Source: https://ecode360.com/13637234
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 16:15:35+00:00

Document:
§ 138-2 Statement of purpose.
§ 138-6 Basis for establishing areas of special flood hazard.
§ 138-7 Interpretation; conflict with other laws.
§ 138-9 Penalties for offenses.
§ 138-10 Warning and disclaimer of liability.
§ 138-11 Designation of local administrator.
§ 138-12 Floodplain development permit required; fees.
§ 138-13 Permit application information.
§ 138-14 Duties and responsibilities of local administrator.
§ 138-15 General construction standards.
§ 138-16 Standards for all structures.
§ 138-19 Manufactured homes and recreational vehicles.
§ 138-21 Conditions for variances.
Watercourses — See Ch. 293.
Editor's Note: This local law also superseded former Ch. 138, Flood Damage Prevention, adopted 3-17-1987 by L.L. No. 1-1987 (Ch. 7A of the 1969 Code of Ordinances), as amended.
The Commons Council of the City of Cortland, New York, finds that the potential and/or actual damages from flooding and erosion may be a problem to the residents of the City of Cortland, New York, and that such damages may include destruction or loss of private and public housing, damage to public facilities, both publicly and privately owned, and injury to and loss of human life. In order to minimize the threat of such damages and to achieve the purposes and objectives hereinafter set forth, this chapter is adopted.
A nonbasement building built, in the case of a building in Zone A1-A30, AE, A, A99, AO, AH, B, C, X, or D, to have the top of the elevated floor, or, in the case of a building in Zone V1-30, VE, or V, to have the bottom of the lowest horizontal structure member of the elevated floor, elevated above the ground level by means of pilings, 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 of up to the magnitude of the base flood. In the case of Zone A1-A30 AE, A, A99, AO, AH, B, C, X, or D, "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. In the case of Zone V1-V30, VE, or V, "elevated building" also includes a building otherwise meeting the definition of "elevated building" even though the lower area is enclosed by means of breakaway walls that meet the federal standards.
The lowest floor of the lowest enclosed area (including basement or cellar). An unfinished or flood-resistant enclosure usable solely for parking of vehicles, building access, or storage in an area other than a basement area is not considered a building's lowest floor, provided that such enclosure is not built so as to render the structure in violation of the applicable nonelevation design requirements of this chapter.
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 a designated height as determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a Flood Insurance Study or by other agencies as provided in § 138-14B of this chapter.
This chapter shall apply to all areas of special flood hazard within the jurisdiction of the City of Cortland, Cortland County.
Flood Insurance Rate Map Panel Nos. 36023C0227D, 36023C0229D, 36023C0231D, 36023C0232D, and 36023C0233D, whose effective date is, March 2, 2010, and any subsequent revisions to these map panels that do not affect areas under our community's jurisdiction.
A scientific and engineering report entitled "Flood Insurance Study, Cortland County, New York, All Jurisdictions" dated March 2, 2010.
The above documents are hereby adopted and declared to be a part of this chapter. The Flood Insurance Study and/or maps are on file at: City Hall Code Enforcement, Flood Plain Office, 25 Court Street, Cortland, New York.
No structure in an area of special flood hazard shall hereafter be constructed, located, extended, converted, or altered and no land shall be excavated or filled without full compliance with the terms of this chapter and any other applicable regulations. Any infraction of the provisions of this chapter by failure to comply with any of its requirements, including infractions of conditions and safeguards established in connection with conditions of the permit, shall constitute a violation. Any person who violates this chapter or fails to comply with any of its requirements shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined no more than $500 or be imprisoned for not more than 15 days, or both. Each day of noncompliance shall be considered a separate offense. Nothing herein contained shall prevent the City of Cortland, New York, from taking such other lawful action as necessary to prevent or remedy an infraction. Any structure found not compliant with the requirements of this chapter for which the developer and/or owner has not applied for and received an approved variance under §§ 138-20 and 138-21 will be declared noncompliant and notification will be sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
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. This chapter shall not create liability on the part of the City of Cortland, New York, any officer or employee thereof, or the Federal Emergency Management Agency for any flood damages that result from reliance on this chapter or any administrative decision lawfully made thereunder.
The Zoning Officer is hereby appointed local administrator to administer and implement this chapter by granting or denying floodplain development permits in accordance with its provisions.
Purpose. A floodplain development permit is hereby established for all construction and other development to be undertaken in areas of special flood hazard in this community for the purpose of protecting its citizens from increased flood hazards and insuring that new development is constructed in a manner that minimizes its exposure to flooding.
It shall be unlawful to undertake any development in an area of special flood hazard, as shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map enumerated in § 138-6, without a valid floodplain development permit. Application for a permit shall be made on forms furnished by the local administrator and may include, but not be limited to, plans, in duplicate, drawn to scale and 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.
Fees. All applications for a floodplain development permit shall be accompanied by an application fee of $0. In addition, the applicant shall be responsible for reimbursing the City of Cortland for any additional costs necessary for review, inspection and approval of this project. The local administrator may require a deposit of no more than $500 to cover these additional costs.
A certificate from a licensed professional engineer or architect that any utility floodproofing will meet the criteria in § 138-16C, Utilities.
A certificate from a licensed professional engineer or architect that any nonresidential floodproofed structure will meet the floodproofing criteria in § 138-18, Nonresidential structures.
