AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 6, FLOOD HAZARD ZONE OF THE CITY OF YAMHILL ZONE CODE, 1984, ORDINANCE NO. 350; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

WHEREAS, Section 6 of the 1984 Zone Code provides compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program; and

WHEREAS, Ordinance revisions are necessary to comply with revised National Flood Insurance Program Regulations; and

WHEREAS, The Planning Commission held a Public Hearing on December 29, 1987, and recommended adoption of the attached amendments.

NOW THEREFORE, THE CITY OF YAMHILL ORDAINS AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. Section 6, City of Yamhill Zone Code, 1984, Ordinance No. 350 is hereby repealed.

Section 2. The "City of Yamhill Zone Code Amendments, 1988, Section 6 "Flood Hazard Zone" as titled and attached hereto shall be adopted by this reference.

Section 3. Emergency Clause. The Council desires and deems it necessary for the preservation of the health, peace, and safety of the City of Yamhill that this ordinance take effect at once, and therefore an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval.

Passed by the Council this 27 day of January 1988, by the following vote:

Ayes: 5

Nays: 0

Submitted to and approved by the Mayor on this 27th day of January , 1988.

_________________________________

Mayor City of Yamhill

Attest:

___________________________________

City Recorder, City of Yamhill

FH Flood Hazard Zone

Purpose: It is the purpose of the FH Zone to regulate and and prohibit some uses in those areas in the Flood Hazard Zone that would endanger the safety and general welfare of the community.

A Flood Hazard Zone shall be considered as an overlay to any existing zone and the development of said property shall be in accordance with this zone's requirements for USE, except as may be specifically allowed by the Planning Commission under the provisions of this Section.

A Flood Hazard Zone shall be identified on the ZONING MAP in addition to the existing zone.

6.1 Statutory Authorization, Findings of Fact, Purpose and Objectives

6.2 Definitions

6.3 General Provisions

6.4 Administration

6.5 Provisions for Flood Hazard Protection

6.6 Use

Section 6. FH Flood Hazard Zone.

6.1 Statutory Authorization, Findings of Fact, Purpose and Objectives.

6.1.1 Statutory Authorization. The legislature of the State of Oregon has in ORS 92.046 delegated the responsibility to local government units to adopt regulations designed to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare of its citizenry.

6.1.2 Findings of Fact.

(A) The flood hazard area of Yamhill are subject to periodic inundation which may 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 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 flood loss.

6.1.3 Statement of Purpose. It is the purpose of this Flood Hazard Zone to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare, and to minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions in areas by provisions designed:

(A) To protect human life and health;

(B) To minimize expenditures of public money and 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, street and bridges located in areas of specific flood hazard;

(F) To help maintain a stable tax base by providing for the sound use and development of areas of special flood hazards 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.

6.1.4 Methods of Reducing Flood Losses. In order to accomplish its purposes, this section 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 in flood heights and velocities;

(B) Requiring that uses vulnerable to floods, including facilities which serve such uses, to be protected against flood damage at the time of initial construction;

(C) Controlling the alteration of natural flood plains, stream channels and 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 increase flood hazards in other areas.

6.2 Definitions. Unless specifically defined below, words or phrases used in this section shall be interpreted so as to give them the meaning . they have in common usage and to give this section its most reasonable application.

6.2.1 Definitions.

(a) "Appeal" means a request for a review by the City Council of the interpretation of any provision of this ordinance or a request for a variance;

(b) "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 to three feet; a clearly defined channel does not exist; the path of flooding is unpredictable and indeterminate; and, velocity flow may be evident. AO is characterized as sheet flow and AH indicates ponding.

(c) "Area of Special Flood Hazard" means the land in the flood plain within a community subject to a 1 percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year; designation on maps always include the letters A or V.

(d) "Base Flood" means the flood having a 1 percent chance of being equalled or exceeded in any given year; also referred to as the "100-year flood." Designation on maps always includes the letters A or V.

