Sumner County’s legislative committee on Nov. 10 debated a planning commission resolution that would raise the county’s base flood elevation requirement from 1 foot to 3 feet.

The committee heard staff explain that the resolution would align A and AE zones with a 3-foot standard: AE zones are based on a detailed flood study and A zones are less detailed, so staff said the 3-foot requirement applies to both in different technical ways. "This is basically raising the flood elevation base flood elevation from 1 to 3 feet," a committee member summarized when introducing the resolution.

Members asked whether planning, zoning or codes could enforce a change before the committee passed it; staff replied that nothing is enforceable until passage. Several members raised scenarios in which a property owner might submit an application during the transition and whether existing approvals would be grandfathered. Staff said projects that had already applied and received approval would follow the current guidelines and would not be retroactive; the change would apply to applications submitted after the effective date. One staff comment placed the effective start for new applications in December.

Committee members asked staff to identify when the planning commission adopted the change and the impetus for it; staff said the minutes reflect a prior planning commission action (minutes cited Oct. 21) and offered to report back with more details and an address of a constituent who reported being told to raise a building elevation.

A motion to move the matter forward was discussed and the item was added to the chairman’s report for follow-up. The committee agreed that citizens should be notified that the change was proceeding through the adoption process.

Next steps: staff will follow up with the planning commission timeline, check specific addresses raised by constituents, and provide an update to the committee before any enforcement takes effect.