In 2014, the City adopted Chapter 22, Flood Damage Prevention, which established minimum requirements to safeguard the public health, safety, and general welfare and to minimize losses due to flooding. In order to maintain the City’s excellent flood insurance rating as determined by the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System (CRS), the City seeks to continually refine its local floodplain management regulations.

At the conclusion of the most recent CRS five-year certification review of the City’s floodplain management regulations, the City confirmed the regulations would be amended to indicate that final plats would show delineated flood hazard areas, floodway boundaries and flood zones, and design flood elevations. The City has concluded it would also be prudent to show this information on re-plats as well.

The City staff proposes to amend the regulations as follows:

22.11.02 Subdivision plats. Where any portion of proposed subdivisions, including manufactured home parks and subdivisions, lies within a flood hazard area, the following shall be required:

(1) Delineation of flood hazard areas, floodway boundaries and flood zones, and design flood elevations, as appropriate, shall be shown on preliminary plats, final plats and re-plats;

This is a very simple amendment; the proposed new language is shown with underlining. 

Compatibility with Comprehensive Plan:

The proposal is consistent with the following Comprehensive Plan objectives and policies:

• Coastal Management Element Objective 2.4 - Reduce the risks to human life and public and private property from natural disasters through implementation of hazard mitigation measures.

• Coastal Management Element Policy 2.4.2 - The City shall continue to implement hazard mitigation programs, such as building codes, floodplain management regulations, stormwater management regulations, land use regulations, as well as proper siting and management of public facilities in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan.

• Future Land Use Element Policy 1.1.1 - The City shall continue to implement and enforce regulations which recognize the limitations of development in the coastal zone (e.g., vulnerability of tropical storms, topography and soil conditions).

• Future Land Use Element Policy 1.1.2 - To implement this Comprehensive Plan, the City shall continue to implement land development regulations that contain specific and detailed provisions which, at minimum, shall:

1. Regulate the subdivision of land;

   f.    Ensure that all development and/or redevelopment is consistent with Federal flood insurance regulations;

• Future Land Use Element Policy 1.2.1 - The Land Development Code shall be enforced to ensure that:

1. Residential areas are located and designed to protect life and property from natural and manmade hazards such as flooding, excessive traffic, subsidence, noxious odors and noise;

• Intergovernmental Coordination Element Policy 1.1.4 - The City shall continue to communicate and coordinate with the District School Board of Pasco County, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, Tampa Bay Water, Southwest Florida Water Management District, Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization, Municipal Association of Pasco and state and federal agencies, as appropriate, to address issues or proposed actions concerning an agency’s jurisdiction or resources or proposals that are multi-jurisdictional in nature.