(e) "Development" means any man-made 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 located within the area of special flood hazard;

(f) "Flood" or "Flooding" means a general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from:

( i) The overflow of inland or tidal waters; and/or

(ii) The unusual and rapid accumulation of runoff of surface waters from any source.

(g) "Flood Insurance Rate Map" (FIRM) means the official map on which the Federal Insurance Administration has delineated both the areas of special flood hazards and the risk premium zones applicable to the community.

(h) "Flood Insurance Study" means the official report provided by the Federal Insurance Administration that includes flood profiles, the Flood Boundary-Floodway Map, and the water surface elevation of the base flood.

(i) "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 foot;

(j) "Lowest Floor" means the lowest floor of the lowest enclosed area (including basement). An unfinished or flood resistant enclosure, 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 that such enclosure is not built so as to render the structure in violation of the applicable non-elevation design requirements of this ordinance found at Section 6.5.2(a)(ii).

(k) "Manufactured Home" means a structure, transportable in one 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. For flood plain management purposes the term "manufactured home" also includes park trailers, travel trailers, and other similar vehicles placed on a site for greater than 180 consecutive days. For insurance purposes the term manufactured home, does not include park trailers, travel trailers, and other similar vehicles.

(l) "Manufactured Home Park or Subdivision" means a parcel (or contiguous parcels) of land divided into two or more manufactured home lots or sale.

(m) "New Construction" means structures for which the "start of construction" means structures commenced on or after the effective date of this ordinance.

(n) "Start of Construction" includes substantial improvement, and means the date the building permit was issued, provided the actual start of construction, repair, reconstruction, placement or other improvement was within 180 days of the permit date. The actual start means either the first placement of permanent construction of a structure on a 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; of 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, footings, piers, or foundation or the erection of temporary forms; nor does it include the installation on the accessory buildings, such as garages or sheds not occupied as dwelling units or not part of the main structure.

(o) "Structure" means a walled and roofed building including a gas or liquid storage tank that is principally above ground.

(p) "Substantial improvement" means any repair reconstruction, or improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the structure either:

(i ) Before the improvement or repair is started; or

(ii) If the structure has been damaged and is being restored, before the damage occurred, for the purpose of this definition, "substantial improvement" is considered to occur 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:

(1) Any structure to comply with existing state or local health, sanitary or safety code specifications which are solely necessary to assure safe living conditions; or

(2) Any alteration of a structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places or a State Inventory of Historic Places.

(q) "Variance" means a grant of relief from the requirements of this ordinance which permits construction in a manner that would otherwise be prohibited by this ordinance.

6.3 General Provisions.

6.3.1 Lands to which this Zone Applies. The Flood Hazard Zone shall apply to all areas of special flood hazards within the jurisdiction of the City of Yamhill.

6.3.2 Basis for Establishing the Areas of Special Flood Hazard. The areas of special flood hazard identified by the Federal Insurance Administration in a scientific and engineering report entitled "The Flood Insurance Study for the City of Yamhill", dated September 1981, with accompanying flood insurance maps, is hereby adopted as reference and declared to be part of this section. The study is on file at Yamhill City Hall, and Yamhill Planning Department, County Courthouse, McMinnville, Oregon.

6.3.3 Compliance. No structure or land shall hereafter be constructed, located, extended, converted or altered without full compliance with the terms of this section and other applicable regulations. This section does not apply to existing structures in the flood plain where proposed alterations and improvements do not constitute substantial improvements as defined in Section 6.2 of this section.

6.3.4 Abrogation and Greater Restrictions. This section is not intended to repeal, abrogate, or impair any existing easements, covenants or deed restrictions. However, where this section and another ordinance, easements, covenants, or deed restrictions conflict or overlap, whichever imposes the more stringent restrictions shall prevail.

6.3.5 Interpretation. In the interpretation and application of this section, all provisions shall be:

(a) Considered as minimum requirements;

(b) Liberally construed in favor of the governing body; and

(c) Deemed neither to limit nor repeal any other powers granted under State Statues.

