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Planning commission forwards floodplain management ordinance after presentation on FEMA requirements and local impacts
Summary
Senior Planner Sarah Pizzo presented the draft Floodplain Management Ordinance (Chapter 16.18) and said the update aligns local rules with FEMA and Department of Ecology guidance.
Senior Planner Sarah Pizzo presented the draft Floodplain Management Ordinance (Chapter 16.18) at the Planning Commission meeting Oct. 27 and described how the draft aligns with the National Flood Insurance Program and Department of Ecology recommendations.
Pizzo said Mountlake Terrace contains Zone A special flood hazard areas on FEMA's maps and that 127 parcels in the city include mapped floodplain. "A flood plain is an area of land susceptible to being flooded or inundated by water from any source," she said, and staff will rely on FEMA maps for much of the administration because the city does not maintain a separate, detailed local flood-event inventory.
Key provisions
- Elevation standards: where base flood elevation (BFE) data exist, new construction must have the lowest floor, including basements, elevated at least 1 foot above BFE; mechanical equipment and utilities must be elevated or waterproofed to the same standard. For nonresidential buildings where BFE is unavailable, the draft requires the lowest floor to be 2 feet above the highest adjacent grade or for the structure to be floodproofed by a professional engineer or architect.
- Subdivision and utilities: subdivision proposals with more than 50 lots or more than 50 acres must include BFE data; wells and utilities should be located on higher ground away from mapped floodplain where feasible.
- Administrative procedures: the draft clarifies duties for the floodplain administrator including maintaining records of BFE data and as-built elevations and certifying no-rise analyses when required.
Public input and outcome
No public speakers attended the hearing and no written testimony beyond state review comments was submitted. The Planning Commission opened and closed the public hearing, then voted to recommend the draft Floodplain Management Ordinance (Chapter 16.18) to City Council with technical corrections. The motion passed by voice vote and will be forwarded to Council for a Dec. work session and Dec. 18 hearing.
Provenance: presentation and Q&A began at the floodplain segment starting at 59:25 in the transcript and continued through the commission motion to forward the ordinance.
