Chapter 9.04
FLOOD DAMAGE PREVENTION
Sections:
9.04.010 Statutory authorization and short title.
9.04.030 Statement of purpose.
9.04.040 Methods of reducing flood losses.
9.04.080 Provisions for flood hazard reduction.
9.04.010 Statutory authorization and short title.
A. Statutory Authorization. The Legislature of the State of California has by Cal. Gov’t Code §§ 65302 and 65800 conferred upon local government units authority to adopt regulations designed to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare of its citizenry. This chapter shall be known as the “floodplain management ordinance of the City of Dixon.” [Ord. 12-004.]
9.04.020 Findings of fact.
This chapter is enacted in response to the following:
A. The flood hazard areas of the City of Dixon are subject to occasional periodic inundation which could result in loss of life and property, health and safety hazards, disruption of commerce and governmental services, extraordinary public expenditures for flood protection and relief, and impairment of the tax base, all of which adversely affect the public health, safety and general welfare.
B. These flood losses are caused by the cumulative effect of obstructions in areas of special flood hazards which increase flood heights and velocities, and when inadequately anchored damage uses in other areas. Uses that are inadequately floodproofed, elevated or otherwise protected from flood damage also contribute to the flood loss. [Ord. 12-004.]
9.04.030 Statement of purpose.
It is the purpose of this chapter to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare, and to minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions in specific area by provisions designed:
A. To protect human life and health;
B. To minimize expenditure of public money for costly flood control projects;
C. To minimize the need for rescue and relief efforts associated with flooding and generally undertaken at the expense of the general public;
D. To minimize prolonged business interruptions;
E. To minimize damage to public facilities and utilities such as water and gas mains, electric, telephone and sewer lines, streets and bridges located in areas of special flood hazard;
F. To help maintain a stable tax base by providing for the sound use and development of areas of special flood hazard so as to minimize future flood blight areas;
G. To ensure that potential buyers are notified that property is in an area of special flood hazard; and
H. To ensure that those who occupy the areas of special flood hazard assume responsibility for their actions. [Ord. 12-004.]
9.04.040 Methods of reducing flood losses.
In order to accomplish its purposes, this chapter includes methods and provisions for:
A. Restricting or prohibiting uses which are dangerous to health, safety, and property due to water or erosion hazards, or which result in damaging increases in erosion or flood heights or velocities;
B. Requiring that uses vulnerable to floods, including facilities which serve such uses, be protected against flood damage at the time of initial construction;
C. Controlling the alteration of natural floodplains, stream channels, and natural protective barriers, which help accommodate or channel flood waters;
D. Controlling filling, grading, dredging, and other development which may increase flood damage; and
E. Preventing or regulating the construction of flood barriers which will unnaturally divert flood waters or which may cause flood hazards in other areas. [Ord. 12-004.]
9.04.050 Definitions.
A. Special Definitions. Unless specifically defined below, words or phrases used in this chapter shall be interpreted so as to give them the meaning they have in common usage and to give this chapter its most reasonable application.
“Appeal” means a request for review of the Floodplain Administrator’s interpretation of any provision of this chapter or a request for a variance.
“Area of shallow flooding” means a designated AO or AH Zone on the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). The base flood depths range from one (1) to three (3) feet; a clearly defined channel does not exist; the path of flooding is unpredictable and indeterminate; and velocity flow may be evident. Such flooding is characterized by ponding or sheet flow.
Area of Special Flood Hazard. See “special flood hazard area.”
“Base flood” means the flood having a one percent (1%) chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year (also called the “one hundred (100) year flood”).
“Basement” means any area of the building having its floor subgrade (below ground level) on all sides.
Building. See “structure.”
“Development” means any manmade change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation or drilling operations or storage of equipment or materials.
“Flood, flooding, or flood water” means a general temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from (1) the overflow of flood waters, (2) the unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source, and/or (3) the collapse or subsidence of land along the shore of a lake or other body of water as a result of erosion or undermining causes by waves or other currents of water exceeding anticipated cyclical levels or suddenly caused by an unusually high level in a natural body of water, accompanied by a severe storm, or by an unanticipated force of nature, such as a flash flood or an abnormal tidal surge, or by some similarly unusual and unforeseeable event which results in flooding as defined in this definition.
