Agenda - Planning Commission - 05/03/2012

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/-►J 1� ran G f1u � n',111i JpIN US O1\1.P. Go online duryngthe*rhant/t ofApr�l to parlb dar:-. , is theAuthor" forum air Interactive feature ofontng Practice Terri £ Turner, AICP, wilt be avarlabCe to gnswergfrestions= abouttTurne tcie Go"to theAP l webstte atwwv planning arc and folhowthe hnksto the AsktheAuthorsect{on Fro metheIe yu arfa bmttypur questiohs about the grticle Gstng the. a rratl The.authorwill reply, anc[Zoning Practicasgli post'thq answers cumulatively on the we bstte for the benetofgCsub scribers.This feature will be available forselectec(iss4es o f Zoning Practice atannourjcedtrnes v tereachbn(rnec(rscus= sion is closed, the arswerswntl be saved itt an nntrne archive airoable through the APA Zoning web:pages 6 oqt theAuthor �rrr.L Turner; Aicp, is the developrrientadmmrstrator/floodplain an-agar/hazard- mitigation specialistfor the Augusta Planning Development Department in''Augusta, Georgia, as well as the o Adverse Impact Committee`Cochairand the: Region 4:Director.``. FtheAssociationofState Ftoodplain Managers- She is an SFPM Certified Floodpt in Manager that must be filled in order to promote flood society an average of four dollars on dam - resiliency. age and recovery. PLANNING FOR FLOOD RESILIENCY The purpose of the local comprehensive plan is to articulate a long-term community vision for growth and change. Consequently, it is important for the comprehensive plan to address the community's propensity to haz- ards and the likely effects of climate change on the overall makeup of the community. The plan should also include goals and poli- cies to promote community resiliency. While comprehensive plans are not law, most states require local development regulations to be in conformance with the vision pre- sented in the plan. Another important document for pro- moting flood resiliency is the climate action plan, which may be a stand-alone plan or adopted as an element of the local com- prehensive plan. The purpose of a climate action plan is to outline mitigation and adaptation strategies to help the commu- nity cope with changing climate conditions, such as a higher frequency of extreme storm events. Similarly, hazard mitigation plans form the foundation for a community's long- term strategy to reduce disaster losses. Communities that embrace the mitigation planning process generally recover rapidly from floods and other disasters and thus are found to be more prepared, sustain- able, and resilient places to live and work. Furthermore, a 2005 study conducted by the Multihazard Mitigation Council concluded that every dollar spent on mitigation saves FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT ORDINANCES The single most important local regulatory tool for flood resiliency is the floodplain management ordinance. Successful flood - plain management ordinances typically exceed the minimum standards of the NFIP and include, but are not limited to, provi- sions addressing the following: • Preservation of parts of the community's floodplains as open space • Higher regulatory standards for riparian ar- eas (riparian buffers) • Habitat protection • Designation of Coastal High Hazard Areas and associated regulatory requirements such as planned development requirements or clus- tering requirements • Zero -rise (regulatory) floodways It is important for the comprehensive plan to address the community's propensity to hazards and the likely effects of climate change on the overall makeup of the community. • Increased freeboard • Higher protection standards for critical facilities (e.g., hospitals, schools, and government buildings) • Prohibitions against hazardous materials in the SFHA • Prohibitions against relocating channels or watercourses or erecting barriers that cause an impact to flood heights both up- and downstream • Prohibitions against fill in the SFHA • Requirements for compensatory storage in the floodplain • Mapping and regulating areas known to flood, or where there is historical evidence of flooding, that are not mapped on the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) • Designation of planning areas with special ob- jectives, which may include protection and preser- vation of fishery and wildlife habitats, scenic and recreational areas, and other natural resources. Many of these provisions are found in the Community Rating System (CRS)—a voluntary incentive program of the NFIP, which recognizes and encourages floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum standards of the NFIP. The aim of the program is to reduce and avoid flood damage to insurable property, strengthen and support the insurance aspects of the NFIP, and to foster comprehensive flood - plain management. The "reward" to those ZONINGPRACTICE 4.12 AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION I page 3