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Zoning commission approves FEMA-driven revisions to county flood ordinance to preserve CRS rating
Summary
The commission approved updates to the county's Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance to align with FEMA and state guidance: agricultural/non-habitable accessory buildings will need variances for wet floodproofing, elevation standards for manufactured buildings were updated, and county codified a 45% substantial-damage contingency to secure CRS credit.
Palm Beach County's zoning commission on Nov. 7 approved revisions to the county's Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance intended to comply with FEMA and Florida Division of Emergency Management guidance and to preserve the county's Community Rating System (CRS) Class 5 rating.
Doug Wise and Jackie Anderson of the county building division summarized the changes. Jackie Anderson said FEMA's 2020 policy reclassifies agricultural and certain non-habitable accessory structures as nonresidential for floodproofing standards and that many communities had not enforced the required design and performance standards. "The policy stated that any building that is an agricultural building, enclosed or partially enclosed, meaning a minimum of two walls, and fixed proofing is flood openings that allow water to go in and out of the building," Anderson said.
The revisions require a variance from the Flood Damage Prevention Board for wet floodproofing of agricultural and non-habitable accessory structures; they also adopt updated foundation and elevation requirements for manufactured buildings to maintain the county's CRS rating and add design/performance standards for coastal A zones (higher wave action areas). County staff said codifying a 45% substantial-damage threshold (the county has used it administratively) allows flexibility for property owners and provides an extra CRS credit. "We are implementing those changes," the presenters said, noting the changes come from FEMA and state recommended language.
Commissioners asked for clarifications and pointed out wording/units inconsistencies (some sections reference millimeters for wave heights while others use feet); staff said the language was copied from state guidance and will be cleaned up and corrected before second reading. Commissioners approved both motions (8a and 8b) to transmit the ordinance revisions and the zoning commission, serving as the land development regulation commission, endorsed the changes.
What happens next: staff will tidy grammar and unit inconsistencies before the item proceeds to the Board of County Commissioners for second reading and final adoption.