“Flood Boundary and Floodway Map (FBFM)” means the official map on which the Federal Emergency Management Agency or Federal Insurance Administration has delineated both the areas of flood hazard and the floodway.
“Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)” means the official map on which the Federal Emergency Management Agency or Federal Insurance Administration has delineated both the area of flood hazard and the floodway.
“Flood Insurance Study” means the official report provided by the Federal Insurance Administration that includes flood profiles, the FIRM, the Flood Boundary and Floodway Map, and the water surface elevation of the base flood.
“Floodplain” or “flood-prone area” means any land susceptible to being inundated by water from any source (see definition of “flood, flooding, or flood water”).
“Floodplain management” means the operation of an overall program of corrective and preventive measures for reducing flood damage, including but not limited to emergency preparedness plans, flood control works and floodplain management regulations.
“Floodplain management regulations” means zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations, building codes, health regulations, special purposes ordinances (such as floodplain ordinance, grading ordinance and erosion control ordinance) and other applications of police power. The term describes such State or local regulations in any combination thereof which provide standards for the purpose of flood damage prevention and reduction.
“Floodproofing” means any combination of structural and nonstructural additions, changes, or adjustments to nonresidential structures which reduce or eliminate flood damage to real estate or improved real property, water and sanitary facilities, structures and their contents.
“Floodway” means 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 one (1) foot. Also referred to as “regulatory floodway.”
“Fraud and victimization,” as related to DMC 9.04.090, Variance procedure, means that the variance granted must not cause fraud on or victimization of the public. In examining the requirements, the City Council of the City of Dixon will consider the fact that every newly constructed building adds to government responsibilities and remains a part of the community for fifty (50) to one hundred (100) years. Buildings that are permitted to be constructed below the base flood elevation are subject during all those years to increased risk of damage from floods, while future owners of the property and the community as a whole are subject to all the costs, inconvenience, danger, and suffering that those increased flood damages bring. In addition, future owners may purchase the property, unaware that it is subject to potential flood damage, and can be insured only at very high insurance rates.
“Functionally dependent use” means a use which cannot perform its intended purpose unless it is located or carried out in close proximity to water. The term includes only docking facilities, port facilities that are necessary for the loading and unloading of cargo or passengers, and ship building and ship repair facilities, and does not include long-term storage or related manufacturing facilities.
“Governing body” is the City Council of the City of Dixon.
“Hardship,” as related to DMC 9.04.090, Variance procedure, means the exceptional hardship that would result from a failure to grant the requested variance. The City Council of the City of Dixon requires that the variance be exceptional, unusual, and peculiar to the property involved. Mere economic or financial hardship alone is not exceptional. Inconvenience, aesthetic considerations, physical handicaps, personal preferences, or the disapproval of one’s neighbors likewise cannot, as a rule, qualify as an exceptional hardship. All of these problems can be resolved through other means without granting a variance, even if the alternative is more expensive, or requires the property owner to build elsewhere or put the parcel to a different use than originally intended.
“Highest adjacent grade” means the highest natural elevation of the ground surface prior to construction next to the proposed walls of a structure.
“Historic structure” means any structure that is:
1. Listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places (a listing maintained by the Department of the Interior) or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as meeting the requirements for individuals listing on the National Register;
2. Certified or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as contributing to the historical significance of a registered historic district or a district preliminary determined by the Secretary to qualify as a registered historic district;
3. Individually listed on a State inventory of historic places in states with historic preservation programs which have been approved by the Secretary of the Interior; or
4. Individually listed on a local inventory of historic places in communities with historic preservation programs that have been certified by either an approved State program as determined by the Secretary of State of the Interior or directly by the Secretary of the Interior in states with approved programs.
“Lowest floor” means the lowest floor of the lowest enclosed areas, including basement (see “basement” definition).
1. An unfinished or flood resistant enclosure below the lowest floor that is 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 it conforms to applicable nonelevation design requirements, including but not limited to:
a. The wet floodproofing standard in DMC 9.04.080(A)(3)(d).
b. The anchoring standards in DMC 9.04.080(A)(1).
c. The construction materials and methods standards in DMC 9.04.080(A)(2).
d. The standards for utilities in DMC 9.04.080(B).
