Article III, Flood Hazard Overlay District
Dimensional standards
Servicing
- Applies near
- FIRM
- Geographic extent
- The flood hazard overlay districtOverlay districtA second set of rules laid over the base district, adding requirements without replacing it. includes all areas shown on the FIRM as AE, A, and X zones, and floodway areas.
Extracted standards
9 individual requirements pulled out of this section’s prose, each with the sentence it came from.
Other
- Anchoring of structures
New construction and substantial improvements shall be built according to this ordinance and the VA USBC, and anchored to prevent flotation, collapse, or lateral movement of the structure.
- Floodway encroachment restriction
Within any designated floodway areas, no encroachments, including fill, new construction, substantial improvements, or other development shall be permitted unless it has been demonstrated through hydrologic and hydraulic analysis performed in accordance with standard engineering practice that the proposed encroachment will not result in any increase in flood levels within the community during the occurrence of the base flood discharge.
- Maximum accessoryAccessory useA secondary activity customarily incidental to the main use of the lot — a garage, a home office. structure area200 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Be limited to no more than 200 square feet in total floor area;
- Maximum accessoryAccessory useA secondary activity customarily incidental to the main use of the lot — a garage, a home office. structure for varianceVariancePermission to depart from a specific dimensional rule, granted on a showing of hardship.200 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
No variance shall be granted for an accessory structure exceeding 200 square feet.
- Lowest floor elevation above base flood elevation2 ft
New construction or substantial improvement of any residential structure (including manufactured homes) in zones AE and A, shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to or above the base flood level plus 24 inches.
- Lowest floor elevation for nonresidential2 ft
New construction or substantial improvement of any commercial, industrial, or nonresidential building shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to or above the base flood level plus 24 inches.
- Permit required for all development
All uses, activities and, development occurring within the flood hazard overlay district shall be undertaken only upon the issuance of a permit.
- Subdivision study requirement
Any subdivision proposal or other proposed development (including proposals for manufactured home parks and subdivisions) that exceed 50 lots or five acres, whichever is less, in an area where BFE data is not available, or the SFHA has not been delineated, shall include data using detailed methodologies, including a hydraulic and hydrologic analysis, comparable to those contained in a FIS.
- VarianceVariancePermission to depart from a specific dimensional rule, granted on a showing of hardship. lot size limit0.5 acresacre43,560 square feet — about the size of an American football field without the end zones.
While the granting of variances generally is limited to a lot size less than one-half acre, deviations from that limitation may occur.
From the ordinance
The flood hazard overlay district shall serve as a supplement to the underlying district provisions.