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Langley staff to publish draft floodplain ordinance to keep NFIP eligibility
Summary
City planning director told council Ecology recommended mostly technical updates to keep Langley eligible for the National Flood Insurance Program; staff will publish a draft for public comment and aim for a Planning Advisory Board hearing in February and council adoption in April.
Langley’s planning director told the council on Jan. 20 that the Washington State Department of Ecology reviewed the city’s floodplain regulations and recommended mostly technical clarifications to ensure compliance with federal standards so property owners can retain access to federally backed flood insurance.
"None of this expands where our mapped floodplains are," Director Meredith Penny said, adding the changes focus on definitions, administrative procedures, record-keeping and updates to meet current FEMA and engineering standards. Penny asked council whether staff should publish the draft ordinance for a public comment period and state review in January–February and then take the amendments to the Planning Advisory Board for a public hearing in February.
Penny said the changes are intended to preserve Langley’s participation in the National Flood Insurance Program, reduce long-term flood risk and align the city’s rules with state and federal requirements. Council members asked clarifying questions about mapping layers and the number of properties that could be affected; Penny said most coastal structures on Langley’s bluffs are outside mapped floodplains and that staff will provide further detail if needed.
The council signaled support to publish the draft and move the proposal through the public review and PAB hearing process, with an anticipated City Council adoption in April. Staff said they will provide mapping and more precise counts of properties requiring flood insurance when available.