2. For residential structures, all subgrade enclosed areas are prohibited as they are considered to be basements (see “basement” definition). This prohibition includes below-grade garages and storage areas.
“Manufactured home” means a structure, transportable in one (1) or more sections, which is built on a permanent chassis and is designed for use with or without a permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities. The term “manufactured home” does not include a “recreational vehicle.”
“Manufactured home park or subdivision” means a parcel (or contiguous parcels) of land divided into two (2) or more manufactured home lots for sale or rent.
“Mean sea level” means, for purposes of the National Flood Insurance Program, the National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD) of 1929 or other datum to which base floodplain management regulation adopted by this community, and includes any subsequent improvements to such structures.
“Obstruction” includes, but is not limited to, any dam, wall, wharf, embankment, levee, dike, pile, abutment, protection, excavation, channelization, bridge, conduit, culvert, building, wire, fence, rock, gravel, refuse, fill, structure, vegetation or other material in, along, across or projecting into any watercourse which may alter, impede, retard or change the direction and/or velocity of the flow of water, or due to its location, its propensity to snare or collect debris carried by the flow of water, or its likelihood of being carried downstream.
“One hundred (100) year flood” means a flood which has a one percent (1%) annual probability of being equaled or exceeded. It is identical to the “base flood,” which will be the term used throughout this chapter.
“Person” means an individual or his agent, firm, partnership, association or corporation or agent of the aforementioned groups, or this State or its agencies or political subdivisions.
“Public safety and nuisance,” as related to DMC 9.04.090, Variance procedure, means the granting of a variance must not result in anything which is injurious to safety or health of an entire community or neighborhood, or any considerable number of persons, or lawfully obstructs the free passage or use, in the customary manner, of any navigable lake, river, bay, stream, canal or basin.
“Recreational vehicle” means a vehicle which is:
1. Built on a single chassis;
2. Contains four hundred (400) square feet or less when measured at the largest horizontal projection;
3. Designed to be self-propelled or permanently towable by the light-duty truck; and
4. Designed primarily not for use as a permanent dwelling but as a temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel, or seasonal use.
“Remedy a violation” means to bring the structure or other development into compliance with State or local floodplain management regulations, or, if this is not possible, to reduce the impacts of its noncompliance. Ways that impacts may be reduced include protecting the structure or other affected development from flood damages, implementing the enforcement provisions of this chapter or otherwise deterring future similar violations, or otherwise reducing Federal or State financial exposure with regard to the structure or other development.
“Riverine” means relating to, formed by, or resembling a river (including tributaries), stream, brook, etc.
“Special flood hazard area (SFHA)” means an area having special flood or flood related erosion hazards, and shown on an FHBM or FIRM as Zone A, AO, A1-30, AE, A99, or AH.
“Start of construction” includes substantial improvement and other proposed new development and means the date the building permit was issued, provided the actual start of construction, repair, reconstruction, rehabilitations, addition, placement, or other improvement was within one hundred eighty (180) days of the permit date. The “actual start” means either the first placement of permanent construction of a structure on site, such as the pouring of slab or footings, the installation of piles, the construction of columns, or any work beyond the stage of excavation; or the placement of a manufactured home on a foundation. Permanent construction does not include land preparation, such as clearing, grading and filling; nor does it include the installation of streets and/or walkways; nor does it include excavation for a basement, footing, piers, or foundations or the erection of temporary forms; nor does it include the installation on the property of accessory buildings, such as garages or sheds not occupied as dwelling units or not part of the main structure. For a substantial improvement, the “actual start of construction” means the first alteration of any wall, ceiling, floor or other structural part of a building, whether or not that alteration affects the external dimensions of the building.
“Structure” means a walled and roofed building including a gas or liquid storage tank, that is principally above ground, as well as a manufactured home.
“Substantial damage” means damage of any origin sustained by a structure whereby the cost of restoring the structure to its before-damaged condition would equal or exceed fifty percent (50%) of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred.
