Ord #177 - Flood Plain Management Ordinance

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exceptional hardship to the applicant, and (iii) a determination that the granting of a variance will not result in increased flood heights, additional threats to public safety, extraordinary public expense, create nuisances, cause fraud on or victimization of the public, or conflict with existing local laws or ordinances. (c) Variances may only be issued upon a determination that the variance is the minimum necessary, considering the flood hazard, to afford relief. (4) Flood Insurance Notice. The City Administrator must notify the applicant for a variance that: 1) The issuance of a variance to construct a structure below the base flood level will result in increased premium rates for flood insurance up to amounts as high as $25 for $100 of insurance coverage; and 2) Such construction below the base or regional flood level increases risks to life and property. Such notification must be maintained with a record of all variance actions. (5) General Considerations. The community may consider the following factors in granting variances and imposing conditions on variances and conditional uses in floodplains: (a) The potential danger to life and property due to increased flood heights or velocities caused by encroachments; (b)The danger that materials may be swept onto other [ands or downstream to the injury of others; (c) The proposed water supply and sanitation systems, if any, and the ability of these systems to minimize the potential for disease, contamination and unsanitary conditions; (d)The susceptibility of any proposed use and its contents to flood damage and the effect of such damage on the individual owner; (e)The importance of the services to be provided by the proposed use to the community; (f) The requirements of the facility for a waterfront location; (g) The availability of viable alternative locations for the proposed use that are not subject to flooding; (h)The compatibility of the proposed use with existing development and development anticipated in the foreseeable future; (i) The relationship of the proposed use to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan and flood plain management program for the area; (j) The safety of access to the property in times of flood for ordinary and emergency vehicles; (k) The expected heights, velocity, duration, rate of rise and sediment transport of the flood waters expected at the site. (6) Submittal of Hearing Notices to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The City Administrator or designee shall submit hearing notices for proposed variances to the DNR sufficiently in advance to provide at least ten days' notice of the hearing. The notice may be sent by electronic mail or U.S. Mai[ to the respective DNR area hydrologist. 19