Columbus, Georgia

Georgia's First Consolidated Government

Post Office Box 1340
Columbus, Georgia, 31902-1340
(706) 653-4013
fax (706) 653-4016

Council Members







The Columbus Consolidated Government

Planning Department

Post Office Box 1340 Columbus, Georgia 31902-1340

Telephone (706) 653-4116

Fax (706) 653-4120

Website: www.columbusga.com/mpo

03/04/2008



Honorable Mayor and Councilors

City Manager

City Attorney

Clerk of Council



Subject: (ZC0801-4) Request to amend the text of the Unified Development

Ordinance to amend Chapter 8, Article 5, Flood Damage Prevention



As part of the Flood Hazard Map Modernization process, the Columbus

Consolidated Government submitted a copy of its Flood Damage Reduction (a.k.a.

Floodplain Management) Ordinance to the Georgia Environmental Protection

Division (EPD) for review prior to the effective date of September 5, 2007.

The modification to the existing Ordinance (UDO 8.5) brought the Flood Damage

Reduction Ordinance into compliance with State guidance, mirroring State

guidance in both format and content.



Upon review by the Engineering Department staff, it was discovered that there

were typographical corrections needed regarding a date listed in the ordinance

and the fine amount was left blank. The changes have been made and are listed

below (bold & underlined):



?The Areas of Special Flood Hazard identified by the Federal Emergency

Management Agency in its Flood Insurance Study (?FIS?), dated September 5,

2007, with accompanying maps and other supporting data and any revision

thereto, are adopted by reference and declared a part of this ordinance. For

those land areas acquired by a municipality through annexation, the current

effective FIS dated September 5, 2007, with accompanying maps and other

supporting data and any revision thereto for Fort Benning are hereby adopted by

reference.?



And



?Failure to comply with the provisions of this ordinance or with any of its

requirements, including conditions and safeguards established in connection

with grants of variance or special exceptions shall constitute a violation.

Any person who violates this ordinance or fails to comply with any of its

requirements shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined not more than $1,000.00;

and in addition, shall pay all costs and expenses involved in the case. Each

day such violation continues shall be considered a separate offense. Nothing

herein contained shall prevent the Columbus Consolidated Government from taking

such other lawful actions as is necessary to prevent or remedy any violation.?



The Planning Advisory Commission considered this text amendment at their

meeting on February 20, 2008. The Planning Advisory Commission recommended

that this text change be approved.



The Planning Department recommends approval.



Attached is a copy of the Planning Department?s Staff Report.



Sincerely,



Rick Jones, AICP

Director of Columbus Metropolitan Planning Organization





STAFF REPORT



ZC0801-4





APPLICATION



As part of the Flood Hazard Map Modernization process, the Columbus

Consolidated Government submitted a copy of its Flood Damage Reduction (a.k.a.

Floodplain Management) Ordinance to the Georgia Environmental Protection

Division (EPD) for review prior to the effective date of September 5, 2007.

The modification to the existing Ordinance (UDO 8.5) brought the Flood Damage

Reduction Ordinance into compliance with State guidance, mirroring State

guidance in both format and content.



Upon review by the Engineering Department staff, it was discovered that there

were typographical corrections needed regarding a date listed in the ordinance

and the fine amount was left blank. The changes have been made and are listed

below under ?Proposed Text Amendment?.



PROPOSED TEXT AMMENDMENT



Section 8.5.2, ?Basis for Area of Special Flood Hazard? of the Columbus Code is

hereby amended by deleting the first paragraph of Paragraph B and replacing it

with the following language:



?The Areas of Special Flood Hazard identified by the Federal Emergency

Management Agency in its Flood Insurance Study (?FIS?), dated September 5,

2007, with accompanying maps and other supporting data and any revision

thereto, are adopted by reference and declared a part of this ordinance. For

those land areas acquired by a municipality through annexation, the current

effective FIS dated September 5, 2007, with accompanying maps and other

supporting data and any revision thereto for Fort Benning are hereby adopted by

reference.?



And



Section 8.5.2, ?Penalties for Violation? of the Columbus Code is hereby amended

by deleting Paragraph H in its entirety and replacing it with the following

language:



?Failure to comply with the provisions of this ordinance or with any of its

requirements, including conditions and safeguards established in connection

with grants of variance or special exceptions shall constitute a violation.

Any person who violates this ordinance or fails to comply with any of its

requirements shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined not more than $1,000.00;

and in addition, shall pay all costs and expenses involved in the case. Each

day such violation continues shall be considered a separate offense. Nothing

herein contained shall prevent the Columbus Consolidated Government from taking

such other lawful actions as is necessary to prevent or remedy any violation.?



PLANNING ADVISORY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION



The Planning Advisory Commission considered this text amendment at their

meeting on February 20, 2008. The Planning Advisory Commission recommended

approval.



PLANNING DIVISION RECOMMENDATION



The Planning Department recommends approval.



MAPS & PHOTOS













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