[Amended 7-22-1997 by Ord. No. 3-97; 12-12-2000 by Ord. No. 9-00]
A. 
Identification.
[Amended 3-1-2011 by Ord. No. 1-11]
(1) 
The identified floodplain area shall be any areas of the City of New Kensington classified as special flood hazard areas (SFHAs) in the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) and the accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMS) dated March 17, 2011, and issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or the most recent thereof, including all digital data developed as part of the Flood Insurance Study.
(2) 
The above referenced FIS and FIRMs, and any subsequent revisions and amendments, are hereby adopted by the City of New Kensington and declared to be a part of this chapter.
B. 
Description of floodplain areas.
(1) 
The identified floodplain area shall consist of the following specific areas:
(a) 
FW (floodway area): the areas identified as "floodway" in the AE Zone in the Flood Insurance Study prepared by the FEMA. The term shall also include floodway areas which have been identified in other available studies or sources of information for those floodplain areas where no floodway has been identified in the Flood Insurance Study.
(b) 
FF (flood-fringe area): the areas identified as Zones AE and A1-30 in the FIS which are subject to inundation by the one-percent-annual-chance flood event determined by detailed methods and have base flood elevations (BFEs) shown.
[Amended 3-1-2011 by Ord. No. 1-11]
(c) 
FA (general floodplain area): the areas identified as Zone A in the FIS for which no one-hundred-year flood elevations have been provided. When available, information from other federal, state and other acceptable sources shall be used to determine the one-hundred-year elevation, as well as the floodway area, if possible. When no other information is available, the one-hundred-year elevation shall be determined by using a point on the boundary of the identified floodplain area which is nearest the construction site in question.
(2) 
In lieu of the above, the City of New Kensington may require the applicant to determine the elevations with hydrologic and hydraulic engineering techniques. Hydrologic and hydraulic analyses shall be undertaken only by professional engineers or others of demonstrated qualifications, who shall certify that the technical methods used correctly reflect currently accepted technical concepts. Studies, analyses, computations, etc., shall be submitted in sufficient detail to allow a thorough technical review by the City of New Kensington.
[Amended 3-1-2011 by Ord. No. 1-11]
The identified floodplain area may be revised or modified by the Council where studies or information provided by a qualified agency or person documents the need for such revision. However, prior to any such change, approval must be obtained from FEMA. Additionally, as soon as practicable, but not later than six months after the date such information becomes available, a community shall notify FEMA of the changes by submitting technical or scientific data.
A. 
The areas considered to be floodplain may be revised or modified by the Council where studies or information provided by a qualified agency or person documents the need or possibility for such revision.
B. 
No modification or revision of any floodplain area identified in the Flood Insurance Study prepared by the Federal Insurance Administration shall be made without prior approval from the Federal Insurance Administration.
Should a dispute arise concerning the identification of any floodplain area, an initial determination shall be made by the Planning Commission, and any party aggrieved by such decision may appeal to the Council. The burden of proof shall be on the appellant.