to, formed by or resembling a river (including tributaries), stream, brook, etc.
means naturally occurring accumulations of sand in ridges or mounds landward of the beach.
means an area in the floodplain subject to a one percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year. It is shown on a FIRM as Zone A, AO, A1 – A30, AE, A99, AH, V1 – V30, VE or V.
includes substantial improvement, and other proposed new development, 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 from the date of the permit. The "actual start" means either the first placement of permanent construction of a structure on a site, such as the pouring of slab or footings, the installation of piles, the construction of columns, or any work beyond the stage of excavation; or the placement of the 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, 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.
means a walled and roofed building, including a gas or liquid storage tank that is principally above ground, as well as a manufactured home.
means 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 percent of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred.
means any repair, reconstruction or improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50 percent 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 occur 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 health, sanitary or safety code specifications which are solely necessary to assure safe living conditions; or |
2. | Any alteration of a structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places or a State Inventory of Historic Places. |
means a grant of relief from the requirements of this chapter which permits construction in a manner that could otherwise be prohibited by this chapter.
means the failure of a structure or other development to be fully compliant with the community's floodplain management regulations. A structure or other development without the elevation certificate, other certifications, or other evidence of compliance required in this chapter is presumed to be in violation until such time as that documentation is provided.
See "Coastal high hazard area."
means a lake, river, creek, stream, wash, arroyo, channel or other topographic feature on or over which waters flow at least periodically. "Watercourse" includes specifically designated areas in which substantial flood damage may occur.
means the height, in relation to the North American Vertical Datum (NAVD) of 1988, or other datum, of floods of various magnitudes and frequencies in the floodplains of coastal or riverine areas.
means an area of moderate flood hazard, between the limits of the 100-year and 500-year floods. The combined areas of special flood hazard and moderate flood hazard constitute the area susceptible to the adverse impacts of sea level rise.
(Ord. 1234 § 3, 2016)