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Council clarifies Coastal A flood‑zone rules to match VE high‑hazard standards
Summary
An ordinance amendment clarified that Coastal A flood‑zone requirements should match VE (coastal high‑hazard) standards used under the statewide building code and FEMA guidance; staff said the change corrects wording in the zoning ordinance to align practice with code and recommended approval.
City planning staff presented an amendment to the city's zoning overlay (Chapter 9) on Aug. 14 to clarify that structures in the Coastal A zone must meet the same design and life‑safety standards required for the VE, or high‑hazard, zone. Staff said the statewide building code and FEMA guidance already require similar engineering — for example, elevated structures on pilings to allow wave action to pass beneath — but the zoning ordinance language needed a minor change to make its standards unambiguous.
The planning presentation included illustrations of AE, Coastal A and VE zones and explained why the Coastal A amendment aligns local zoning with the current building code; staff and the planning commission recommended approval and council voted to adopt the amendment.
