Unified Development Ordinance, 25th Supplement, December 2022

Article 9.3. ​F​ loodprone Area Regulations | CHAPTER 9. ​NATURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION

inches in height, an engineering certification signed and sealed by a professional engineer licensed in the State of North Carolina is required. c. For new and replacement manufactured homes placed within a SFHA, all enclosures or skirting below the lowest floor shall meet the requirements of Sec. 9.3.5.B.5. d. An evacuation plan must be developed for the evacuation of all residents of all new, substantially improved, or substantially damaged manufactured home parks or subdivisions located within a SFHA. This plan shall be filed with and approved by the Floodplain Administrator and the City Emergency Management coordinator. a. Temporary placement and be on site for fewer than 180 consecutive days and be fully licensed and ready for highway use (a recreational vehicle is ready for highway use if it is on wheels or jacking system, is attached to the site only by quick-disconnect type utilities and security devices, and has no permanently attached additions); or b. Permanent placement and meet the requirements for new construction and permitting pursuant to Article 11.4, Enforcement Provisions. 5. Elevated Buildings Fully enclosed areas of new construction and substantially improved structures within a SFHA, which are below the lowest floor: a. Shall not be designed or used for human habitation, but shall only be used for parking of vehicles, building access, or limited storage of maintenance equipment used in connection with the premises. Access to such enclosed areas shall be the minimum necessary to allow for parking of vehicles (garage door) or limited storage of maintenance equipment (standard exterior door), or entry to living areas (stairway or elevator). The interior portions of such enclosed areas shall not be finished or partitioned into separate rooms, except to enclose storage areas; b. Shall not be temperature-controlled or conditioned; c. Shall be constructed entirely of flood resistant materials at least to the RFPE; and 4. Recreational Vehicles Recreational vehicles placed within a SFHA shall either be for:

d. Shall include flood openings to automatically equalize hydrostatic flood forces on walls by allowing for the entry and exit of floodwaters. To meet this requirement, the openings must either be certified by a professional engineer or architect licensed in the State of North Carolina or meet or exceed the following minimum design criteria: i. A minimum of two (2) flood openings in at least two (2) sides of each enclosed area subject to flooding; ii. The total net area of all flood openings must be at least one (1) square inch for each square foot of enclosed area below the RFPE; iii. The bottom of all required flood openings shall be no higher than one (1) foot above the higher of the interior or exterior adjacent grade; iv. Flood openings may be equipped with screens, louvers, or other coverings or devices, provided they permit the automatic flow of floodwaters in both directions; and v. Enclosures made of flexible skirting are not considered enclosures for regulatory purposes, and, therefore, do not require flood openings. Masonry or wood underpinning, regardless of structural status, is considered an enclosure and requires flood openings as outlined above. 6. Additions/Improvements a. The following standards apply to additions and/or improvements to structures located entirely or partially within a SFHA: i. If the work proposed is not a substantial improvement, then only the addition and/or improvement shall comply with the standards for new construction as set forth in Sec. 9.3.5 and Sec. 11.4.6. ii. If the work proposed is a substantial improvement, then both the existing structure and the addition and/or improvement shall comply with the standards for new construction as set forth in Sec. 9.3.5 and Sec. 11.4.6. b. The addition and/or improvement standards listed above do not apply to the following: i. Any project for improvement of a structure required to correct existing health, sanitary, or safety City Code violations identified by a City inspector and that are the minimum necessary to assume safe living conditions; or

9 – 33 Pub l i s hed De c embe r 2022

Pa r t 10 : Un i f i ed Deve l opmen t Or d i nanc e C i t y o f Ra l e i gh , No r t h Ca r o l i na

Supp. No. 25