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DEFINITIONS.

Austin City Code § 25-12-52
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§ 25-12-52 - DEFINITIONS. (A) Except as otherwise provided, the definitions in this subsection apply to all articles in this chapter: (1) BASE FLOOD. A flood that has the following characteristics: (a) For areas amended to incorporate Atlas 14 data, a flood that has a one percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year (100-year flood) calculated under fully developed conditions as prescribed by the Drainage Criteria Manual as amended to incorporate Atlas 14 data; (b) For areas not yet amended to incorporate Atlas 14 data, a flood that has a 0.2 percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year (500-year flood) calculated under the conditions underlying the FEMA Flood Insurance Studies listed in Section 25-12-53(B)(1) or as calculated under existing conditions as prescribed by the Drainage Criteria Manual using data predating Atlas 14; or (c) For the Colorado River, a flood that has a one percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year (100-year flood) calculated under the conditions underlying the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map dated January 6, 2016, or as subsequently revised. (2) BASE FLOOD ELEVATION. The elevation of the base flood, including wave height, relative to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD), North American Vertical Datum (NAVD) or other datum specified on the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). (3) DESIGN FLOOD. A flood that has the following characteristics: (a) For areas amended to incorporate Atlas 14 data, a flood associated with an area of a floodplain subject to a one percent or greater chance of being flooded in any year (100-year flood) based on projected full development in accordance with the City of Austin Drainage Criteria Manual as amended to incorporate Atlas 14 data; (b) For areas not yet amended to incorporate Atlas 14 data, a flood associated with an area of a floodplain subject to a 0.2 percent or greater chance of being flooded in any year (500-year flood) calculated under the conditions underlying the FEMA Flood Insurance Studies listed in Section 25-12-53(B)(1), or as calculated under existing conditions as prescribed by the Drainage Criteria Manual using data predating Atlas 14; (c) For the Colorado River, a flood associated with an area of a floodplain subject to a one percent or greater chance of being flooded in any year (100-year flood) as depicted on the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map dated January 6, 2016, or as subsequently revised. (4) DESIGN FLOOD ELEVATION. The elevation of the "design flood" relative to the City of Austin vertical datum standard. (5) DEVELOPMENT. Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to, buildings or other structures, temporary or permanent storage of materials, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavations, operations and other land disturbing activities. (6) FLOOD or FLOODING. A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land from: (a) the overflow of inland waters; or (b) the unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source. (7) FLOOD DAMAGE-RESISTANT MATERIALS. Any construction material capable of withstanding direct and prolonged contact with floodwaters without sustaining any damage that requires more than cosmetic repair. (8) FLOOD HAZARD AREA. An area that has the following characteristics: (a) For areas amended to incorporate Atlas 14 data, an area within a floodplain subject to a one percent or greater chance of being flooded in any year (100-year flood) based on projected full development in accordance with the City of Austin Drainage Criteria Manual as amended to incorporate Atlas 14 data; (b) For areas not yet amended to incorporate Atlas 14 data, an area of a floodplain subject to a 0.2 percent or greater chance of being flooded in any year (500-year flood) calculated under the conditions underlying the FEMA Flood Insurance Studies listed in 25-12-53(B)(1), or as calculated under existing conditions as prescribed by the Drainage Criteria Manual using data predating Atlas 14; (c) For the Colorado River, an area within a floodplain subject to a one percent or greater chance of being flooded in any year (100-year flood) as depicted on the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map dated January 6, 2016, or as subsequently revised. (9) FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAP (FIRM). An official map of a community on which the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has delineated both the special flood hazard areas and the risk premium zones applicable to the community. (10) FLOOD INSURANCE STUDY. The official report provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency containing the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), the Flood Boundary Map, the water surface elevation of the base flood, and supporting technical data. (11) FLOODWAY. The channel of the river, creek, or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that shall be reserved in order to discharge the base flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation more than a designated height. An area that has the following characteristics: (a) For the Colorado River, an area with a floodplain subject to a four percent or greater chance of flooding in any year (25-year flood) based on existing developed conditions as prescribed by the Drainage Criteria Manual using data predating Atlas 14; or (b) For all other rivers, creeks, and watercourses in areas amended to incorporate Atlas 14 data, an area with a four percent or greater chance of flooding in any year (25-year flood) based on a projected full development in accordance with the City of Austin Drainage Criteria Manual as amended to