6.3.6 Warning and Disclaimer of Liability. The degree of flood protection required by this section is considered reasonable for regulatory purposes and is based on scientific and engineering considerations. Larger floods can and will occur on rare occasions. Larger floods can and will occur rare occasions. Flood heights may be increased by man-made or natural causes. This section 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 section shall not create liability on the part of the City of Yamhill, any officer or employee thereof, or the Federal Insurance Administration, for any flood damages that result from reliance on this section or any administrative decision lawfully made thereunder.

6.4 Administration.

6.4.1 Establishment of Development Permit. A development permit shall be obtained before construction or development begins within any area of special flood hazard established in Section 6.3(2). The permit shall be for all structures, including manufactured homes, as set forth in the "definitions" and for all other development including fill and other activities, also set forth in the "definitions". Application for a development permit shall be on forms furnished by the Planning Department and may include, but not be limited to: Plans in duplicate drawn to scale 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. Specifically, the following information is required:

(a) Elevation in relationship to mean sea level, of the lowest floor (including basement) of all structures;

(b) Elevation in relation to mean sea level to which any structure has been floodproofed;

(c) Certification by a registered professional engineer or architect that the floodproofing methods for any nonresidential structure meets the floodproofing criteria in Section 6.5.2.; and

(d) Description of the extent to which any watercourse will be altered or relocated as a result of proposed development.

6.4.2 Designation of the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission is hereby appointed to administer and implement this section by granting or denying development permit applications in accordance with its provisions.

6.4.3 Duties and responsibilities of the Planning Commission shall include, but not be limited to:

(a) Permit Review.

( i) Review all development permits to determine that the permit requirements have been satisfied.

( ii) Review all development permits to determine that those federal, state, or local governmental agencies from which prior approval is required.

(iii) Review all development permits to determine if the proposed development is located in the floodway. If located in the floodway, assure that the encroachment provisions of Section 6.5.3 are met.

(b) Use of Other Base Flood Data. When base flood data has not been provided in accordance with Section 6.3.2, Basis for Establishing the Areas of Special Flood Hazard, the Planning Commission 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 Section 6.5.2, Specific Standards, and 6.5.3 Floodways.

(c) Information to be Obtained and Maintained.

( i) Obtain and record the actual elevation (in relation to mean sea level) of the lowest floor (including basement) of all new or substantially improved structures and whether or not the structure contains a basement.

( ii) For all new or substantially improved floodproofed structures:

(1) Verify and record the actual elevation (in relation to mean sea level); and

(2) Maintain the floodproofing certifications required in Section 6.4.

(iii) Maintain for public inspection all records pertaining to the provisions of this section.

(d) Alterations of Watercourses.

( i) Notify adjacent communities and the Oregon State Water Resources Department prior to any alteration or relocation of a watercourse, and submit evidence of such notification to the Federal Insurance Administration.

(ii) Require that maintenance is provided within the altered or relocated portion of such watercourse so that the flood carrying capacity is not diminished.

(e) Interpretation of FIRM Boundaries. Make Interpretations where needed, as to exact location of the boundaries of the areas of special flood hazards (for example, where there appears to be a conflict between a mapped boundary and actual field conditions). The person contesting the location of the boundary shall be given a reasonable opportunity to appeal the interpretation as provided in Section 6.4.4.

6.4.4 Variance and Appeal Procedure

(a) The Planning Commission as established by the City of Yamhill shall hear and decide appeals and request for variances from the requirements of this ordinance.

(b) The City Council shall hear and decide appeals when it is alleged there is an error in any requirement, decision, or determination made be the Planning Commission in the enforcement or administration of this ordinance.

(c) Those aggrieved by the decision of the Planning Commission, or any taxpayer, may appeal such decision to the City Council, as provided in Section 15, City of Yamhill 1984 Zone Code.

