4.2. FLOOD (F) COMBINING ZONING DISTRICT AND TRIBUTARY STANDARDS

The Board of Supervisors in adopting the regulations of the Flood (F) combining zoning district recognizes that:

The promotion of the orderly development and beneficial use of lands subject to recurrent flooding is necessary if the potential property damage that results from improper development is to be minimized.

• There is a need to protect current and future occupants of land subject to flooding from the physical damage of flooding.

• The health, general welfare, and safety of the public of the County as a whole require that lands subject to flooding be strictly regulated as to the uses permitted on the land and the amount of open space that separates buildings and structures.

• Inundation frequently causes extensive property damage.

• Strict regulation of flood lands is necessary to protect prospective buyers of land from deception as to the utility of the land within the flood zoning districts.

4.2.1.A. Applicability

The (F) combining zoning district is intended to comprise all land covered by rivers, creeks, and streams and land subject to flooding within the unincorporated area of the County.

4.2.2.

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[AMENDED 01-12-2017]

4.2.3.A. Designated Tributary

“Designated Tributary” means a specifically identified stream which has a defined bed and channel which serves to give direction to continuously or periodically flowing water into a larger stream or lake. The approximate locations of designated tributaries are indicated on the Comprehensive Zoning Plan.

4.2.3.B. 100-Year Floodplain

The area adjoining a river, stream, or watercourse which is subject to inundation by the 100-year flood.

4.2.3.C. 100-Year Floodway

The channel of stream or body of water, and those portions of the floodplain which are reasonably required to carry and discharge the 100-year floodwater or flood flow.

4.2.3.D. 100-Year Floodway Fringe

The area of the 100-year floodplain which is not within the 100-year floodway.

4.2.3.E. 200-Year Floodplain

The area adjoining a river, stream, or water course which is subject to inundation by the 200-year flood.

4.2.4.A. Lot Area

Each lot or parcel shall have a minimum lot area as required by the underlying zoning district, except that if neither a public water supply nor a public sewerage facility is in use, the net lot area for each lot or parcel shall be not less than one acre.

4.2.4.B. Water Agency Regulations

Every property, structure, or use in the (F) combining zoning district shall comply with all applicable provisions of the Drainage Ordinance, Floodplain Management Ordinance, and other applicable Water Agency regulations.

[AMENDED 01-12-2017]

No building or structure shall be erected or maintained within the 100-year floodplain, or within the 200-year floodplain in areas subject to the Urban Level of Flood Protection, of designated tributaries, as defined in Section 4.2.3, and no lot shall be created unless the standards and requirements set forth in this Section are complied with and maintained. The locations of “designated tributaries indicated on the Comprehensive Zoning Plan are approximate. Therefore, in order to ensure compliance with the provisions of this Section, the proponent of any application for entitlement on any property located within 200 feet of the center line of a designated tributary must demonstrate the applicability of development standards set forth in this Section.

4.2.5.A. Development Standards

The following development standards shall apply to the placement of structures within floodplains of designated tributaries.

1. All construction except fences shall be located either:

   • a. Outside the 100-year floodplain of the tributary, or

   • b. At least 25 feet from the center line of the designated tributary and outside the floodway.

2. All construction shall maintain a habitable finished floor elevation at least 1.5 feet above the water surface elevation of the 100-year floodplain, or at or above the 200-year floodplain in areas subject to the Urban Level of Flood Protection.

3. Fences and other structures such as culverts and bridges which must be constructed within the floodway shall be designed to the requirements of the Sacramento County Department of Water Resources so as to prevent an obstruction or diversion of flood and drainage flow and to minimize adverse effects to natural riparian vegetation.

4. Tributary channels shall remain in their natural state and shall not be altered (i.e., piped or channelized) unless the proposal is heard and approved by the appropriate authority in conjunction with any application for Rezone, Use Permit, Special Development Permit, Variance or other similar application. If no such application has been filed, the proponent of such alteration shall apply for a site development plan approval to be heard by the Planning Commission.

5. All proposed projects within designated tributary floodplains shall meet the requirements and regulations set forth in the Tree Ordinance of the SCC, Title 19, Chapter 19.04.

6. No fill shall be permitted within the 100-year floodplain of designated tributaries unless:

   • a. The 100-year flood depth prior to the fill is less than two feet, and

   • b. The fill is for the minimum area to accommodate a structure and allow for a five foot border area which shall have a side slope of 4:1 or flatter when no landscaping or erosion control is provided by the proponent, and

   • c. There are no trees nine inches in diameter or larger which cannot be successfully transplanted or otherwise protected from the impact of the fill, and

   • d. The toe of the fill will not encroach within 25 feet of the center line of the designated tributary, and

• e. The fill will not result in adverse hydrologic impacts on the stream, as determined by the Water Resources Division.

7. Any new lot which is proposed to be created adjacent to a designated tributary, as defined in Section 4.2.3, must provide either:

   • a. A buildable area outside the 100-year floodplain of that tributary, or

• b. A buildable area which is located at least 25 feet from the center line of the tributary and which provides for construction with a minimum habitable floor elevation that is at least 1.5 feet above the water surface elevation of the 100-year floodplain, or at or above the 200-year floodplain in areas subject to the Urban Level of Flood Protection, and is outside the floodway.