Source: https://ecode360.com/10423718
Timestamp: 2018-06-20 23:07:19
Document Index: 672796202

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 116', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 96', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68', '§ 68']

Town of Aurora, NY Flood Damage Prevention
§ 68-7 Interpretation; conflict with other provisions.
§ 68-11 Development permit.
§ 68-12 Powers and duties of local administrator.
§ 68-13 General standards.
§ 68-14 Specific standards.
§ 68-15 Floodways.
§ 68-16 Appeals Board; variances.
Chapter 68: Flood Damage Prevention
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Aurora 9-28-1987 by L.L. No. 1-1987. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Chapter 68 : Flood Damage Prevention
The Town Board of the Town of Aurora finds that the potential and/or actual damages from flooding and erosion may be a problem to the residents of the Town of Aurora 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.
To minimize damage to public facilities and utilities, such as water and gas mains, electric, telephone and sewer lines and streets and bridges, located in areas of special flood hazard.
The official report provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The report contains flood profiles, as well as the Flood Boundary – Floodway Map and the water surface elevations of the base flood.
The top surface of an enclosed area in a building, including the basement, i.e., the top of the slab in concrete slab construction or the top of wood flooring in wood frame construction.
The lowest level, including the 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 same meaning as "manufactured home" and "mobile home" as defined in Chapter 116, § 116-4.
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 § 68-12B of this chapter.
The initiation, excluding planning and design, of any phase of a project or physical alteration of the property, and shall include land preparation, such as clearing, grading and filling; installation of streets and/or walkways; excavation for a basement, footings, piers or foundations; or the erection of temporary forms. It also includes the placement and/or installation on the property of accessory buildings (garages or sheds), storage trailers and building materials. For manufactured homes, the "actual start" means the affixing of the manufactured home to its permanent site.
This chapter shall apply to all areas of special flood hazard within the jurisdiction of the Town of Aurora.
The areas of special flood hazard identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a scientific and engineering report entitled the "Flood Insurance Study for the Town of Aurora, of Erie county, New York," dated October 1978, with accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Maps and Flood Boundary - Floodway Maps, are hereby adopted and declared to be a part of this chapter. The Flood Insurance Study and maps are on file at the Town Hall, 5 South Grove Street, East Aurora, New York, 14052.
In their interpretation and application, the provisions of this chapter shall be held to be the minimum requirements adopted for the promotion of the public health, safety and welfare. Whenever the requirements of this chapter are at variance with the requirements of any other lawfully adopted rules, regulations or ordinances, the most restrictive or that imposing the highest standards shall govern.
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 the 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 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 Town of Aurora 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 § 68-16 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 areas of special flood hazard 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 Town of Aurora, 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 areas of special flood hazard as established in § 68-6. 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.
The elevation, in relation to mean sea level, of the proposed lowest floor, including the basement or cellar, of all structures.
When required, a certificate from a licensed professional engineer or architect that the utility floodproofing will meet the criteria in § 68-13C(1).
A certificate from a licensed professional engineer or architect that the nonresidential floodproofed structure will meet the floodproofing criteria in § 68-14.
A stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP), if required by Chapter 96, Stormwater Management, of the Code, together with the recommendation of the Stormwater Management Officer to approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove the SWPPP pursuant to § 96-4B of the Code.
Review all development permits for compliance with the provisions of § 68-13E, Encroachments.
If a stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) was submitted together with the development permit application pursuant to § 68-11A(6), review the SWPPP and development permit application to determine that the requirements of Chapter 96, Stormwater Management, of the Code have been met.
Use of other base flood and floodway data. When base flood elevation data has not been provided in accordance with § 68-6, 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 § 68-13D(4), in order to administer § 68-14, Specific standards, and § 68-15, Floodways.
Maintain the floodproofing certifications required in §§ 68-13 and 68-14.
Base flood elevation data established pursuant to § 68-6 and/or Subsection B above, 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 § 68-8 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 § 68-8 of this chapter.
All other development occurring within the designated flood hazard areas will have, upon completion, a certificate of compliance issued by the local administrator.
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. Where designed for location below the base flood elevation, a professional engineer's or architect's 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 § 68-12A(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 § 68-12B or Subsection D(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 § 68-12B, the requirements of § 68-15, Floodways, shall apply.
In all areas of special flood hazard where base flood elevation data has been provided as set forth in § 68-6, Basis for establishing areas of special flood hazard, and § 68-12B, Use of other base flood and floodway data, the following standards are required:
Residential construction. New construction and substantial improvements of any residential structure shall have the lowest floor, including the basement or cellar, elevated to or above the base flood elevation or have fully enclosed areas below the lowest floor that are subject to flooding designed to automatically equalize hydrostatic flood forces on exterior walls by allowing for the entry and exit of floodwaters. Designs for meeting this requirement must either be certified by a licensed professional engineer or architect or meet or exceed the following minimum criteria:
Openings may be equipped with louvers, valves, screens, or other coverings or devices, provided that they permit the automatic entry and exit of floodwaters.
Nonresidential construction. New construction and substantial improvements of any commercial, industrial or other nonresidential structure, together with attendant utility and sanitary facilities, shall either have the lowest floor, including the basement or cellar, elevated to or above the base flood elevation or be floodproofed so that the structure is watertight below the base flood level with walls substantially impermeable to the passage of water. All structural components located below the base flood level must be capable of resisting hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and the effects of buoyancy.
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, with structural components having the capability of resisting hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and the effects of buoyancy.
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 the basement, elevated to or above the base flood elevation as may be determined in § 68-12B 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, § 68-4.) 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 §§ 68-6 and 68-12B, 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 Town of Aurora, 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 Subsection A(4)(a) through (l) have been fully considered. As the lot size increases beyond the 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 or create nuisances, cause fraud on or victimization of the public or conflict with existing local laws or ordinances.