Administration.
Sacramento City Code § 15.104.040
in effect15.104.040 Administration.
A. Flood Hazard Evaluation. Before beginning construction of any structure or development (including substantial improvement) of any property within any special flood hazard area, the owner of the property or the owner's authorized agent shall apply to the local administrator for a flood hazard evaluation. Application for flood hazard evaluation shall include, but not be limited to, the following: plans drawn to scale showing the nature, location, dimensions, and elevation of the area in question; and the location and dimensions of all existing or proposed structures, fill, storage of materials, and drainage facilities. The local administrator may require the application to be submitted on forms furnished by the local administrator. The following information must be included in the application:
1. Proposed elevation in relation to mean sea level, of the lowest floor (including basement) of all structures;
2. In zone AO or A, elevation of highest adjacent grade;
3. Proposed elevation in relation to mean sea level to which any structure will be floodproofed;
4. All appropriate certifications and permits;
5. Description of the extent to which any watercourse will be altered or relocated as a result of the proposed development; and
6. Certifications from the applicant's California-licensed civil engineer:
a. That the requirements of this chapter have been satisfied,
b. That all required state and federal permits have been obtained,
c. That the site, subdivision, or other proposed development is reasonably safe from flooding, and
d. That the proposed construction or development (including substantial improvements) will not result in any flooding of an existing or proposed structure or cumulative increase to the BFE by more than one foot during the occurrence of a base flood.
B. Notwithstanding any other limitation on the period required for retention of public records, the local administrator shall maintain, permanently keep, and make available for public inspection in accordance with the California Public Records Act all records that are necessary for the administration of these regulations and the flood provisions of the building codes, including Flood Insurance Studies and Flood Insurance Rate Maps; documents from FEMA that amend or revise FIRMs; records of issuance of permits and denial of permits; determinations of whether proposed work constitutes substantial improvement or repair of substantial damage; required certifications and documentation specified by the building codes and these regulations; notifications to adjacent communities, FEMA, and the state related to alterations of watercourses; assurance that the flood carrying capacity of altered waterways will be maintained; documentation related to variances, including justification for issuance or denial; and records of enforcement actions taken pursuant to these regulations and the flood provisions of the building codes.
C. The local administrator shall perform the following duties with respect to any proposed construction or development (including substantial improvements) in the AR zone:
1. Use the adopted official map or legal description of those designated developed areas within zones AR, AR/AE, AR/AH, AR/A, AR/AO to determine if a proposed project is in a developed area.
2. Determine the base flood elevation to be used for individual projects within developed areas, areas not designated as developed areas, and dual zone areas. (See Section 15.104.050(F) of this chapter.)
3. Provide written notification to the applicant that the area has been designated as an AR, AR/AE, AR/AH, AR/A, or AR/AO zone and whether the structure must be elevated or protected to or above the AR base flood elevation or depth.
D. The local administrator may impose, as a condition of any city permit for, or other city approval of, any proposed construction or development (including substantial improvements), the requirement to dedicate or make an irrevocable offer to dedicate drainage, floodplain, and/or floodway easements within the property for which the permit or approval is sought, provided that such dedication requirement is reasonably related to the public needs arising as a result of the proposed construction or development.
E. Levee Setback. The proposed construction or development is subject to any applicable levee setback requirements specified in the Planning and Development Code.
F. Construction in Easement. No permanent structure (including without limitation garages, patios, concrete slabs, sheds, fences, and similar structures) shall be constructed within a city drainage, floodplain, or floodway easement, unless approved by the local administrator upon execution of a hold harmless agreement approved by the city attorney.
G. An applicant who submits hydrologic and hydraulic engineering analyses to support a permit application shall submit to FEMA (within 6 months of such data becoming available) the data and information necessary to maintain the Flood Insurance Rate Maps, when the analyses indicate changes in base flood elevations, flood hazard area boundaries, or floodway designations.
H. The local administrator shall require that all new subdivision proposals and other development proposals (including for manufactured home parks and subdivisions) greater than 50 lots or 5 acres, include base flood elevation data. (Ord. 2023-0020 § 3; Ord. 2017-0038 § 2; Ord. 2011-046 § 2; Ord. 98-022 § 2; prior code § 9.26.1004)
Source: City of Sacramento, Sacramento City Code (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/sacramentoca/latest/sacramento_ca/0-0-0-30694Fetched: 10/24/2026