7213-03
ORDINANCE NO. 7213-03
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF CLEARWATER,
FLORIDA RELATING TO FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT
REGULATIONS; AMENDING CHAPTER 51, CODE OF
ORDINANCES; PROVIDING FOR VARIOUS MINOR
REVISIONS; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, The City of Clearwater participates in the National Flood
Insurance Program; and
WHEREAS, Section 1361 of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, as
amended, requires that the City show evidence of adoption of floodplain
management regulations that meet the standards of Section 60.3 of the National
Flood Insurance Program; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 51 of the Code of Ordinances contains these
required floodplain management regulations; and
WHEREAS, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has
recommended minor changes to these regulations; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA, that:
Section 1. Chapter 51, Code of Ordinances is amended as follows:
Sec. 51.03. Definitions
. .. ... ... ... . . . .. Base flood elevation and BFE mean the elevation above mean sea
level as shown GR in the FIRM and FHBM Flood Insurance Study.
.. . .. . ... ... . . . .. Development means any manmade change to improved or
unimproved real property, including but not limited to buildings or other
structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavating, drilling or
pormanent storage of materials.
... ... ... ... ..... Floodway means the channel of a river or other water course and
the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base
flood without increasing the water surface elevation by a desiqnated heiqht of
one foot.
... ... ... ........ Functionally dependent facility means a facility which cannot be
used for its intended purpose unless it is located or carried out in close proximity
to water, such as but not limited to a boat docking or port facility, ef shipbuilding,
or ship repair or seafood processing facilitios. The term does not include long
term storage, manufacture, sales or service facilities.
Ordinance No. 7213-03
... ... ... ... ... ... National Geodetic North American Vertical Datum and NGVD
NA VD, as corrected inW29 2003, mean a vertical control used as a reference
for establishing varying elevations within the floodplain.
Structure means a walled and roofed building that is principally above ground, a
manufactured home, or a gas or liquid storage tank, or other manmade facility or
infrastructure.
Sec. 51.08. Adoption of maps and study.
Federal Emergency Management Agency maps entitled "Flood Insurance Rate
Map and Floodway", and the accompanying study entitled "Flood Insurance
Study- Clearwater", all effective September 3, 2003, and any subsequent
revisions, shall be used to provide the database for this Chapter.
Sec. 51.32. Specific standards.
In all areas of special flood hazard, the following standards are required:
(1) Residential construction (A zone). New construction or substantial
improvement of any residential structure shall have the lowest floor,
including the basement, elevated at or above the base flood elevation.
Should solid foundation perimeter walls be used to elevate a structure,
openings sufficient to facilitate the automatic equalization of flood
hydrostatic forces on exterior walls unimpeded movement of floodwaters
shall be provided in accordance with the standards set forth in subsection
(3) of this section.
(2) Nqnresidential construction (A zone). New construction or substantial
improvement of any commercial, industrial or non-residential structure
shall have the lowest floor, including the basement, elevated at or above
the base flood elevation. Structure located in all A zones may be
floodproofed in lieu of being elevated, provided that all areas of the
structure, toqether with attendant utilities. below the required elevation are
watertight with walls substantially impermeable to the passage of water
and use structural components having the capability of resisting
hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and the effects of buoyancy. A state
registered professional engineer or architect shall certify that the
standards of this subsection are satisfied.
... (6) Coastal high hazard areas (V zones). ...............
... (b) All buildings or structures shall be elevated so that the bottom of the
lowest supporting horizontal structural member, excluding pilings or columns, is
located at or above the base flood elevation level, with all space below the lowest
supporting member open so as not to impede the flow of water. Breakaway walls
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Ordinance No. 7213-03
may be permitted if designed to wash away in the event of abnormally high tides
or wave action and in accordance with subsection (6)(h) of this section. .............
... (f) There shall be no fill used as structural support. Limited noncompacted fill
may be used around the perimeter of a building for landscaping or aesthetic
purposes provided the fill will wash out from storm surge, thereby rendering the
building free of obstruction, prior to generating excessive loading forces, ramping
effects or wave deflection. ...................
... (h) Nonsupporting breakaway walls, open wood latticework or mesh
screening shall be allowed below the base flood elevation provided they are not
part of the structural support of the building and are designed so as to break
away, under abnormally high tides or wave action, without damage to the
structural integrity of the building on which they are to be used and provided the
following design specifications are met: .........................
Sec. 51.33. Streams without established base flood elevations or
floodways.
ill Within the areas of special flood hazard where small streams exist oo.t
where 00 base flood data have been provided Gf but where no floodways
have been provided, the following standards apply:
fB No encroachments, including fill material or structures, shall be
located less than 20 feet from the top of the stream bank unless
certification by a state registered professional engineer is provided
demonstrating that such encroachments shall not result in any increase in
flood levels during the occurrence of the base flood discharge.
(2) Within the areas of special flood hazard where small streams exist but
where no base flood data have been provided and where no floodways have
been provided. the followinq standards apply:
t21 New construction or substantial improvements of structures shall be
elevated or floodproofed to elevations established by the building official utilizing
data available from a federal, state or other source.
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Ordinance No. 7213-03
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Section 2. This ordinance shall take effect immediately upon adoption.
PASSED ON FIRST READING
PASSED ON SECOND AND FINAL
READING AND ADOPTED
Approved as to form:
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Attest:
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November 6. 2003
November 20. 2003
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ria . Aungst tf/
Mayor-Commissioner
Ordinance No. 7213-03