HomeMy WebLinkAboutLocal Law 2018-6Local Lave Filing
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of Village of Cavuga Heights
Local Law No. 6 of the year 2018
A local law
New York State Department of State
Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code
One Commerce Plaza, 99 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 1 223 1 -000 1
wwW. d0S. state _n v_u s'cor_s
Village
A local law for Flood Damage Prevention as authorized by the New York State
Constitution, Article IX, Section 2, and Environmental Conservation Law, Article
36
Be it enacted by the Board of Trustees
(Naive of Legislative Body)
❑ County ❑ City 0 Town
(Select one.,)
of Village of Cavuea Heights
See Attached Pages 2-8
Village
of the
as follows:
SECTION 1.0
STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION AND PURPOSE
1.1 FINDINGS
The Board of Trustees of the Village of Cayuga Heights finds that the potential and/or actual
damages from flooding and erosion may be a problem to the residents of the Village of Cayuga
Heights and that such damages may include: destruction or loss of private and public housing,
damage to public facilities, both publicly and privately owned, and injury to and loss of human
life. In order to minimize the threat of such damages and to achieve the purposes and objectives
hereinafter set forth, this local law is adopted.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
It is the purpose of this local law to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare, and to
minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions in specific areas by provisions
designed to:
(1) regulate uses which are dangerous to health, safety and property due to water or erosion
hazards, or which result in damaging increases in erosion or in flood heights or velocities:
(2) require that uses vulnerable to floods, including facilities which serve such uses, be
protected against flood damage at the time of initial construction;
(3) control the alteration of natural floodplains, stream channels, and natural protective
barriers which are involved in the accommodation of flood waters:
(4) control filling, grading, dredging and other development which may increase erosion or
flood damages;
(5) regulate the construction of flood barriers which will unnaturally divert flood waters or
which may increase flood hazards to other lands, and;
(6) qualify for and maintain participation in the National Flood Insurance Program.
1.3 OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this local law are:
(1) to protect human life and health;
(2) to minimize expenditure of public money for costly flood control projects;
(3) to minimize the need for rescue and relief efforts associated with flooding and generally
undertaken at the expense of the general public;
(4) to minimize prolonged business interruptions;
(5) to minimize damagc to public facilities and utilities such as m=ater and gas mains, electric,
telephone, sewer lines, streets and bridges located in areas of special flood hazard;
(6) to help maintain a stable tax base by providing for the sound use and development of
areas of special flood hazard so as to minimize future flood blight areas;
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(7) to provide that developers are notified that property is in an area of special flood hazard;
and,
(8) to ensure that those who occupy the areas of special flood hazard assume responsibility
for their actions.
SECTION 2.0
DEFINITIONS.
Unless specifically defined below, words or phrases used in this document shall be interpreted so as to
give them the same meaning as they have in common usage and so as to give this document its most
reasonable app 1 ication.
"Appeal" means a request for a review of the Local Administrator's interpretation of any provision of
this Local Law.
"Basement" means that portion of a building having its floor subgrade (below ground level) on all
sides.
"Building" see "Structure"
"Cellar" has the same meaning as "Basement".
"Crawl Space" means an enclosed area beneath the lowest elevated floor, eighteen inches or more in
height, which is used to service the underside of the lowest elevated floor. The elevation of the floor of
this enclosed area, which may be of soil, gravel, concrete or other material, trust be equal to or above
the lowest adjacent exterior grade. The enclosed crawl space area shall be properly vented to allow for
the equalization of hydrostatic forces which would be experienced during periods of flooding.
"Development" means any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not
limited to buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling. paving, excavation or drilling
operations or storage of equipment or materials.
"Federal Emergency Management Agency" Means the Federal agency that administers the National
Flood Insurance Program.
"Flood" or "Flooding" means a general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of
normally dry land areas from:
(1) the overflow of inland or tidal waters;
(2) the unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source.
"Flood" or "flooding" also means the collapse or subsidence of land along the shore of a lake or other
body of water as a result of erosion or undermining caused by waves or currents of water exceeding
anticipated cyclical levels or suddenly caused by an unusually high water level in a natural body of
water, accompanied by a severe storm, or by an unanticipated force of nature, such as a flash flood or an
abnormal tidal surge, or by some similarly unusual and unforeseeable event which results in flooding as
defined in (1) above.
"Floodplain" or "flood prone area" means any land area susceptible to being inundated by water from
any source (see definition of "Flood").
"Floodproofing" means any combination of structural and non-structural additions, changes, or
adjustments to structures which reduce or eliminate flood damage to real estate or improved real
property, water and sanitary facilities, structures and their contents.
