St. Mary's County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan

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Chapter 1: Introduction SMC Multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan volume and velocities. Increased volume and velocity promotes flash flooding and channel erosion that disconnects streams from their floodplains causing more sudden and more dangerous downstream flood events with deeper and faster flood waters. Section 5.7 discusses protection and management of tidal floodplains, non-tidal floodplains and the floodway protection to prevent the adverse impacts of development and human activity. Objective 5.7.1.A. “Preserve, protect and restore the natural environment and beneficial functions of floodplains” contains a number of policies directly pertaining to reduction of hazard including 5.7.1.A.i. “Limit and manage development activity in the 100-year floodplain to reduce vulnerability and flood hazards; 5.7.1.A.ii. Minimize the disturbance to vegetation in the floodplain Specific Actions to implement these policies include: • For all 100 year floodplain areas, continue to enforce existing regulations that require buffers at least 50 foot wide measured from the edge of the floodplain (determined by elevation). • Avoid disturbances to floodplains and their buffers to the maximum extent possible by requiring floodplain easements, continuing to prohibit development in the floodplain when alternative locations exist on a development site, continuing to prohibit creation of new development lots within the floodplain; prohibiting new fill in the floodplain, and keeping storm water ponds and structures out of the floodplain. • Maintain community eligibility for participation in the National Floodplain Insurance Program (NFIP) by assuring that development activities are conducted and structures are constructed or expanded in a manner that fully complies with (NFIP) criteria. • Seek to lower flood insurance rates through participation in the Community Rating System (CRS) which is a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) program that decreased flood insurance rates for residents in communities with effective hazard mitigation strategies. • Develop a comprehensive “No Adverse Impact” program for floodplain management. Objective 5.7.1.B. “Plan for and accommodate land use changes and impacts that are anticipated due to climate variability and projections for sea level rise.” contains a number of policies directly pertaining to identification and mitigation of hazard impacts including: • Map vulnerable lands, infrastructures and facilities. • Strengthen building codes and require use of appropriate construction and management techniques for new infrastructure and structures in vulnerable areas focusing particularly on elevation of buildings, foundation design, use of materials that can withstand periodic flooding, resistance to debris impact, resistance to wind and wave action, establish standards for abandonment and removal of impacted structures. • Include risk assessment and vulnerability when making public investments in infrastructure investments, to incorporate responses to threats into placement decisions and designs for new facilities, and for upgrade and replacement of threatened facilities. Also include in land conservation to reduce threats and preserve options for retreat of natural resources. St Mary’s County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance The current Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, effective effect on September 14, 2010, is the primary tool for regulating how development or redevelopment is accomplished in the County. It is also one of the tools for implementing the goals, objective, policies and actions recommended in the Comprehensive Plan. The Chapters listed and briefly discussed below contain provisions that are relevant to a hazard mitigation plan 13
Chapter 1: Introduction SMC Multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Chapter 41 Chesapeake Bay Critical Area (IDA, LDA, RCA) establishes overlay district regulations that apply to all water of and lands under the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries to the head of tide, all State and private wetlands, and all land and water areas within 1,000 feet beyond the landward boundaries of State or private wetlands and the heads of tide. The regulations apply to limit density and impervious cover, assure adequate water quality and quantity measures are implemented to manage runoff, measures to assure no net loss of forest cover, and to establish criteria for resource protection. Particular attention is given to prohibiting development and disturbances in a “Critical Area Buffer” at least 100 feet landward of mean high water or the top of stream banks and expanded for sensitive resources (non-tidal wetlands, hydric and highly erodible soils and steep slopes). The regulations have the effect of reducing the overall amount of development in close proximity or tidal waters and tributary stream and reducing the impacts of development that does occur. In addition to significant habitat benefits provided the regulations also reduce risk to hazards such as storm surge and tidal flooding, and damage and property loss due to shoreline erosion. Chapter 43 Air Installations Compatible Use Zone (AICUZ) establishes land use development standards and requirements intended to minimize exposure to aircraft noise, minimize risks to public safety, and minimize hazards to aviators and those employed or residing in proximity to public aviation facilities. Each overlay establishes a hierarchy of sub-districts with development and use restrictions dependent on the location of lands in relation to airport operations. The most stringent restrictions apply to land located closest to the airport, and the least stringent apply to lands located farther from the airport but within the boundary of this Overlay district. Chapter 70 Adequate Public Facilities. The purpose of adequate public facilities review is to implement adequate public facilities policies of the Comprehensive Plan and other functional plans adopted pursuant to the policies of the Comprehensive Plan, including the Lexington Park Transportation Plan, the Comprehensive Water and Sewerage Plan, the Educational Facilities Master Plan, the Fire and Rescue Services Master Plan, the Land Preservation and Recreation Plan, and the Capital Improvements Program (CIP). The ordinance 1) requires developers to provide or make arrangements for new or additional public facilities, or upgrades of existing public facilities, including roads, sewerage, water, storm drainage, schools, and fire prevention and suppression, that are necessary to address the impacts of their projects; 2) controls phasing and timing of development approval by conditioning such approval upon a finding that public facilities sufficient to serve proposed development are present or will be provided concurrent with that development; 3) encourages new development to occur in areas of the County where public facilities are being provided and which are designated for new growth in the Comprehensive Plan 4) implements uniform procedures, standards, and requirements for the review of development applications, and 5) assures that proposed development will not adversely affect the public health, safety, and welfare by requiring the following area addressed: Of particular relevance to this hazard mitigation plan are requirements for • Storm Drainage. The proposed development shall be served by an adequate storm drainage system. A storm drainage system shall be considered adequate if 1)The on-site drainage system installed by the developer will be capable of conveying through and from the property the design flow of storm water runoff originating in the development during a 2, 10-, and 100-year flood as determined in accordance with criteria specified in the Storm water Management Ordinance, in addition to flows from undeveloped land upstream in the natural watershed of the proposed development, flows from existing upstream developments, and designs flows from developments for which plats and plans have been approved, without resulting in erosion, sedimentation or flooding of the receiving channel and downstream properties; and 2)The off-site downstream drainage systems are capable of conveying to an acceptable outfall the design flow of storm water runoff originating in the development, as determined in accordance with criteria specified in the Storm water Management Ordinance, in addition to flows from undeveloped land up-stream in the natural watershed of the proposed development, flows from existing upstream developments, and design flows from developments for which plats have been recorded, without resulting in erosion, sedimentation, or flooding of the receiving channel and down-stream properties. 14
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Chapter 6: Action Plan SMC Multi-ju
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St. Mary's County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan

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