[Amended 12-16-2015 by L.L. No. 3-2015]
The Town Board of the Town of Penfield finds that the potential
and/or actual damages from flooding and erosion may be a problem to
the residents of the Town of Penfield and that such damages may include,
but are not limited to, destruction or loss of private and public
housing, damage to public facilities, both publicly and privately
owned, and injury to and loss of public and private property or human
life. In order to minimize the threat of such damages and to achieve
the purposes and objectives hereinafter set forth, this chapter is
adopted.
[Amended 12-16-2015 by L.L. No. 3-2015]
It is the purpose of this chapter to promote the public health,
safety, and general welfare, and to minimize public and private losses
due to flooding by provisions designed to:
A. Regulate uses which are dangerous to health, safety and property
due to water or erosion hazards, which result in increases in erosion
or in flood heights or velocities;
B. Require that all new uses vulnerable to floods, including facilities
which serve such uses, be protected against flood damage at the time
of initial construction;
C. Control the alteration of floodplains, stream channels, and protective
barriers which are involved in the accommodation of floodwaters;
D. Control filling, grading, dredging and other development which may
increase erosion or flood damages;
E. Regulate the construction of flood barriers which will unnaturally
divert floodwaters or which may increase flood hazards to other lands;
and
F. Qualify for and maintain participation in the National Flood Insurance
Program.
The objectives of this chapter are:
A. To protect human life and health;
B. To minimize expenditure of public money for costly flood control
projects;
C. To minimize the need for rescue and relief efforts associated with
flooding and generally undertaken at the expense of the general public;
D. To minimize prolonged business interruptions;
E. To minimize damage to public facilities and utilities such as water
and gas mains, electric, telephone, sewer lines, streets and bridges
located in areas of special flood hazard;
F. To help maintain a stable tax base by providing for the sound use
and development of areas of special flood hazard so as to minimize
future flood blight areas;
G. To provide that developers are notified that property is in an area
of special flood hazard; and
H. To ensure that those who occupy the areas of special flood hazard
assume responsibility for their actions.