"Historic ,structure" means any structure that is:
(1) listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places (a listing maintained by the
Department of the Interior) or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as
meeting the requirements for individual listing on the National Register;
(2) certified or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as contributing to the
historical significance of a registered historic district or a district preliminarily deter-
mined by the Secretary to qualify as a registered historic district;
(3) individually listed on a state inventory of historic places in states with historic
preservation programs which have been approved by the Secretary of the Interior; or
(4) individually listed on a local inventory of historic places in communities with historic
preservation programs that have been certified either:
(i) by an approved state program as determined by the Secretary of the Interior or
(ii) directly by the Secretary of the Interior in states without approved programs.
"Local Administrator" is the person appointed by the community to administer and implement this
local law by granting or denying development permits in accordance with its provisions.
"Manufactured home" means a structure, transportable in one or more sections, which is built on a
permanent chassis and designed to be used with or without a permanent foundation when connected to
the required utilities. The term does not include a "Recreational vehicle"
"Person" includes any individual or group of individuals, corporation, partnership, association., or any
other entity, including State and local governments and agencies.
"Start of construction" includes substantial improvement and means the initiation, excluding planning
and design, of any phase of a project, physical alteration of the property, and shall include land
preparation, such as clearing, grading, and filling; installation of streets and/or walkways; excavation for
a basement, footings, piers, or foundations or the erection of temporary forms. It also includes the
placement and/or installation on the property of accessory buildings (garages, sheds), storage trailers,
and building materials. For manufactured homes the "actual start" means affixing of the manufactured
home to its permanent site.
"Structure" means a walled and roofed building, including a gas or liquid storage tank that is
principally above ground, as well as a manufactured home.
"Substantial damage" means damage of any origin sustained by a structure whereby the cost of
restoring the structure to its before damaged condition would equal or exceed 50 percent of the market
value of the structure before the damage occurred.
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"Substantial improvement" means any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement
of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the structure before
the "start of construction" of the improvement. The term includes structures which have incurred
"substantial damage", regardless of the actual repair work performed. The term does not, however,
include either:
(1) any project for improvement of a structure to correct existing violations of state or local
health, sanitary, or safety code specifications which have been identified by the local
code enforcement official and which are the minimum necessary to assure safe living
conditions; or
(2) any alteration of a "Historic structure", provided that the alteration will not preclude the
structure's continued designation as a "Historic structure".
"Variance" means a grant of relief by a community from the terrns of a flood plain management
regulation.
"Violation" means the failure of a structure or other development to be fully compliant with the
community's flood plain management regulations.
SECTION 3.0
ADMINISTRATION
3.1 Permitting Official
The Code Enforcement Officer, hereinafter referred to as the "Local Administrator,'" is responsible for
receiving applications, examining the plans and specifications and issuing permits for any proposed
construction or development.
3,2 Permit Requirements
No person shall erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, improve, move, or demolish any building or
structure without first obtaining a separate permit for each building or structure from the Local
Administrator.
No man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to buildings or
other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation or drilling operations, shall be
commenced until a separate permit has been obtained from the Local Administrator for each change.
No manufactured home shall be placed on improved or unimproved real estate without first obtaining a
separate permit for each mobile home from the Local Administrator.
3.3 Application
To obtain a permit, the applicant shall first file a permit application on a form furnished for that purpose.
The form must be completed and submitted to the Local Administrator before the issuance of a permit
will be considered.
3.4 Permitting Procedures
(1) As part of the issuance of any permit, the Local Administrator shall require any measures which
are necessary to meet the minimum requirements of this document.
(2) The Local Administrator shall review any 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 1472, 33 U.S.C. 1334.
(3) The Local Administrator shall review all permit applications to determine whether
proposed building sites will be reasonably safe from flooding. If a proposed building site
is in a flood prone area, all new construction and substantial improvements (including the
placement of prefabricated buildings and mobile homes) shall be referred to the Planning
Board for Site Plan Review pursuant to Article 17 of the Zoning Law. The Local
Administrator shall further require that all such new construction: (i) be designed (or
modified) and adequately anchored to prevent flotation, collapse, or lateral movement of
the structure, (ii) be constructed with materials and utility equipment resistant to flood
damage and (iii) be constructed by methods and practices that minimize flood damage;
(4) The Planning Board shall review subdivision proposals pursuant to Article 18 of the
Zoning Law, and other proposed new development pursuant to Article 17 of the Zoning
Law, to determine whether such proposals will be reasonably safe from flooding. if a
subdivision proposal or other proposed new development is in a flood prone area, any
such proposals shall be reviewed to assure that (i) all such proposals are consistent with
the need to minimize flood damage within the flood prone area, (ii) all public utilities and
facilities, such as sewer, gas, electrical, and water systems are located and constructed to
minimize or eliminate flood damage, and (iii) adequate drainage is provided to reduce
exposure to flood hazards;
(5) The Local Administrator shall require within flood prone areas new and replacement
water supply systems to be designed to minimize or eliminate infiltration of flood waters
into the systems; and
(6) The Local Administrator shall require within flood prone areas (i) new and replacement
sanitary sewage systems to be designed to minimize or eliminate infiltration of flood
waters into the systems and discharges from the systems into flood waters and (ii) onsite
waste disposal systems to be located to avoid impairment to them or contamination from
them during flooding.
