“Accessory structure” means a structure which is on the same parcel of property as a principal structure and use of which is incidental to the use of the principal structure. Accessory structures are buildings such as detached garages, boathouses, small pole barns and storage sheds not to be used for human habitation (including working, sleeping, living, cooking, or restroom areas).

“Alteration of a watercourse” means any human-made change to a watercourse which may impede, retard, change the direction of water flow, or in any way reduce the watercourse’s ability to carry a base flood, including, but not limited to, bridges, culverts, embankments, excavations, fills and levees.

“Base flood” means a flood having a one percent chance of being equalled or exceeded in any given year.

“Base flood elevation” means the elevation of the flood having a one percent chance of being equalled or exceeded in any given year.

“Commission” means the Fairbanks North Star Borough planning commission.

“Crawlspace” means a shallow, unfinished horizontal space beneath the lowest floor of a building, used to access plumbing, wiring, duct work, storage, etc.

“Critical facility” means a facility for which even a slight chance of flooding might be too great. Critical facilities include, but are not limited to, schools, nursing homes, hospitals, police, fire and emergency response installations, and installations which produce, use or store hazardous materials or hazardous waste.

“Development” means any human-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 or storage of equipment or materials located within the area of special flood hazard. Soil test bores for the purpose of determining land suitability for development, and that are temporary, involve no permanent structures and will not change the dynamic of the floodplain, are excluded from this definition.

“Director” means the director of the Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning or their designee.

“Elevated building” means a nonbasement building which has its lowest elevated floor raised above ground level by foundation walls, shear walls, posts, piers, pilings, or columns.

“Exceptional hardship” means an extraordinary circumstance not created by the applicant, and not applying to other persons similarly situated, which makes complying with standards of this chapter unfair, impractical or impossible.

“Existing manufactured home park or subdivision” means a manufactured home park subdivision for which the construction of facilities for servicing the lots on which the manufactured homes are to be affixed (including, at a minimum, the installation of utilities, the construction of streets, and either final site grading or the pouring of concrete pads) is completed before the effective date of the adopted floodplain management regulations.

“Expansion to an existing manufactured home park or subdivision” means the preparation of additional sites by the construction of facilities for servicing the lots on which the manufactured homes are to be affixed (including the installation of utilities, the construction of streets, and either final site grading or the pouring of concrete pads).

“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 and/or (2) the unusual and rapid accumulation of runoff of surface waters from any source.

“Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)” means an official map of the community, on which the Federal Insurance Administrator has delineated both special flood hazard areas and risk premium zones applicable to the community.

“Flood Insurance Study” means the official report provided by the Federal Insurance Administration that includes flood profiles, the Flood Insurance Rate Map, and the water surface elevation of the base flood.

“Floodproofing” means any combination of structural and nonstructural 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.

“Floodway” means the channel of a river or other watercourse and adjacent land area that must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood without cumulatively increasing water surface elevations more than one foot.

“Highest adjacent grade” means the highest natural elevation of the ground surface prior to construction next to the proposed walls of a structure.

“Historic structure” means any structure that is (1) listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of Interior or preliminarily determined by the U.S. Department of Interior as meeting the requirements for individual listing on the National Register; (2) certified or preliminarily determined by the U.S. Department of Interior as contributing to the historical significance of a registered historic district; (3) individually listed on a state inventory of historic places pursuant to a historic preservation program which has been approved by the U.S. Department of Interior; or (4) individually listed on a local inventory of historic places.

“Letter of map revision based on fill (LOMR-F)” means a letter from the Federal Emergency Management Agency modifying the special flood hazard area shown on the effective Flood Insurance Rate Map based on the placement of fill outside the existing regulatory floodway.

“Letter of map revision (LOMR)” means a letter from the Federal Emergency Management Agency officially modifying the effective Flood Insurance Rate Map.

“Lowest floor” means the lowest floor of the lowest enclosed area (including basement). An unfinished or flood-resistant enclosure, usable solely for parking of vehicles, building access or storage, in an area other than a basement area, is not considered a building’s lowest floor; provided, that such enclosure is not built so as to render the structure in violation of the applicable nonelevation design requirements of FNSBC 15.04.110.

“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. It does not include recreational vehicles or travel trailers.

“Manufactured home park or subdivision” means a parcel (or contiguous parcels) of land divided into two or more manufactured home lots for rent or sale.

“New construction” means structures for which the start of construction commenced on or after May 27, 1971, and includes any subsequent improvements to such structures.

“New manufactured home park or subdivision” means a manufactured home park or subdivision for which the construction of facilities for servicing the lots on which the manufactured homes are to be affixed (including, at a minimum, the installation of utilities, the construction of streets, and either final site grading or the pouring of concrete pads) is completed on or after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter.

“Physical map revision (PMR)” means an action whereby one or more map panels of an effective Flood Insurance Rate Map are physically revised and republished.

“Recreational vehicle” means a vehicle which is (1) built on a single chassis; (2) 400 square feet or less when measured at the largest horizontal projection; (3) designed to be self-propelled or permanently towable by a light duty truck; and (4) designed primarily not for use as a permanent dwelling but as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel or seasonal use (no more than 180 days).

“Shall” is interpreted to be mandatory; “may” is interpreted to be permissive; “should” is interpreted to be strongly recommended but not mandatory.

“Special flood hazard area” means that portion of the floodplain that is subject to inundation by the base flood and/or flood-related erosion hazards.

“Start of construction” includes substantial improvement, and means the date the floodplain permit was issued, provided the actual start of construction, repair, reconstruction, placement or other improvement was within 180 days of the permit date. The “actual start” means either the first placement of permanent construction of a structure on a site, such as the pouring of slab or footings, the installation of piles, the construction of columns, or any work beyond the stage of excavation; or the placement of a manufactured home on a foundation. Permanent construction does not include land preparation, such as clearing, grading and filling; nor does it include the installation of streets and/or walkways; nor does it include excavation for a basement, footings, piers, or foundations or the erection of temporary forms; nor does it include the installation on the property of accessory buildings, such as garages or sheds not occupied as dwelling units or not part of the main structure. For a substantial improvement, the “actual start of construction” means the first alteration of any wall, ceiling, floor, or other structural part of a building, whether or not that alteration affects the external dimensions of the building.

“Structure” means any walled, roofed building that is erected on the ground or attached to the ground, including, but not limited to, houses, factories, sheds, cabins, mobile homes, liquid storage tanks or similar uses.

“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.

“Substantially improved” or “substantial improvement” means any repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition or improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50 percent of assessed value of the structure before the start of construction of the improvement. For purposes of this definition, “substantial improvement” is considered to occur when the first alteration of any wall, ceiling, floor, or other structural part of the building commences, whether or not that alteration affects the external dimensions of the structure. This 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 from the requirements of this chapter which permits construction in a manner that would otherwise be prohibited by this chapter.

“Violation” means the failure of a structure or other development to be fully compliant with the Borough’s floodplain ordinance. A structure or other development without an approved floodplain permit, an elevation certificate, other certifications and other evidence of compliance as required by this chapter is presumed to be in violation until such time as that documentation is provided.

“Watercourse” means those stream channels, rivers or sloughs that are contained wholly or in part within a designated special flood hazard area as identified on the current Flood Insurance Rate Maps. (Ord. 2019-30 § 2, 2019; Ord. 2019-09 § 2, 2019; Ord. 2014-08 § 2, 2014; Ord. 2009-55 § 2, 2010; amended during 1993 republication; Ord. 92-001 § 2, 1992; Ord. 86-019 § 2, 1986; Ord. 85-124 § 3, 1985. 2004 Code § 15.04.020.)