Agenda - 02-23-2009 - C1 - Laserfiche WebLink

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28 A LOMR alters the base flood elevation of the floodplain and the underlying Flood Insurance Study, sometimes by lowering and others by raising the elevation. . It is required for any stream crossing or dam removal involving a mapped special flood hazard area(floodplain). LOMRs physically and legally alter FEMA FIRMS. The applicant must notify all surrounding property owners by registered mail and perform detailed hydrologic and hydraulic analyses to document the alterations. 3. Letters of Map Amendment (LOMA). Four approved LOMAs were received. Four (4) were Planning staff-initiated and were associated with the elevation certificate survey program the BOCC approved last summer. The other involved the Cates Creek Parkway, where the engineers determined that the original FIRM for Cates Creek was not correct. A LOMA is an acknowledgement by FEMA that the mapped floodplain does not reflect the true base flood elevation, as applied to a specific house or accessory building. They are applied for when a property owner believes his or her house, garage, barn, or other structure is inappropriately mapped within a floodplain. An elevation certificate is required to verify the owner's assertions. One of the results of the 2007 BOCC-funding floodplain surveying program is that four property owners were able to receive LOMR approvals that effectively removed their houses from a mapped floodplain. The FIRM and the underlying Flood Insurance Study does not change, but the flood insurance status for the house or accessory structure does. In the case of the Cates Creek Parkway FIRM, before the engineer could determine the correct hydrology and stream hydraulics for the new stream crossing, the flood mapping data had to be corrected. 4. Non-mapping Activities. There are two (2) active stream restoration projects in Orange County. The first is a state-permitted project on Collins Creek west of Dodson's Crossroads, and north of NC Highway 54. The other is a privately-funded restoration of Forrest Creek west of NC Highway 57 and north of Phelps Road. 5. FEMA Map Maintenance. This item is included just to alert the BOCC of a state program that is scheduled to start in the coming fiscal year. Orange County is scheduled to participate in a map maintenance program with the North Carolina Emergency Management Division — Floodplain Management Branch in 2009. There are no costs to the County associated with this program. Staff has identified several problem mapping areas that will be included in future map maintenance efforts to clarify each situation and possibly correct the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps, if necessary. If other staff or Board members know or suspect that certain areas need to be re-evaluated for flood mapping purposes, such input would be greatly appreciated. 6. Elevation Determinations. One hundred and sixty-four (164) elevation determinations have been conducted to determine that a building permit will not require an elevation certificate because the differences between the base flood elevation and the lowest adjacent grade of the structure is greater than five (5) feet of vertical elevation. Since October of 2005, Planning Department staff has requested and received nine (9) sealed elevation certificates. 7. Enforcement Activity. Two courtesy letters of apparent violations have been mailed to Orange County property owners. The first for excess gravel fill on a private road crossing New Hope Creek east of Old NC Highway 86. The owners voluntarily agreed to remove the excess gravel and the situation has been resolved to the satisfaction of staff.