Source: https://www.ecode360.com/8687381
Timestamp: 2018-05-21 20:40:52
Document Index: 726503268

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 15716', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157']

City of Schenectady, NY FLOOD HAZARD CONTROL
§ 157-1 Findings.
§ 157-2 Purpose.
§ 157-3 Objectives.
§ 157-4 Word usage; definitions.
§ 157-5 Applicability.
§ 157-6 Basis for establishing areas of special flood hazard.
§ 157-7 Interpretation; conflict with other provisions.
§ 157-9 Warning and disclaimer of liability.
§ 157-10 Designation of local administrator.
§ 157-11 Development permit.
§ 157-12 Powers and duties of local administrator.
§ 157-13 General standards.
§ 157-14 Specific standards.
§ 157-15 Floodways.
§ 157-16 Appeals board.
§ 157-17 Conditions for variances.
Chapter 157: FLOOD HAZARD CONTROL
Chapter 157 Revised
Created: 2014-01-14|Updated: 2014-01-14
Chapter 157 was replaced on November 25, 2013 by Local Law 2013-01. See New Laws
[HISTORY Adopted by the Council of the City of Schenectady 3-23-1987 by L.L. No. 1-1987.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
Building, plumbing and electrical standards — See Ch. 138.
Editor's Note: This local law supersedes former Ch. 157, Flood Hazard Control, adopted 8-29-1983 by L.L. No. 3-1983.
Chapter 157 : FLOOD HAZARD CONTROL
The Council of the City of Schenectady finds that the potential and/or actual damages from flooding and erosion may be a problem to the residents of the City of Schenectady and that such damages may include the 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.
The objectives of this chapter are to.
Provide that developers and potential buyers are notified that property is in an area of special flood hazard.
A nonbasement building built to have the lowest floor elevated above the ground level by means of fill, solid foundation perimeter walls, pilings, columns (posts and piers) or sheer walls.
Lowest level, including basement or cellar, of the lowest enclosed area. 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 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 § 157-12B of this chapter.
Any repair, reconstruction or improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50% 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 commence 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 any project for improvement of a structure to comply with existing state or local building, fire, health, sanitary or safety code specifications which are solely necessary to assure safe living conditions; or any alteration of a structure or contributing structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places or a State Inventory of Historic Places.
This chapter shall apply to all areas of special flood hazard within the jurisdiction of the City of Schenectady.
The areas of special flood hazard are identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a scientific and engineering report entitled the "Flood Insurance Study for the City of Schenectady of Schenectady County, New York," dated March 30, 1983, with accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Maps and Flood Boundary - Floodway Maps, which is hereby adopted and declared to be a part of this chapter. The Flood Insurance Study and maps are on file at the office of the City Clerk.
No structure 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 $250 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 Schenectady 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 §§ 15716 and 157-17, will be declared noncompliant and notification 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 areas of special flood hazard or that 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 Schenectady, 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.
A development permit shall be obtained before the start of construction or any other development within the area of special flood hazard as established in § 157-6. Application for a development 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.
Elevation, in relation to mean sea level, of the proposed lowest floor, including basement or cellar, of all structures.
Elevation, in relation to mean sea level, to which any nonresidential structure will be floodproofed.
When required, a certificate from a licensed professional engineer or architect that the utility floodproofing will meet the criteria in § 157-13C(1).
Certificate from a licensed professional engineer or architect that the nonresidential floodproofed structure will meet the floodproofing criteria in § 157-14.
Review all development permits for compliance with the provisions of § 157-13E, Encroachments.
Use of other base flood and floodway data. When base flood elevation data has not been provided in accordance with § 157-6, Basis for establishing areas of special flood hazard, 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 § 157-13D(4), in order to administer § 157-14, Specific standards, and § 157-15, Floodways.
Maintain the floodproofing certifications required in §§ 157-13 and 157-14.
Base flood elevation data established pursuant to § 157-6 and/or 157-12B, when available, shall be used to accurately delineate the areas of special flood hazard.
All floodplain development found ongoing without an approved permit shall be subject to the issuance of a stop-work order by the local administrator. Disregard of a stop-work order shall be subject to the penalties described in § 157-8 of this chapter.
All floodplain development found noncompliant with the provisions of this chapter and/or the conditions of the approved permit shall be subject to the issuance of a stop-work order by the local administrator. Disregard of a stop-work order shall be subject to the penalties described in § 157-8 of this chapter.
There is hereby established a fee of $25 for a flood zone letter.
[Added 11-30-1987 by Ord. No. 87-75; amended 1-16-1996 by Ord. No. 95-38]
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. When designed for location below the base flood elevation, a professional engineer's or architects certification is required.
All proposed development in riverine situations where no flood elevation data is available (unnumbered A Zones) shall be analyzed to determine the effects on the flood-carrying capacity of the areas of special flood hazard set forth in § 157-12A(3). This may require the submission of additional technical data to assist in the determination.
In all areas of special flood hazard in which base flood elevation data is available pursuant to § 157-12B or 157-13D(4) and no floodway has been determined, the cumulative effects 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 one foot at any point.
In all areas of special flood hazard where floodway data is provided or available pursuant to § 157-12B, the requirements of § 157-15, Floodways, shall apply.
In all areas of special flood hazard where base flood elevation data has been provided as set forth in § 157-6, Basis for establishing areas of special flood hazard, and § 157-12B, Use of other base flood and floodway data, the following standards are required:
A licensed professional engineer or architect shall develop and/or review structural design, specifications and plans for the construction and shall certify that the design and methods of construction are in accordance with accepted standards of practice to make the structure watertight, with walls substantially impermeable to the passage of water and with structural components having the capability of resisting hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and the effects of buoyancy; and
Construction standards for areas of special flood hazard without base flood elevations. New construction or substantial improvements of structures, including manufactured homes shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to or above the base flood elevation as may be determined in § 157-12B or two feet above the highest adjacent grade where no elevation data is available.
Located within areas of special flood hazard are areas designated as floodways. (See definition, § 157-4.) The floodway is an extremely hazardous area due to high-velocity floodwaters carrying debris and posing additional threats from potential erosion forces. When floodway data is available for a particular site as provided by §§ 157-6 and 157-12B, all encroachments, including fill, new construction, substantial improvements and other development, are prohibited within the limits of the floodway unless a technical evaluation demonstrates that such encroachments shall not result in any increase in flood levels during the occurrence of the base flood discharge.
The Zoning Board of Appeals as established by the City of Schenectady, 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 § 157-16D(1) through (12) have been fully considered. As the lot size increases beyond the 1/2 acre, the technical justification required for issuing the variance increases.
Variances may be issued by a community for new construction and substantial improvements and for other development necessary for the conduct of a functionally dependent use, provided that.