“Substantial improvement” means any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition or other proposed new development of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds fifty percent (50%) of the market value of the structure before the “start of construction” of the improvement. This term includes structures which have incurred “substantial damage,” regardless of the actual repair work performed. This term does not, however, include either:
1. Any project for improvement of a structure to correct existing violations of State or local health, sanitary, or safety code specifications which have been identified by the local code enforcement official and which are the minimum necessary to assure safe living conditions; or
2. Any alteration of a “historic structure”; provided, that the alteration will not preclude the structure’s continued designation as a “historic structure.”
“Variance” means a grant of relief from the requirements of this chapter which permits construction in a manner that would otherwise be prohibited by this chapter.
“Violation” means the failure of a structure or other development to be fully compliant with the community’s floodplain management regulations. A structure or other development without the elevation certificate, other certifications, or other evidence of compliance required in this chapter is presumed to be in violation until such time as that documentation is provided.
“Watercourse” means a lake, river, creek, stream, wash, arroyo, channel, or other topographic feature on or over which waters flow at least periodically. “Watercourse” includes specifically designated areas in which substantial flood damage may occur. [Ord. 12-004; Ord. 13-004 §§ 12, 13.]
9.04.060 General provisions.
A. Lands to Which This Chapter Applies. This chapter shall apply to all areas of special flood hazards within the jurisdiction of the City of Dixon.
B. Basis for Establishing the Areas of Special Flood Hazard. The areas of special flood hazard identified by the Federal Insurance Administration of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the following documents are hereby adopted by reference and declared to be a part of this chapter:
1. Flood Insurance Study for City of Dixon (FIS) dated November 1980 with accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) dated May 19, 1981, and all subsequent amendments and/or revisions.
2. Flood Insurance Study for Solano County (FIS) dated July 16, 1996, with the following Solano County Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) dated August 2, 1982, and all subsequent amendments and/or revisions:
a. FIRM Panel 154; and
b. FIRM Panel 158; and
c. FIRM Panel 175.
These FISs and attendant mapping are the minimum area of applicability of this chapter and may be supplemented by studies for other areas which allow implementation of this chapter and which are recommended to the City Council by the Floodplain Administrator. The study and FIRMs are on file at the Office of the City Clerk in the Dixon City Hall, 600 East A Street, Dixon, California 95620.
C. Compliance. No structure or land shall hereafter be constructed, located, extended, converted, or altered without full compliance with the terms of this chapter and other applicable regulations. Violations of the provisions of this chapter by failure to comply with any of its requirements (including violations of conditions and safeguards established in connection with conditions) shall constitute a misdemeanor. Nothing herein shall prevent the City Council from taking such lawful action as is necessary to prevent or remedy any violation.
D. Abrogation and Greater Restrictions. This chapter is not intended to repeal, abrogate, or impair any existing easements, covenants, or deed restrictions. However, where this chapter and another chapter, easement, covenant, or deed restriction conflict or overlap, whichever imposes the more stringent restrictions shall prevail.
E. Interpretation. In the interpretation and application of this chapter, all provisions shall be:
1. Considered as minimum requirements;
2. Liberally construed in favor of the governing body; and
3. Deemed neither to limit nor repeal any other powers granted under State statutes.
F. Warning and Disclaimer of Liability. 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 manmade or natural causes. This chapter does not imply that land outside the areas 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 Dixon, any officer or employee thereof, the State of California, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or the Federal Insurance Administration for any flood damages that result from reliance on this chapter or any administrative decision lawfully made thereunder.
G. Severability. This chapter and the various parts thereof are hereby declared to be severable. Should any section of this chapter be declared by the courts to be unconstitutional or invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the chapter as a whole, or any portion thereof other than the section so declared to be unconstitutional or invalid. [Ord. 12-004.]
