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Flood Hazard Mitigation Easements do not always have to be purchased. Flood flow, drainage, or maintenance easements can be required of developers as a condition of approval of the develop- ment. These are usually linear parcels along property lines or channels. Maintenance easements can also be negotiated with streamside property owners in return for a community channel maintenance program. Appropriate for: Undeveloped areas in the floodplain, wetlands and other watershed storage areas, natural areas, and linear sites along streams and drainageways in areas to be developed. Problems: Easements can be complicated and require vigilance on the community's part to ensure that owners don't violate them. For more jnformation: Technical advice can be found at the Openlands Project, county planning agencies, and the Northeastern lllinois Planning Commission. There are funding programs to help acquire open space for recreational use or to preserve natural areas (see Appendix A, sections A.3.7 and A.3.1O). See also Nonheastem Illinois Regional Greenways Plan. 2.1.4 Floodplain regulations Regulations on construction in floodplains are usually found in two locations: subdivision ordinances and building codes. If the zoning for a site allows a building, then the subdivision and building regulations set construction standards to protect buildings from flood damage and to prevent the development from aggravating the flood problem. Subdivision regulations: Subdivision regulations govern the development of large areas of land that the developer intends to subdivide into individual lots. They set the construction and location standards for the infrastructure provided by the developer, including the roads, sidewalks, utility lines, stonn sewers and drainageways, The storm sewer and drainageway standards are discussed in the section on stonnwater management. Subdivision regulations often require that every lot have a buildable area that is above the flood level. Building codes: The building code should provide flood protection standards for building construction, These should include criteria to ensure that the foundation will withstand flood forces and that all damageable portions of the building are above or protected from flooding. Most northeastern llIinois communities have adopted the Building Officials and Code Administrators (BOCA) National Building Code. Chapter 18 of the 1993 edition sets foundation protection standards, including requirements for soil testing and prepared fill, that will help protect buildings from flood damage. Regulatory requirements: Every community with a significant flood problem in northeastern lllinois participates in the National Rood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP sets minimum requirements for the participating communities' subdivision regulations and building codes. The Office of Water Resources (OWR) has additional regulatory requirements for communities in northeastern lllinois. Appropriate for: All areas with surface flooding.