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City Prepares to Adopt New Statewide Floodplain Regulations

Posted on: Aug-13-2013

Fort Collins Utilities is preparing to adopt new floodplain regulations. The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), the State agency responsible for floodplain management, adopted minimum statewide floodplain regulations in January 2011, which must be adopted throughout Colorado by January 2014.

Because Utilities has already adopted many of these standards, there are relatively few changes needed to meet the new regulations. Changes will occur in the following key areas:

• additional critical facilities will be regulated
• higher freeboard standards for additions and substantial improvements
• additional items for inclusion in substantial improvement cost determinations for City basin floodplains
• new hardship provisions for variance requests
• elimination of waivers for properties where construction projects will reduce the floodplain in City basins

Current regulations also were reviewed for policy or procedural changes, including:

• definition of ‘abandoned’
• escrow procedures
• mapping criteria
• fill criteria for properties annexed into the City
• various minor clarifications beyond the requirements

Utilities will conduct public outreach this month to increase awareness regarding the changes, including presentations at businesses, organizational meetings, City Boards and Commissions, and various building, engineering and Realtor group meetings.

For more information or to schedule a presentation, contact Marsha Hilmes-Robinson at (970) 224-6036 or email mhilmesrobinson@fcgov.com. Information also is available at https://www.fcgov.com/floodplain-regs.


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