9.04.070 Administration.
A. Establishment of Development Permit. A development permit shall be obtained before construction or development begins within any area of special flood hazards established in DMC 9.04.060. Application for a development permit shall be made on forms furnished by the Floodplain Administrator and may include, but not be limited to: plans in duplicate drawn to scale showing the nature, location, dimensions, and elevation of the area in question; existing or proposed structures, fill, storage of materials, and drainage facilities; and the location of the foregoing. Specifically, the following information is required:
1. Proposed elevation in relation to mean sea level of the lowest floor (including basement) of all structures; in Zone AO, elevation of highest adjacent grade and proposed elevation of lowest floor of all structures;
2. Proposed elevation in relation to mean sea level to which any nonresidential structure will be floodproofed;
3. All appropriate certifications listed in subsection (C)(4) of this section; and
4. Description of the extent to which any watercourse will be altered or relocated as a result of proposed development.
B. Designation of Floodplain Administrator. The Community Development Director of the City of Dixon is hereby appointed as the Floodplain Administrator to administer and implement this chapter by granting or denying development permits in accordance with its provisions.
C. Duties and Responsibilities of the Floodplain Administrator. The duties and responsibilities of the Floodplain Administrator shall include, but not be limited to:
1. Permit Review.
a. Review all development permits to determine that the permit requirements of this chapter have been satisfied;
b. All other required State and Federal permits have been obtained;
c. The site is reasonably safe from flooding;
d. The proposed development does not adversely affect the carrying capacity of areas where base flood elevations have been determined but a floodway has not been designated. For purposes of this chapter, “adversely affects” means that the cumulative effect of the proposed development when combined with all other existing and anticipated development will increase the water surface elevation of the base flood more than one (1) foot at any point.
2. Use of Other Base Flood Data. When base flood elevation data has not been provided in accordance with DMC 9.04.060, the Floodplain Administrator shall obtain, review, and reasonably utilize any base flood elevation and floodway data available from a Federal, State or other source, in order to administer DMC 9.04.080. Any such information shall be submitted to the City Council for adoption.
3. Whenever a watercourse is to be altered or relocated:
a. Notify adjacent communities and the California Department of Water Resources prior to such alteration or relocation of a watercourse, and submit evidence of such notification to the Federal Insurance Administration;
b. Require that the flood carrying capacity of the altered or relocated portion of said watercourse is maintained.
4. Obtain and maintain for public inspection and make available as needed:
a. The certification required in DMC 9.04.080(A)(3)(a) (lowest floor elevations);
b. The certification required in DMC 9.04.080(A)(3)(b) (lowest floor elevations for substantially improved or substantially damaged structures);
c. The certification required in DMC 9.04.080(A)(3)(c)(i) (floodproofing of substantially improved nonresidential structures);
d. The certification required in DMC 9.04.080(A)(3)(d)(i) and (ii) (wet floodproofing standard);
e. The certified elevation required in DMC 9.04.080(C)(2) (subdivision standards);
f. The certification required in DMC 9.04.080(F)(1) (floodway encroachments).
5. Make interpretations, where needed, as to the exact location of the boundaries of the areas of special flood hazards. Where there appears to be a conflict between a mapped boundary and actual field conditions, grade and base elevations shall be used to determine the boundaries of the special flood hazard area. The person contesting the location of the boundary shall be given a reasonable opportunity to appeal the interpretation as provided in DMC 9.04.090.
6. Take action to remedy violations of this chapter as specified in DMC 9.04.060. [Ord. 12-004; Ord. 13-004 § 14.]
9.04.080 Provisions for flood hazard reduction.
A. Standards of Construction. In all areas of special flood hazards, the following standards are required:
1. Anchoring.
a. All new construction and substantial improvements shall be anchored to prevent flotation, collapse or lateral movement of the structure resulting from hydrodynamic and hydrostatic loads, including the effects of buoyancy.
b. All manufactured homes shall meet the anchoring standards of subsection D of this section.
2. Construction Materials and Methods.
a. All new construction and substantial improvements shall be constructed with materials and utility equipment resistant to flood damage.
b. All new construction and substantial improvements shall be constructed using methods and practices that minimize flood damage.
c. All new construction and substantial improvements shall be constructed with electrical, heating, ventilation, plumbing and air conditioning equipment and other service facilities that are designed and/or located so as to prevent water from entering or accumulating within the components during conditions of flooding.
d. Require within Zones AH or AO adequate drainage paths around structures on slopes to guide flood waters around and away from proposed structures.
