Legal Documents of Sweetwater

Code of Sweetwater

Sweetwater
Title 14 : Zoning and Land Use Control
Chapter 7 : Floodplain Zoning Ordinance

14-704 : Administration.

  1. Designation of ordinance administrator. The building official is hereby appointed as the administrator to implement the provisions of this ordinance.
  2. Permit procedures. Application for a development permit shall be made to the administrator on forms furnished by the community prior to any development activities. The development permit may include, but is not limited to the following: plans in duplicate drawn to scale and showing the nature, location, dimensions, and elevations of the area in question; existing or proposed structures, earthen fill placement, storage of materials or equipment, and drainage facilities. Specifically, the following information is required:
    1. Application stage.
      1. Elevation in relation to mean sea level of the proposed lowest floor, including basement, of all buildings where base flood elevations are available, or to certain height above the highest adjacent grade when applicable under this ordinance.
      2. Elevation in relation to mean sea level to which any non-residential building will be floodproofed where base flood elevations are available, or to certain height above the highest adjacent grade when applicable under this ordinance.
      3. A FEMA floodproofing certificate from a Tennessee registered professional engineer or architect that the proposed non-residential floodproofed building will meet the floodproofing criteria in § 14-705(1) and (2).
      4. Description of the extent to which any watercourse will be altered or relocated as a result of proposed development.
    2. Construction stage. Within AE Zones, where base flood elevation data is available, any lowest floor certification made relative to mean sea level shall be prepared by, or under the direct supervision of, a Tennessee registered land surveyor and certified by same. The administrator shall record the elevation of the lowest floor on the development permit. When floodproofing is utilized for a non-residential building, said certification shall be prepared by, or under the direct supervision of, a Tennessee registered professional engineer or architect and certified by same.

      Within approximate A Zones, where base flood elevation data is not available, the elevation of the lowest floor shall be determined as the measurement of the lowest floor of the building relative to the highest adjacent grade. The administrator shall record the elevation of the lowest floor on the development permit. When floodproofing is utilized for a non-residential building, said certification shall be prepared by, or under the direct supervision of, a Tennessee registered professional engineer or architect and certified by same.

      For all new construction and substantial improvements, the permit holder shall provide to the administrator an as-built certification of the lowest floor elevation or floodproofing level upon the completion of the lowest floor or floodproofing.

      Any work undertaken prior to submission of the certification shall be at the permit holder's risk. The administrator shall review the above-referenced certification data. Deficiencies detected by such review shall be corrected by the permit holder immediately and prior to further work being allowed to proceed. Failure to submit the certification or failure to make said corrections required hereby, shall be cause to issue a stop-work order for the project.

  3. Duties and responsibilities of the administrator. Duties of the administrator shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
    1. Review all development permits to assure that the permit requirements of this ordinance have been satisfied, and that proposed building sites will be reasonably safe from flooding.
    2. Review proposed development to assure that all necessary permits have been received from those governmental agencies from which approval is required by federal or state law, including section 404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, 33 USC 1334.
    3. Notify adjacent communities and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, Local Planning Assistance Office, prior to any alteration or relocation of a watercourse and submit evidence of such notification to FEMA.
    4. For any altered or relocated watercourse, submit engineering data/analysis within six (6) months to FEMA to ensure accuracy of community FIRMs through the letter of map revision process.
    5. Assure that the flood carrying capacity within an altered or relocated portion of any watercourse is maintained.
    6. Record the elevation, in relation to mean sea level or the highest adjacent grade, where applicable, of the lowest floor (including basement) of all new and substantially improved buildings, in accordance with § 14-704(2).
    7. Record the actual elevation, in relation to mean sea level or the highest adjacent grade, where applicable to which the new and substantially improved buildings have been floodproofed, in accordance with § 14-704(2).
    8. When floodproofing is utilized for a nonresidential structure, obtain certification of design criteria from a Tennessee registered professional engineer or architect, in accordance with § 14-704(2).
    9. Where interpretation is needed as to the exact location of boundaries of the areas of special flood hazard (for example, where there appears to be a conflict between a mapped boundary and actual field conditions), make the necessary interpretation. Any person contesting the location of the boundary shall be given a reasonable opportunity to appeal the interpretation as provided in this ordinance.
    10. When base flood elevation data and floodway data have not been provided by FEMA, obtain, review, and reasonably utilize any base flood elevation and floodway data available from a federal, state, or other sources, including data developed as a result of these regulations, as criteria for requiring that new construction, substantial improvements, or other development in Zone A on the City of Sweetwater, Tennessee FIRM meet the requirements of this ordinance.
    11. Maintain all records pertaining to the provisions of this ordinance in the office of the administrator and shall be open for public inspection. Permits issued under the provisions of this ordinance shall be maintained in a separate file or marked for expedited retrieval within combined files. (Ord. #723, Aug. 2000, as replaced by Ord. #842, Nov. 2009)
Date Last Updated: 08/05/2024
Codification Date: 03/01/2004

Officials at Date of Last Codification:

Mayor - Doyle F. Lowe
Vice Mayor - Sam Moser
Commissioner - Lamar Hughes
Commissioner - Johanna Jinks
Commissioner - Alan Richeson
Commissioner - James A. Stutts
Recorder - Sonya Crush
City Attorney - John Cleveland