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City staff brief council on proposed floodplain, riparian code changes; second reading set for March 18
Summary
City staff and consultant Sean Arden presented proposed changes to New Albany code that would align floodplain rules with FEMA mapping, allow certain engineered development in mapped 100‑year floodplains if compensatory storage is provided, and tie riparian protections to USGS stream mapping; council set the measure for second reading and public hearing March 18.
City staff and a consultant from EMH&T presented proposed amendments to two city code chapters on March 4 that the administration says are intended to remove ambiguity, align local rules with recent FEMA flood insurance rate maps and incorporate modern best practices.
Sean Arden, director of EMH&T’s water resources program, told council the updates aim to clarify where Chapter 11.55 (floodplain regulation) applies and to limit that chapter to FEMA‑mapped 100‑year floodplain areas while leaving smaller streams to stormwater management rules. The proposal would also remove a local prohibition on residential, commercial or industrial development within FEMA‑mapped 100‑year floodplains so long as applicants meet compensatory storage requirements and place new lowest‑floor elevations at least two feet above the 100‑year flood elevation.
On riparian protections (Chapter 11.71), staff proposed replacing a flat 50‑acre drainage threshold with a USGS‑based perennial/intermittent stream designation to make the code more scientific and predictable. The draft also lists commonly permissible uses within riparian areas to reduce the volume of variance requests and clarify expectations for applicants.
Councillors asked technical questions about flood storage volume, whether pipes could replace open channels and how aquatic life would be handled; staff said aquatic and bacteria considerations are addressed under the riparian code and that compensatory storage can be engineered using ponds or connected storage features when pipes are used.
Staff said the proposed changes were shared with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and that feedback has been incorporated. Council set the ordinance for second reading and public hearing on March 18.