3. Elevation and Floodproofing.
a. New construction of any structure shall have the lowest grade of the pad elevated one (1) foot above the base flood elevation. Substantially improved structures may meet standards in subsection (A)(3)(b) of this section. Substantially improved nonresidential structures may meet standards in subsection (A)(3)(c) of this section. Upon the completion of the foundations, the elevation of the lowest floor including basement shall be certified by a registered professional engineer or surveyor, and verified by the community Building Inspector to be properly elevated. Such certification and verification shall be provided to the Floodplain Administrator.
b. Substantially improved structures shall either be elevated in conformance with subsection (A)(3)(a) of this section or be elevated so that the lowest floor, including basement, is at least two (2) feet above the base flood elevation. Substantially improved nonresidential structures may meet the standards in subsection (A)(3)(c) of this section. Upon completion of the substantial improvement, the elevation of the lowest floor including basement shall be certified by a registered professional engineer or surveyor, and verified by the City Building Inspector to be properly elevated. Such certification and verification shall be provided to the Floodplain Administrator.
c. Substantially improved nonresidential structures shall either be elevated in conformance with subsection (A)(3)(a) or (b) of this section or, together with attendant utility and sanitary facilities:
(i) Be floodproofed below the elevation specified in subsection (A)(3)(a) or (b) of this section so that the structure is watertight with walls substantially impermeable to the passage of water;
(ii) Have structural components capable of resisting hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and effects of buoyancy; and
(iii) Be certified by a registered professional engineer or architect, and verified by the City Building Inspector, that the standards of this subsection are satisfied. Such certifications shall be provided to the Floodplain Administrator.
d. Require, for all new construction and substantial improvements, that fully enclosed areas below the lowest floor (excluding basements) that are usable solely for parking vehicles, building access or storage, and which are subject to flooding, shall be designed to automatically equalize hydrostatic flood forces on exterior walls by allowing for the entry and exit of flood water. Designs for meeting this requirement must exceed the following minimum criteria:
(i) Be certified by a registered professional engineer or architect to comply with the guidelines for engineered opening in FEMA Technical Bulletin 193; or
(ii) A minimum of two (2) openings having a total net area of not less than one (1) square inch for every square foot of enclosed area subject to flooding shall be provided. The bottom of all openings shall be no higher than one (1) foot above grade. Openings may be equipped with screens, louvers, valves or other coverings or devices; provided, that they permit the automatic entry and exit of flood waters.
e. Manufactured homes shall also meet the standards in subsection D of this section.
B. Standards for Utilities. The standards for utilities are as follows:
1. All new and replacement water supply and sanitary sewage systems shall be designed to minimize or eliminate infiltration of flood waters into the system and discharge from systems into flood waters.
2. On-site waste disposal systems shall be located to avoid impairment to them or contamination from them during flooding.
C. Standards for Subdivisions. The standards for subdivisions are as follows:
1. All preliminary subdivision proposals shall identify the flood hazard area and the elevation of the base flood.
2. All final subdivision plans will provide the elevation of proposed structure(s), and elevation(s) shall be certified by a registered professional engineer or surveyor and provided to the Floodplain Administrator.
3. All subdivision proposals shall be consistent with the need to minimize flood damage.
4. All subdivision proposals shall have public utilities and facilities such as sewer, gas, electrical and water systems located and constructed to minimize flood damage.
5. All subdivisions shall provide adequate drainage to reduce exposure to flood hazards.
D. Standards for Manufactured Homes. All new, replacement, additions to, and substantially improved manufactured homes shall:
1. Be elevated so that the lowest floor is at least one (1) foot above the base flood elevation; and
2. Be securely anchored to a permanent foundation system to resist flotation, collapse or lateral movement.
E. Standards for Recreational Vehicles. All recreational vehicles placed on sites within Zones A1-30, AH, and AE on the community’s Flood Insurance Rate Map will either:
1. Be on the site for fewer than one hundred eighty (180) consecutive days, and be fully licensed and ready for highway use – a recreational vehicle is ready for highway use if it is on its wheels or jacking system, is attached to the site only by quick disconnect type utilities and security devices, and has no permanently attached additions; or
2. Meet the permit requirements of DMC 9.04.070 and the elevation and anchoring requirements for manufactured homes in subsection (D)(1) of this section.
