Council approves floodplain management updates to reflect FEMA and state guidance
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Summary
Mountlake Terrace approved amendments to its Floodplain Management Ordinance (Chapter 16.18) after a staff presentation describing updated definitions, administration duties for the floodplain administrator, and construction/elevation standards tied to NFIP guidance.
The Mountlake Terrace City Council voted Tuesday to adopt updates to the Floodplain Management Ordinance (Chapter 16.18) that bring the city’s rules closer to model ordinance language recommended by FEMA and the Department of Ecology.
Planner Sarah Pizzo explained to the council that the updates align local code with the National Flood Insurance Program and state recommendations. “This program provides flood insurance to property owners, renters, businesses, and having this coverage helps them recover faster when floodwaters recede,” she said, describing the policy context.
The draft ordinance revises definitions, clarifies the floodplain administrator’s duties (the floodplain administrator is the building official, Matthew Gissel), and adds construction provisions such as an increased requirement that lowest floors be elevated at least 1 foot above base flood elevation for residential structures and 2 feet above highest adjacent grade for nonresidential buildings when elevation data are not available.
Pizzo said some provisions reflect model ordinance language that does not materially change local requirements at present because Mountlake Terrace contains Zone A areas rather than designated floodways. Staff also recommended requiring flood-elevation records, notifying FEMA about annexations that affect special flood hazard areas, and requiring engineering analyses if development is proposed in a floodway.
After a public hearing that drew no speakers, the council approved the ordinance by voice vote. Councilmember Woodard noted the odd timing of discussing floodplain rules while the region was experiencing a historic flooding event and expressed sympathy for neighboring areas coping with flood impacts.
The ordinance adoption will require administrative updates and ongoing permitting review under the city’s building and planning processes. Staff said they worked with the Department of Ecology during the drafting process and received no agency comments during the comment period on the draft.
