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Planning board approves floodplain LDC amendments; staff outlines coordinated Florida Building Code updates
Summary
The Planning Board approved two land development code amendments to update local floodplain language to align with FEMA and the Florida Building Code; staff said new FEMA maps based on updated lidar are already in effect and noted a 3‑foot freeboard remains in local code.
At its May 6 meeting the Escambia County Planning Board heard a package of code updates tied to new FEMA flood insurance rate maps and voted to approve two amendments to the county Land Development Code (LDC) related to floodplain management and definitions.
Planning staff explained the package includes changes to LDC Chapter 4, Article 2 (Floodplain Management) and to Chapter 6, Section 6‑0.3 (Terms defined). The updates were developed with a FEMA contractor to bring County LDC language into alignment with the Florida Building Code and FEMA standards. Staff said the new FEMA maps were developed using updated lidar with one‑foot contours; some properties moved into flood zones while others were removed compared with the prior maps from February 2006. Staff noted FEMA is currently using the new maps and the county is informing applicants to meet the new standards.
Staff emphasized that the county's local three‑foot freeboard requirement remains in place on top of FEMA's base flood elevation. The board discussed the location of definitions such as "substantial damage" and "substantial improvement" and staff said those definitions are being centralized to avoid conflicting language across documents; staff clarified the regulatory standards themselves are not being eliminated but consolidated.
The board voted to approve the two LDC amendments (agenda items 5.3 and 5.4 on the published agenda). Two additional items — changes to local ordinances to reflect revisions to the Florida Building Code — were presented for information only and did not require a Planning Board vote. Staff invited questions from the Santa Rosa Island Authority and building inspection representatives, who were present to explain island‑specific and building‑code implications.
Staff advised property owners and applicants that the new maps and unified code language affect permitting and elevation requirements going forward and that development and permitting applications should be prepared to meet the updated standards.