(d) In passing upon such applications the Planning Commission shall consider all technical evaluations, all relevant factors, standards specified in other sections of this ordinance, and:

(i) the danger that materials may be swept onto other lands to the injury of others;

(ii) the danger to life and property due to flooding or erosion damage;

(iii) the susceptibility of the proposed facility and its content to flood damage and the effect of such damage on the individual owner;

(iv) the importance of the services provided by the proposed facility to the community;

(v) the necessity to the facility of a water-front location, where applicable;

(vi) the availability of alternative locations for the proposed use which are not subject to flooding or erosion damage;

(vii) the compatibility of the proposed use with existing and anticipated development;

(viii) the relationship of the proposed use to the comprehensive plan and flood plain management program for that area;

(ix) the safety of access to the property in times of flood for ordinary and emerge vehicles;

(x) the expected heights, velocity, duration, rate of rise, and sediment transport of the flood waters and the effects of wave action, if applicable, expected at the site; and

(xi) the costs of providing governmental services during and after flood conditions, including maintenance and repair of public facilities such as sewer, gas, electrical, and water systems, and streets and bridges.

(e) Upon consideration of the factors of Section 6.4.4(d) and the purposes of this ordinance, the Planning Commission may attach such conditions to the granting of variances at it deems necessary to further the purposes of this ordinance.

(f) The Planning Commission shall maintain the records of all appeal actions and report any variances to the Federal Insurance Administration upon request.

6.4.5 Conditions for Variances

(a) Generally, the only condition under which a variance from the elevation standard may be issued is for new construction and substantial improvements to be erected on a lot of one-half acre or less in size contiguous to and surrounded by lots with existing structures constructed below the base flood level, providing items (i-xi) in Section 6.4.4(d) have been fully considered. As the lot size increases the technical justification required for issuing the variance increases.

(b) Variances may be issued for the reconstruction, rehabilitation, or restoration of structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places or the State Inventory of Historic Places, without regard to the procedures set forth in this section.

(c) Variances shall not be issued within a designated floodway if any increase in flood levels during the base flood discharge would result.

(d) Variances shall only be issued upon a determination that the variance is the minimum necessary, considering the flood hazard, to afford relief.

(e) Variances shall only be issued upon:

(i) a showing of good and sufficient cause;

(ii) a determination that failure to grant the variance would result in exceptional hardship to the applicant;

(iii) 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 as identified in Section 6.4.4(d), or conflict with existing local laws or ordinances.

(f) Variances as interpreted in the National Flood Insurance Program are based on the general zoning law principle that they pertain to a physical piece of property; they are not personal in nature and do not pertain to the structure, its inhabitants, economic or financial circumstances. They primarily address small lots in densely populated residential neighborhoods. As such, variances from the flood elevations should be quite rare.

(g) Variances may be issued for nonresidential buildings in very limited circumstances to allow a lesser degree of floodproofing than watertight or dry floodproofing, where it can be determined that such action will have low damage potential, complies with all other variance criteria except 6.4.5(a), and otherwise complies with Sections 6.5.1(a) and 6.5.1(b) of the General Standards.

(h) 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 lowest floor elevation.

6.5 Provisions for Flood Hazard Reduction.

6.5.1 General Standards. In all areas of special flood hazards, the following standards are required:

(a) Anchoring.

(i) All new construction and substantial improvements shall be anchored to prevent flotation, collapse, or lateral movement of the structure.

(ii) All manufactured homes must likewise be anchored to prevent flotation, collapse, or lateral movement, and shall be installed using methods and practices that minimize flood damage. Anchoring methods may include, but are not limited to, use of over-the-top or frame ties to ground anchors (Reference FEMA's "Manufacturing Home Installation in Flood Hazard Areas" Guidebook for additional techniques).

(b) Construction Materials and Methods.

(i) All new construction and substantial improvements shall be constructed with materials and utility equipment resistant to flood damage.

(ii) All new construction and substantial improvements shall be constructed using methods and practices that minimize flood damage.

(iii) Electrical, heating, ventilation, plumbing, and air-conditioning equipment and other service facilities shall be designed and/or otherwise elevated or located so as to prevent water from entering or accumulating within the Components during conditions of flooding.

