OVERVIEW OF CHANGES TO SUFFOLK’S FLOODPLAIN ORDINANCE §31-416
Please note that the proposed regulations and amendments are the minimum necessary to permit the
City continued participation in the NFIP.
Section 31-416 of the Unified Development Ordinance discusses the Floodplain Overlay District and all
applicable regulations and enforcement measures required to prevent the loss of life and property and
to create health and safety standards for flood protection and relief. The City of Suffolk is currently in
the process of revising the existing Floodplain Ordinance in order to ensure that it meets the minimum
requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). FEMA provided an ordinance review
checklist which was used during the restructuring process. Proposed changes to the existing ordinance
include the following:
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Definitions pertinent to the floodplain district have been added to the ordinance
Elimination of the Flood-Fringe District
Zone VE used on new and revised maps in place of Zones V1-V30
Zone AE used on new and revised maps in place of Zones A1-A30
716 properties to move out of a flood plain; 554 properties to move into a flood plain
Language added regarding the retention of records of action taken to administer the ordinance
Standards for determining the specific 100-year flood elevation (Approximated Floodplain
District) have been relaxed to eliminate the requirement of hydrologic and hydraulic
engineering techniques.
Permitting requirements have been standardized and organized into the ordinance in a concise
format
Permitting requirements specifically allow for the request of relevant information that may be
required by the zoning administrator, building official or by other provisions of the City Code
Specific construction standards have been added for residential and non-residential
construction, elevated buildings, manufactured homes and recreational vehicles
Suggested provisions for the ordinance were prepared by the Department of Conservation and
Recreation (DCR) for use by municipalities having to comply with the NFIP regulations. A model
ordinance (Model E) was provided to the City of Suffolk for use in revising the existing ordinance.
Changes made reflect language used in this model. These changes have been made and the revised draft
has been approved by DCR and the City Attorney.