TITLE: Title
Public Hearing on Land Use Ordinance Text Amendments Related to Flood Damage Prevention Provisions to Reflect New Maps
PURPOSE: The purpose of this item is for the Board of Aldermen to receive public comments on Land Use Ordinance Text Amendments related to flood damage prevention provisions.
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DEPARTMENT: Planning
CONTACT INFORMATION: Patricia McGuire, pmcguire@townofcarrboro.org <mailto:pmcguire@townofcarrboro.org>, 919-918-7327; Christina Moon, cmoon@townofcarrboro.org <mailto:cmoon@townofcarrboro.org>, 919-918-7325
INFORMATION: Revisions to the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) have been underway for several years. Updated LIDAR data have significantly increased the clarity and accuracy of elevation data and the digital modeling used to create these maps. State and Federal flood mapping officials have informed the Town that the maps are ready to become effective. Associated updates to flood modelling used to determine flood impacts have been developed as well. Changes from the existing maps includes the following: addition of special flood hazard areas in two unnamed tributaries of Bolin Creek (near the Fox Meadow neighborhood and near the Cates Farm neighborhood), addition of floodway along Jones Creek adjoining the boundary of Lake Hogan Farms and Ballentine), and extension of flood hazard area and floodway on Toms Creek north of James Street and along the unnamed tributary of Morgan Creek that flows through the Rocky Brook Mobile Home Park. Base flood elevations and flood hazard areas contracted along portions of Toms Creek and Morgan Creek with a reduction in the number of structures within the special flood hazard area along Morgan Creek.
An updated state model ordinance has been made available. This update includes definitional changes and other provisions, and the reference to the date of the new FIRMs.
A draft ordinance has been prepared that incorporates the updated map reference and additional revisions from the model ordinance provided by State floodplain mapping. An annotated excerpt of Article XVI, Part I, Flood Damage Prevention, is also provided (Attachment B and C). The new flood maps may be viewed at this location <http://fris.nc.gov/fris/Home.aspx?ST=NC> .
FEMA has notified the Town that its regulations must be updated to reference the revised maps by November 17th. In order to provide time for state and federal review of the Town’s flood damage prevention ordinance provisions prior to November 17, a public hearing must be held. Action on the draft ordinance on that date or soon after is recommended.
Review by Orange County, the Planning Board and the Environmental Advisory Board has been completed. Comments are provided (Attachment D).
Staff will report at the hearing on the effect of the designation of special flood hazard areas and floodway on the mobile homes at Rocky Brook, following a question raised during advisory board review. Aldermen Slade also requested staff to comment on provisions of President Obama’s Executive Order 13690 which were recently rescinded. The full text of the order may be found at this link; comments are noted in italic text below.
<https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/DCPD-201500068/pdf/DCPD-201500068.pdf>
i) Section 6(c) is amended by striking ", including at a minimum, that area subject to a one percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year" and inserting in lieu thereof:
". The floodplain shall be established using one of the following approaches:
"(1) Unless an exception is made under paragraph (2), the floodplain shall be:
"(i) the elevation and flood hazard area that result from using a climate-informed science approach that uses the best-available, actionable hydrologic and hydraulic data and methods that integrate current and future changes in flooding based on climate science. This approach will also include an emphasis on whether the action is a critical action as one of the factors to be considered when conducting the analysis; Staff is seeking confirmation from NC Floodplain Mapping regarding the standards used to develop the new FIRMS.
"(ii) the elevation and flood hazard area that result from using the freeboard value, reached by adding an additional 2 feet to the base flood elevation for non- critical actions and by adding an additional 3 feet to the base flood elevation for critical actions; Carrboro’s LUO provisions require two feet of freeboard above the base flood elevation.
"(iii) the area subject to flooding by the 0.2 percent annual chance flood; or The special flood hazard area in Carrboro’s LUO is based on the one-percent annual change flood event.
"(iv) the elevation and flood hazard area that result from using any other method identified in an update to the FFRMS.
FISCAL & STAFF IMPACT: None noted with adoption of the ordinance.
RECOMMENDATION:r It is recommended that the Board of Aldermen consider adoption of the resolution finding consistency (Attachment A) and the draft ordinance (Attachment B).