incorporate Atlas 14 data; or (c) For all other rivers, creeks, and watercourses in areas not yet amended to incorporate Atlas 14 data, an area with a one percent or greater chance of flooding in any year (100-year flood) based on a projected full development in accordance with the City of Austin Drainage Criteria Manual using data predating Atlas 14. (12) FUNCTIONALLY DEPENDENT FACILITY. A facility which cannot be used for its intended purpose unless it is located or carried out in close proximity to water, such as a docking or port facility necessary for the loading or unloading of cargo or passengers, shipbuilding or ship repair. The term does not include long-term storage, manufacture, sales or service facilities. (13) MANUFACTURED HOME. A structure that is transportable in one or more sections, built on a permanent chassis, designed for use with or without a permanent foundation when attached to the required utilities, and constructed to the Federal Mobile Home Construction and Safety Standards and rules and regulations promulgated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The term also includes mobile homes, park trailers, travel trailers and similar transportable structures that are placed on a site for 180 consecutive days or longer. (14) MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION. A parcel (or contiguous parcels) of land divided into two or more manufactured home lots for rent or sale. (15) RECREATIONAL VEHICLE. A vehicle that is built on a single chassis, 400 square feet (37.16 m2) or less when measured at the largest horizontal projection, designed to be self-propelled or permanently towable by a light-duty truck, and designed primarily not for use as a permanent dwelling but, as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel or seasonal use. A recreational vehicle is ready for highway use if it is on its wheels or jacking system, is attached to the site only by quick disconnect-type utilities and security devices and has no permanently attached additions. (16) REGULATORY FLOOD DATUM. An established plane of reference from which elevations and depth of flooding may be determined for specific locations of the floodplain. It is the water level of the design flood plus a freeboard factor of one foot. Design flood plus freeboard equals Regulatory Flood Datum. (17) SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD AREA. The land area subject to flood hazards and shown on a Flood Insurance Rate Map or other flood hazard map as Zone A, AE, A1-30, A99, AR, AO, AH, V, VO, VE or VI-30. (18) START OF CONSTRUCTION. The date a permit is issued for new construction or substantial improvements to existing structures if construction, repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, placement or other improvement starts within 180 days from the date the permit is issued. Construction starts when permanent construction of a building (including a manufactured home) is first placed and includes pouring a slab or footing, installing pilings, or constructing columns. Permanent construction does not include preparing land (clearing, excavating, grading, or filing); installing streets or walkways; excavating for a basement, footing, pier, or foundation; or erecting temporary forms or installing accessory buildings not occupied as dwelling units or not part of the main building. For a substantial improvement, construction starts when a wall, ceiling, floor, or other structural part of a building is altered even if the alteration does not affect the external dimensions of the building. (19) SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. Damage of any origin sustained by a structure, whereby the cost of restoring the structure to its before-damage condition would equal or exceed 50 percent of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred. (20) SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT. For the purpose of determining compliance with the flood hazard management provisions of the Building Code, a substantial improvement is any combination of repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation, alteration, addition or other improvement of a building or structure during the immediate 10-year period, the cost of which cumulatively equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the structure before the improvement or repair is started, or if the structure has been damaged and is being restored, before the damage occurred. If the structure has sustained substantial damage, any repairs are considered substantial improvement regardless of the actual repair work performed. The term does not, however, include either of the following: 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; for the purpose of this exclusion, a historic building is a building that is: a. listed or preliminarily determined to be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; or b. determined by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior as contributing to the historical significance of a registered historic district or a district preliminarily determined to qualify as a historic district; or c. designated as historic under a State of Texas or local historic preservation program that is approved by the Department of the Interior. (22) VARIANCE. A grant of relief from the requirements of this article which permits construction in a manner otherwise prohibited by this article where specific enforcement would result in unnecessary hardship. (B) A term defined in an article in this chapter has the same meaning in this article. (Ord. No. 20210603-059, Pt. 4, 9-1-21; Ord. No. 20241121-079, Pt. 1, 12-2-2024)
Source: City of Austin, City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/austin/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT25LADE_CH25-12TECO_ART3FLHAAR_S25-12-52DEFetched: 10/27/2026

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