Public Hearing on Chapter 9 of City Code Regulating Floodplains
A public hearing will be conducted on proposed modifications to Chapter 9 of Charlotte City Code regarding floodplains at 6:30 p.m. (or as soon as practicable thereafter) on Monday, December 13, 2021 at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center,
600 East Fourth Street; Charlotte, North Carolina 28202
The public hearing will be accessible in-person and remotely via
Legistar website.
To speak at the public hearing, please call the City Clerk’s office at
704.336.5271, or
sign up to speak in-person with the City Clerk prior to the start of the public hearing.
Speakers who participate remotely must contact the City Clerk’s Office by 9:00 a.m. on the day of the public hearing. Alternatively, public comments of 350 words or less on the subject of the public hearing may be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office at
cityclerk@charlottenc.gov, between publication of this notice and 24 hours prior to the scheduled time of the start of the public hearing.
Anyone requiring special accommodations or information in an alternative format when participating remotely in the public hearing, please email
charlotteada@charlottenc.gov or call
704.336.5271.
Further information on the proposed changes may be obtained by emailing
Daryl.Hammock@charlottenc.gov.
Explanation
Mecklenburg County administers the City of Charlotte’s floodplain ordinance and all other floodplain ordinances in the County. The purpose of the ordinance is to promote public health, safety, and welfare and minimize flood losses.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services assembled a stakeholder group composed of staff and outside professionals in the fields of engineering, real estate development, and environmental to review methods used to predict future flood height. A study was conducted using land use data, rainfall, floodplain storage, and mapping calibration. The study concluded that predicted future flood heights could be approximately one foot higher on average.
The stakeholder group unanimously recommended changes to the flood prediction models used by engineers to create more accurate maps.
• Due to re-mapping time constraints, the group recommended increasing flood protection elevation for new structures by one foot until new maps are completed.
• The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Advisory Committee reviewed and unanimously approved the stakeholder recommendation.
The increase will affect some existing buildings within the regulated floodplain but these buildings are eligible for a Community Exemption. 
View a copy of the Community Exemption form.
Proposed changes also incorporate the conditions to be met by a petitioner so that a variance is not required for vehicular access and construction of parking areas in the floodplain.
Summary of Proposed Changes
Proposed amendments to the Floodplain Ordinance include:
Update Section 9-21 to amend the definition of Flood Protection Elevation.
Update Section 9-102(d)4c and (k) to add conditions to avoid a variance for the dryland access requirement and the parking requirement.
The proposed effective date of these changes is January 1, 2022.
Proposed Changes
Chapter 9 – Floodplain Regulations