Preliminary FEMA maps released
The draft documents, recently released on the city's website, are still pending public comment and additional information from city officials.
It is not clear how the preliminary maps, which have not been adopted, may affect future development along portions of
The release of the maps is the first step in a monthslong outreach, education and public comment process.
The idea is to get the information out early for residents' review, said
The city intends to send out thousands of letters to residents who own property in a flood zone, Dimas said. It gives time to discuss mitigation before the maps are finalized, he said.
The
"Some may know already that they're in flood zones," he said. "But some may not. So we're going to reach out to them specifically."
The final versions of the maps, used by the agency to identify high-risk flood zones, will matter for residents' mortgages and builders' construction costs.
Generally, residents living in areas that would now be included in flood zones would be required to purchase flood insurance, if their home has a federally backed mortgage. And builders' costs could climb if officials approve proposed higher building standards that would apply to new construction in flood zones.
One of the areas off
It's expected that some of the new flood zones shown in the
Some areas that were once shown in a flood zone -- notably, parts of
The association will give input, though, once members review the documents, he said.
"It's always something that has an impact one way or the other on our business, so we definitely want to take a look at it," he said.
City staff plans to recommend that the
Although higher building standards would mean additional costs for developers, it's thought that the increases would be offset by the improved
Insurance requirements wouldn't change until flood maps are adopted, Dimas said.
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