(c) Utilities.

(i) All new and replacement water supply systems shall be designed to minimize or eliminate infiltration of flood waters into the system;

(ii) New and replacement sanitary sewage systems shall be designed to minimize or eliminate infiltration of flood waters into the systems, and discharge from the systems into flood waters; and

(iii) On-site waste disposal systems shall be located to avoid impairment to them or contamination from them during flooding.

(d) Subdivision Proposals

(i) All subdivision proposals shall be consistent with the need to minimize flood damage;

(ii) All subdivision proposals shall have public utilities and facilities such as sewer, gas, electrical and water systems located and constructed to minimize flood damage;

(iii) All subdivision proposals shall have adequate drainage provided to reduce exposure to flood damage; and

(iv) Base flood elevation data shall be provided for subdivision proposals and other proposed development which contain at least 5 lots or 1 acre (whichever is less).

(e) Review of Building Permits. Where elevation data is not available either through the Flood Insurance Study or from another authoritative source (Section 6.4.3(b), applications for building permits shall be reviewed to assure that proposed construction will be reasonably safe from flooding. The test of reasonableness is a local judgment and includes use of historical data, high water marks, photographs of past flooding, etc., where available. Failure to elevate at least two feet above grade in these zones may result in higher insurance rates.

6.5.2 Specific Standards. In all areas of special flood hazards where base flood elevation data has been provided as set forth in Section 6.3.2 basis for Establishing the Areas of Special Flood Hazard or Section 6.4.3(b), Use of Other Base Flood Data, the following provisions are required:

(a) Residential Construction.

(i) New construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to or above the base flood elevation.

(ii) All enclosed areas below the lowest floor that are subject to flooding are prohibited, or shall be 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 registered professional engineer or architect or must meet or exceed the following minimum criteria:

(1) A minimum of two openings having a total open area of not less than one square inch for every square foot of enclosed area subject to flood shall be provided.

(2) The bottom of all-openings shall be no more higher than one foot above grade.

(3) Openings may be equipped with screens, louvers, or other coverings or devices provided that they permit the automatic entry and exit of floodwaters.

(b) Nonresidential Construction. New construction and substantial improvement of any commercial, industrial or other nonresidential structure shall either have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to the level of the base flood elevation; or, together with attendant utility and sanitary facilities, shall:

(i) Be floodproofed so that below the base flood level 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 effect of buoyancy; and,

(iii) Be certified by a registered professional engineer or architect that the design and methods of construction are in accordance with accepted standards of practice for meeting provisions of this subsection based on their development and/or review of the structural design, specifications and plans. Such certifications shall be provided to the official as set forth in Section 6.4.3(c)(ii)

(iv) Nonresidential structures that are elevated, not floodproofed, must meet the same-standards for space below the lowest floor as described in 6.5.2(a)(ii).

(v) Applicants floodproofing nonresidential buildings shall be notified that flood insurance premiums will be based on rates that are one foot below the floodproofed level (e.g. a building constructed to the base foot level will be rated as one foot below that level).

(c) Manufactured Homes. All manufactured homes to be placed or substantially improved within Zones Al-30, AH, and AE shall be elevated on a permanent foundation such that the lowest floor of the manufactured home is at or above the base flood elevation and be securely anchored to an adequately anchored foundation system in accordance with the provisions of subsection 6.5.5(a)

6.5.3 Floodways. Located within areas of special flood hazard established in Section 6.3.2 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:

(a) 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;

(b) If Section 6.5.2 is satisfied, all new construction and substantial improvements shall comply with all applicable floods hazard reduction provisions of Section 6.5, Provisions for Flood Hazard Reduction;

6.6 Use. In a F-H Zone the following uses and their accessory uses are permitted:

6.6.1 Permitted Use:

(a) Public park, open space;

(b) Farming;

(c) Camp grounds;

(d) Travel trailer park;

(e) Drive-in theater.