SECTION 4.0
REVIEW AND VARIANCE PROCEDURE
4.1 Review Procedure
(1) In areas where flooding may be a concern, property owners shall apply to the ViIlage's
Planning Board for review in accordance with the procedures set forth in Articles 17 (for
Site Plan Review) and 18 (for Subdivision Approval) of the Zoning Law. As part of this
review, the Planning Board shall hear and decide requests for modifications of the
requirements of this local law.
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(2) In passing upon such applications, the Planning Board shall consider all technical evaluations, all
relevant factors, standards specified in other sections of this local law and:
(i) the danger that materials may be swept onto other lands to the injury of others;
(ii) the danger to life and property due to flooding or erosion damage;
(iii) the susceptibility of the proposed facility and its contents to flood damage and the
effect of such damage on the individual owner;
(iv) the importance of the services provided by the proposed facility to the community;
(v) the necessity to the facility of a waterfront location, where applicable,
(vi) the availability of alternative locations for the proposed use which are not subject
to flooding or erosion damage;
(vii) the compatibility of the proposed use with existing and anticipated development;
(viii) the relationship of the proposed use to the comprehensive plan and floodplain
management program of that area;
(ix) the safety of access to the property in times of flood for ordinary and emergency
vehicles;
(x) the costs to local governments and the dangers associated with conducting search
and rescue operations during periods of flooding;
(xi) the expected heights, velocity, duration, rate of rise and sediment transport of the
flood waters and the effects of wave action, if applicable, expected at the site; and
(xii) the costs of providing governmental services during and after flood conditions,
including search and rescue operations, maintenance and repair of public utilities and
facilities such as sewer, gas, electrical, and water systems and streets and bridges.
(3) Upon consideration of the factors of Section 4.1(2) and the purposes of this local law, the
Planning Board may attach such conditions to the granting of Site Plan or Subdivision
Approval as it deems necessary to further the purposes of this local law.
(4) The Local Administrator shall maintain the records of all Site Plan and Subdivision
review applications, including technical information and report any modifications to the
Federal Emergency Management Agency upon request.
4.2 Appeals and Conditions for Variances
(1) Appeals
The Village's Zoning Board of Appeals shall hear and decide appeals and requests for
variances from the requirements of this local law in accordance with the procedures set
forth in Article 20 of the Zoning Law. The Zoning Board of Appeals shall hear and
decide appeals when it is alleged there is an error in any requirement, decision, or
determination made by the Local Administrator in the enforcement or administration of
this local law.
(2) Variances to this Local Law shall be based upon a hardship that runs with the land and
shall not be issued for economic or other personal hardships.
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(3) (i) Variances shall be issued upon (a) a showing of good and sufficient cause, (b) a determination
that failure to brant the variance would result in significant hardship, and (c) a determination that
the variance will not result in increased flood risks, create nuisances, cause fraud or victimization
of the public or conflict with existing local laws and ordinances.
(ii) Variances to this Local Law- shall be consistent with requirements for variances to
other Local and Mate law, code or regulation.
(4) Those aggrieved by a decision of the Planning Board or the Zoning Board of Appeals may appeal
such decision to the Supreme Court pursuant to Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules.
I hereby certify that the local law annexed hereto, designated as local law No. 6 of 2018 of
the Village of Cavuaa Heights was duly passed by the Board of Trustees on Tune 18, 2018, in
accordance with the applicable provisions of law.
J
Clerk of th illage Clerk of
tayuga Heights
(SE7-�L) Date.
STATE OF NEW YORK
COUNTY OF TOMPKINS
I, the undersigned, hereby certify that the foregoing local law nt ` s the correct text and that all proper
proceedings have been had or taken for the enactment of the, ca aw ?rir)# d hereto.
Signakiire
Village Attorney
Title
Villa eg of Cayuga Heights
Date.