§ 82-33. Amendments to Florida Building Code concerning flood resistance.

(a)

This section is adopted pursuant to F.S. § 553.73(5) that authorizes technical amendments to the Florida Building Code relating to flood resistance in order to implement the National Flood Insurance Program or incentives.

(b)

The following provisions of the Florida Building Code, Building are hereby amended as follows:

The following provisions of section 202 are amended as follows:

SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. Damage of any origin sustained by a structure whereby the cost of restoring the structure to its before-damaged condition would equal or exceed 50 percent of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred. The term also includes flood-related damage sustained by a structure on two separate occasions during a 10-year period for which the cost of repairs at the time of each such flood event, on average, equals or exceeds 25 percent of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred.

SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT. Any combination of repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement of a building or structure taking place during a 1 year period, the cumulative cost of which equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the building or structure before the improvement or repair is started. For each building or structure, the 1 year begins on the date of the first permit issued for improvement or repair of that building or structure after March 1, 2016. If the structure has incurred "substantial damage," any repairs are considered substantial improvement regardless of the actual repair work performed. The term does not, however, include either:

1.

Any project for improvement of a building required to correct existing health, sanitary or safety code violations identified by the building official and that are the minimum necessary to assure safe living conditions.

2.

Any alteration of a historic structure provided that the alteration will not preclude the structure's continued designation as a historic structure.

The following provisions of section 1612 are amended as follows:

1612.4.2 Elevation requirements. The minimum elevation requirements shall be as specified in ASCE 24 or the base flood elevation plus 1 foot (305 mm), whichever is higher. The minimum elevation requirements for new critical facilities, as defined in Chapter 90. Code of Ordinances of the City of Ocala. shall be the base flood elevation plus 2 feet (610 mm) or the elevation required by ASCE 24, whichever is higher.

1612.4.3 Additional requirements for enclosed areas. In addition to the requirements of ASCE 24, enclosed areas below the design flood elevation shall not be partitioned or finished into separate rooms except for stairwells, ramps, and elevators.

(c)

The following provisions of the Florida Building Code, Residential are hereby amended as follows:

R322.2.1 Elevation requirements.

1.

Buildings and structures in flood hazard areas not designated as Coastal A Zones shall have the lowest floors elevated to or above the base flood elevation plus 1 foot or the design flood elevation, whichever is higher.

2.

Buildings and structures in flood hazard areas designated as Coastal A Zones shall have the lowest floors elevated to or above the base flood elevation plus 1 foot (305 mm) or to the design flood elevation, whichever is higher.

3.

In areas of shallow flooding (AO Zones), buildings and structures shall have the lowest floor (including basement) elevated at least as high above the highest adjacent grade as the depth number specified in feet on the FIRM plus 1 foot, or at least 3 feet (915 mm) if a depth number is not specified.

4.

Basement floors that are below grade on all sides shall be elevated to or above the base flood elevation plus 1 foot or the design flood elevation, whichever is higher.

Exception: Enclosed areas below the design flood elevation, including basements whose floors are not below grade on all sides, shall meet the requirements of Section R322.2.2.

R322.2.2 Enclosed areas below design flood elevation. Enclosed areas, including crawl spaces, that are below the design flood elevation shall:

1.

Be used solely for parking of vehicles, building access or storage. The interior portion of such enclosed areas shall not be partitioned or finished into separate rooms except for stairwells, ramps, and elevators, unless a partition is required by the fire code. The limitation on partitions does not apply to load bearing walls interior to perimeter wall (crawlspace) foundations. Access to enclosed areas shall be the minimum necessary to allow for the parking of vehicles (garage door) or limited storage of maintenance equipment used in connection with the premises (standard exterior door) or entry to the building (stairway or elevator).

(Ord. No. 2017-36, § 3, 3-7-17)