F. Floodways. Located within areas of special flood hazard established in DMC 9.04.060 are areas designated as floodways. Since the floodway is an extremely hazardous area due to the velocity of flood waters which carry debris, potential projectiles, and erosion potential, the following provisions apply:
1. Prohibit encroachments, including fill, new construction, substantial improvements, and other development unless certification by a registered professional engineer or architect is provided demonstrating that encroachments shall not result in any increase in flood levels during the occurrence of the base flood discharge.
2. If subsection (F)(1) of this section is satisfied, all new construction, substantial improvement, and other proposed new development shall comply with all other applicable flood hazard reduction provisions in this section. [Ord. 12-004.]
9.04.090 Variance procedure.
A. Appeal Board. Appeals under this chapter are subject to the following:
1. The City Council of the City of Dixon shall hear and decide appeals and requests for variances from the requirements of this chapter.
2. The City Council shall hear and decide appeals when it is alleged there is an error in any requirement, decision, or determination made by the Floodplain Administrator in the enforcement or administration of this chapter.
3. In passing upon such applications, the City Council shall consider all technical evaluations, all relevant factors, standards specified in other sections of this chapter and:
a. The danger that materials may be swept onto other lands to the injury of others;
b. The danger to life and property due to flooding or erosion damage;
c. The susceptibility of the proposed facility and its contents to flood damage and the effect of such damage on the individual owner;
d. The importance of the services provided by the proposed facility to the community;
e. The necessity to the facility of a waterfront location, where applicable;
f. The availability of alternative locations for the proposed use which are not subject to flooding or erosion damage;
g. The compatibility of the proposed use with existing and anticipated development;
h. The relationship of the proposed use to the comprehensive plan and floodplain management program for that area;
i. The safety of access to the property in time of flood for ordinary and emergency vehicles;
j. The expected heights, velocity, duration, rate of rise, and sediment transport of the flood waters expected at the site; and
k. The costs of providing governmental services during and after flood conditions, including maintenance and repair of public utilities and facilities such as sewer, gas, electrical, and water system, and streets and bridges.
4. Generally, variances may be issued for new construction and substantial improvements to be erected on a lot of one-half (0.5) acre or less in size contiguous to and surrounded by lots with existing structures constructed below the base flood level, providing subsections (A)(3)(a) through (k) of this section have been fully considered. As the lot size increases beyond one-half (0.5) acre, the technical justification required for issuing the variance increases.
5. Upon consideration of the factors of subsection (A)(3) of this section and the purposes of this chapter, the City Council may attach such conditions to the granting of variances as it deems necessary to further the purposes of this chapter.
6. The Floodplain Administrator shall maintain the records of all appeal actions, including justification for their issuance, and report any variances to the Federal Insurance Administration upon request, and in its Biennial Report.
B. Conditions for Variances. Conditions for variances under this chapter are as follows:
1. Variances may be used for the repair or rehabilitation of “historic structures” upon a determination that the proposed repair or rehabilitation will not preclude the structure’s continued designation as a historic structure and the variance is the minimum necessary to preserve the historic character and design of the structure.
2. Variances shall not be issued within any designated floodway if any increase in flood levels during the base flood discharge would result.
3. Variances shall only be issued upon a determination that the variance is the minimum necessary, considering the flood hazard, to afford relief. “Minimum necessary” means to afford relief with a minimum of deviation from the requirements of this chapter.
4. Variances shall only be issued upon:
a. A showing of good and sufficient cause;
b. A determination that failure to grant the variance would result in exceptional hardship to the applicant; and
c. A determination that the granting of a variance will not result in increased flood heights, additional threats to public safety, extraordinary public expense, create nuisances, cause fraud on or victimization of the public, or conflict with existing local laws or ordinances.
5. Variances may be issued for new construction and substantial improvements and for other development necessary for the conduct of a functionally dependent use; provided, that the provisions of subsections (B)(1) through (4) of this section are satisfied and that the structure or other development is protected by methods that minimize flood damages during the base flood and create no additional threats to public safety.
6. Any applicant to whom a variance is granted shall be given written notice that the structure will be permitted to be built with a lowest floor elevation below the base flood elevation and that the cost of flood insurance will be commensurate with the increased risk resulting from the reduced floor elevation. [Ord. 12-004.]