A description of the extent to which any watercourse will be altered or relocated as a result of proposed development. Computations by a licensed professional engineer must be submitted that demonstrate that the altered or relocated segment will provide equal or greater conveyance than the original stream segment. The applicant must submit any maps, computations or other material required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to revise the documents enumerated in § 138-6, when notified by the local administrator, and must pay any fees or other costs assessed by FEMA for this purpose. The applicant must also provide assurances that the conveyance capacity of the altered or relocated stream segment will be maintained.
Review all applications for completeness, particularly with the requirements of § 138-13, Permit application information, and for compliance with the provisions and standards of this chapter.
Review subdivision and other proposed new development, including manufactured home parks, to determine whether proposed building sites will be reasonably safe from flooding. If a proposed building site is located in an area of special flood hazard, all new construction and substantial improvements shall meet the applicable standards of §§ 138-15 through 138-19 and, in particular, § 138-15A, Subdivision proposals.
Determine whether any proposed development in an area of special flood hazard may result in physical damage to any other property (e.g., stream bank erosion and increased flood velocities). The local administrator may require the applicant to submit additional technical analyses and data necessary to complete the determination. If the proposed development may result in physical damage to any other property or fails to meet the requirements of §§ 138-15 through 138-19, no permit shall be issued. The applicant may revise the application to include measures that mitigate or eliminate the adverse effects and resubmit the application.
When the Federal Emergency Management Agency has designated areas of special flood hazard on the community's Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) but has neither produced water surface elevation data (these areas are designated Zone A or V on the FIRM) nor identified a floodway, the local administrator shall obtain, review and reasonably utilize any base flood elevation and floodway data available from a federal, state or other source, including data developed pursuant to § 138-13G, as criteria for requiring that new construction, substantial improvements or other proposed development meet the requirements of this chapter.
The local administrator shall issue, or cause to be issued, a stop-work order for any floodplain development found ongoing without a development permit. Disregard of a stop-work order shall subject the violator to the penalties described in § 138-9 of this chapter.
The local administrator shall issue, or cause to be issued, a stop-work order for any floodplain development found noncompliant with the provisions of this chapter and/or the conditions of the development permit. Disregard of a stop-work order shall subject the violator to the penalties described in § 138-9 of this chapter.
In areas of special flood hazard, as determined by documents enumerated in § 138-6, it shall be unlawful to occupy or to permit the use or occupancy of any building or premises, or both, or part thereof, hereafter created, erected, changed, converted or wholly or partly altered or enlarged in its use or structure, until a certificate of compliance has been issued by the local administrator stating that the building or land conforms to the requirements of this chapter.
Issuance of the certificate shall be based upon the inspections conducted as prescribed in § 138-14E, Inspections, and/or any certified elevations, hydraulic data, floodproofing, anchoring requirements or encroachment analyses which may have been required as a condition of the approved permit.
The City of Cortland agrees to apply to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a conditional FIRM revision, FEMA approval is received and the applicant provides all necessary data, analyses and mapping and reimburses the City of Cortland for all fees and other costs in relation to the application. The applicant must also provide all data, analyses and mapping and reimburse the City of Cortland for all costs related to the final map revision.
The City of Cortland agrees to apply to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a conditional FIRM and floodway revision, FEMA approval is received and the applicant provides all necessary data, analyses and mapping and reimburses the City of Cortland for all fees and other costs in relation to the application. The applicant must also provide all data, analyses and mapping and reimburse the City of Cortland for all costs related to the final map revisions.
For enclosed areas below the lowest floor of a structure within Zone A1-A30, AE or AH, and also Zone A if base flood elevation data are available, new and substantially improved structures shall have 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, designed to automatically equalize hydrostatic flood forces on exterior walls by allowing for the entry and exit of floodwaters.
New electrical equipment, heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, plumbing connections and other service equipment shall be located at least two feet above the base flood elevation or be designed to prevent water from entering and accumulating within the components during a flood and to resist hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and stresses. Electrical wiring and outlets, switches, junction boxes and panels shall also be elevated or designed to prevent water from entering and accumulating within the components unless they conform to the appropriate provisions of the electrical part of the Building Code of New York State or the Residential Code of New York State for location of such items in wet locations.
Replacement equipment configuration shall be selected to maximize the installed height. Reasonably practicable modifications to existing ductwork and/or piping to provide for the maximum height installation shall be required.
The basement or cellar shall be equipped with an approved sump and pumping system which is not connected to the sanitary sewer.
The heating system shall be powered by an electrical circuit which is protected by a ground fault circuit interrupter.
Within Zone AO, new construction and substantial improvements shall have the lowest floor (including basement) elevated above the highest adjacent grade at least as high as two feet above the depth number specified in feet on the community's Flood Insurance Rate Map enumerated in § 138-6 (at least two feet if no depth number is specified).
If the structure is to be floodproofed, a licensed professional engineer or architect shall develop and/or review structural design, specifications, and plans for construction. A floodproofing certificate or other certification shall be provided to the local administrator that certifies the design and methods of construction are in accordance with accepted standards of practice for meeting the provisions of § 138-18A(2), including the specific elevation (in relation to mean sea level) to which the structure is to be floodproofed.
Within Zone AO, the floor shall be elevated above the highest adjacent grade at least as high as the depth number specified on the Flood Insurance Rate Map enumerated in § 138-6 (at least two feet if no depth number is specified).
The Zoning Board of Appeals, as established by the City of Cortland, shall hear and decide appeals and requests for variances from the requirements of this chapter.
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 § 138-20D(1) through (12) have been fully considered. As the lot size increases beyond 1/2 acre, the technical justification required for issuing the variance increases.
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, or conflict with existing local laws or ordinances.
Such notification shall be maintained with the record of all variance actions as required in § 138-14H of this chapter.

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