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Located within areas of special flood hazard established in SPMC 15.16.070 are areas designated as floodways. Since the floodway is an extremely hazardous area due to the velocity of floodwaters that can carry debris and increase erosion potential, the following provisions apply:

A. Prohibit encroachments, including fill, new construction, substantial improvements, and other development, unless certification by a registered professional engineer is provided demonstrating through hydrologic and hydraulic analyses performed in accordance with standard engineering practice that the proposed encroachment would not result in any increase in flood levels during the occurrence of the base flood discharge. (44 CFR 60.3(d)(3))

B. Construction or reconstruction of residential structures is prohibited within designated floodways, except for:

1. Repairs, reconstruction, or improvements to a structure which do not increase the ground floor area; and

2. Repairs, reconstruction or improvements to a structure, the cost of which does not exceed 50 percent of the market value of the structure either:

a. Before the repair or reconstruction is started, or

b. If the structure has been damaged, and is being restored, before the damage occurred.

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 to structures identified as historic places, may be excluded in the 50 percent.

C. If subsection (A) of this section is satisfied, all new construction and substantial improvements shall comply with all applicable flood hazard reduction provisions of SPMC 15.16.220 through this section. [Ord. 556 § 2, 2017.]