Planning board approves update to Town of Woodfin flood-damage prevention code, raises freeboard to 4 feet

WOODFIN, N.C. — The Town of Woodfin Planning Board of Adjustment voted unanimously April 1 to approve proposed amendments to Chapter 14 of the town code, which governs flood-damage prevention. The board's action follows a staff presentation describing several changes aimed at reducing flood risk to new construction in mapped FEMA flood zones.

Town planning staff member Ricky told the board the update would apply to areas mapped by FEMA as the 1% annual-chance (100-year) floodplain. "We were proposing to change the freeboard standard from 2 feet to 4 feet," Ricky said. He also described other changes proposed in the draft ordinance: lengthening the look-back period used to determine "substantial improvement" of a building, measuring elevation to the bottom of the lowest structural member rather than to the finished floor and adding standards for tanks and temperature-controlled spaces placed below the lowest floor.

The changes the staff proposed include: - Increasing the freeboard…