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Guide For Approximate Zone A Areas Floodplain Management ~ l ~ j ~ 1 I , ~ l I Review all permit applications to determine whether proposed building sites will be reasonably safe from flooding. If a proposed building site is in a flood- prone area, all new construction and substantial improvements shall (i) be designed (or modified) and adequately anchored to prevent floatation, collapse, or lateral movement..., (ii) be constructed with materials resistant to flood damage, (iii) be constructed by methods and practices that minimize flood damages, and (iv) be constructed with electrical, heating, ventilation, plumbing, and other service facilities that are designed and/or located so as to prevent water from entering or accumulating within the components during conditions of flooding. [44 CFR 60.3(a) (3)] Review subdivision proposals ... including manufactured home parks or subdivisions ... to assure that (i) all such proposals are consistent with the need to minimize flood damage within the flood-prone area, (ii) all public utilities and facilities ... are located and constructed to minimize or eliminate flood damage, and (iii) adequate drainage is provided to reduce exposure to flood hazards; [44 CFR 60.3(a)(4)] l 1 4 One way that communities can ensure that building sites will be reasonably safe from flooding for proposed developments that fall below the thresholds in Subparagraph 60.3(b)(3} is to use the simplified methods outlined in section V for estimating a BFE. Another approach to ensure that a building site is reasonably safe from flooding is to require the structure to be elevated above the highest adjacent grade by a specified number of feet based on the local official's knowledge of flood conditions in the area. In the absense of available BFE data from other sources, the community may require the permit applicant to elevate the structure two or more feet above the highest adjacant grade which qualifies the structure for reduced flood insurance rates. Elevation of the structure to four feet above the highest adjacant grade will enable the structure to qualify for substantially reduced flood insurance rates. 1 l However, some states and communities require that BFE data be developed for all subdivisions and/or floodplain development within approximate Zone A areas, not just those subdivisions which meet the 50-lot or 5-acre threshold. A community may, III-6