§ 58-52. Permits and plans required.  


Latest version.
  • (a)

    Permits required. Permits shall be required for any improvement or development, including grading and filling, within an area of special flood hazard. No improvement or development shall be permitted if the proposed improvement would:

    (1)

    Interfere with the flow of any watercourse or the flow into an impounding basin.

    (2)

    Increase flood or inundation hazards.

    (3)

    Raise the flood level above the base flood level.

    (4)

    Reduce the flood storage capacity or impede the movement of floodwaters.

    (5)

    Involve the erection of any permanent structure or building in the flood fringe area, except in accordance with the requirements of this article, particularly this section.

    (b)

    Permit procedure. Application for a permit for grading, filling, development, construction or building within a flood hazard area shall be made at the county community development agency. If all requirements of this article, particularly section 58-67, and all other applicable county, state and federal regulations are met, a permit for improvements shall be issued. Permits may be required from other federal and state agencies, and the developer of property may be so informed by the department as to all permit requirements within its knowledge at the time of plan submittal. Failure of the department to so do does not relieve the developer of the burden of obtaining such additional permits.

    (c)

    Floodplain management plan requirements. No application for a development project within any area of special flood hazard established in section 58-34 will be approved unless it includes a floodplain management/flood damage prevention plan. This plan shall be in accordance with the criteria established in this section.

    This plan must be submitted with the stamp and signature of a professional engineer (PE) licensed in the state, who will verify that all designs are consistent with the requirements of this article.

    The approved floodplain management/flood damage prevention plan shall contain an as-built survey prepared by a registered land surveyor and an engineer's certification signed by a professional engineer registered to perform civil engineering in the State of Georgia that all development activities have been done according to the plan or previously approved revisions. Any and all development permits and/or use and occupancy certificates or permits may be revoked at any time if the construction and building activities are not in strict accordance with approved plans.

    The floodplain management/flood damage prevention plan shall include, but not be limited to the following: Plans drawn to scale of the site in question and the nature, location, and dimensions of existing or proposed structures, earthen fill placement, storage of materials or equipment, and drainage and stormwater management facilities.

    Specifically, the following information is required: An application for a development project with any area of special flood hazard located on the site will be required to include a floodplain management/flood damage prevention plan. The plan shall include the following items:

    (1)

    Site plan, drawn to scale, which includes but is not limited to:

    a.

    Existing and proposed elevations of the area in question and the nature, location and dimensions of existing and/or proposed structures, earthen fill placement, amount and location of excavation material, and storage of materials or equipment;

    b.

    For all proposed structures, spot ground elevations at building corners and 20-foot or smaller intervals along the foundation footprint, or one foot contour elevations throughout the building site;

    c.

    Proposed locations of water supply, sanitary sewer, and utilities;

    d.

    Proposed locations of drainage and stormwater management facilities;

    e.

    Proposed grading plan;

    f.

    Base flood elevation and future-conditions flood elevations; and

    g.

    Boundaries of the base flood floodplain and future-conditions floodplain.

    h.

    If applicable, the location of the floodway.

    i.

    Certification of the above by a professional engineer (P.E.) or registered land surveyor (R.L.S.).

    (2)

    Building and foundation design detail, including but not limited to:

    a.

    Elevation in relation to mean sea level (or highest adjacent grade) of the lowest floor, including basement, of all proposed structures.

    b.

    Elevation in relation to mean sea level (NGVD) to which any nonresidential structure will be floodproofed, as required in section 58-70 of this article.

    c.

    Certification that any proposed nonresidential floodproofed structure meets the criteria in subsection 58-70(b) of this article.

    d.

    For enclosures below the base flood elevation, including crawl space foundations, location and total net area of foundation openings as required in section 58-70.

    e.

    Design plans certified by a registered professional engineer or architect for all proposed structures.

    (3)

    Description of the extent to which any watercourse will be altered or relocated as a result of the proposed development project;

    (4)

    Hard copies and digital files of computer models, if any, copies of work maps, comparison of pre-development and post-development conditions base flood elevations, future-conditions flood elevations, flood protection elevations, special flood hazard area and regulatory floodway widths, flood profiles and all other computations and other information similar to that presented in the effective Cobb County Flood Insurance Study (FIS);

    (5)

    Copies of all applicable state and federal permits necessary for proposed development; and

    (6)

    All appropriate certifications required under this article.

    (d)

    Construction stage submittal requirements. For all new construction and substantial improvements on sites with a floodplain management/flood damage prevention plan, the permit holder shall provide to the county community development agency a certified as-built elevation certificate or (for nonresidential construction) a floodproofing certificate including the lowest floor elevation or floodproofing level immediately after the lowest floor or floodproofing is completed. A final elevation certificate shall be provided after completion of construction including final grading of the site. Any lowest floor certification made relative to mean sea level shall be prepared by or under the direct supervision of a registered land surveyor or professional engineer and certified by same. When floodproofing is utilized for nonresidential structures, said certification shall be prepared by or under the direct supervision of a professional engineer or architect and certified by the same.

    Any work undertaken prior to approval of these certifications shall be at the permit holder's risk. The county community development agency shall review the above referenced certification data submitted. 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 certification or failure to make the corrections required hereby shall be cause to issue a stop work order for the project. Owner or developer must obtain LOMR from FEMA before occupying building if in zone A or AE.

    (e)

    Suspension, revocation, modification of permit. Any permit may be suspended, revoked or modified by the county upon a finding of violations of the terms of the permit or of this article.

(Ord. of 10-11-88, art. V; Code 1977, § 3-14-26; Ord. of 4-13-04; Ord. of 2-27-07)