Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance - Mason County

elevations should be quite rare. Variances shall not be granted for residential or
commercial construction in floodways designated by this Ordinance.
(7) Variances may be issued for nonresidential buildings in very limited
circumstances to allow a lesser degree of flood proofing than watertight or dryflood
proofing, where it can be determined that such action will have low damage
potential, complies with all other variance criteria except 4.4-2(1), and otherwise
complies with Sections 5.1-1 and 5.1-2 of the GENERAL STANDARDS.
(8) Any applicant to whom a variance is granted shall be given written notice that the
structure will be permitted to be built with a lowest floor elevation below the base
flood elevation and that the cost of flood insurance will be commensurate with the
increased risk resulting from the reduced lowest floor elevation.
4.4-3 Reasonable Use Exception
Nothing in this ordinance is intended to preclude all reasonable use of property. An
applicant for a development proposal may file a request for a reasonable use exception
which shall be considered by Hearing Examiner at a public hearing. The reasonable use
exception is not intended to allow residential development in designated floodways.
(1) The Hearing Examiner may allow a use which is consistent with the general
purposes of this ordinance and the public interest provided it meets the following
criteria:
(i) There is no other reasonable use or feasible alternative to the proposed
development with less impact on flood levels, critical areas, or resource
lands; and
(ii) The proposed development does not pose a threat to the public health,
safety or welfare on or off the site; and
(iii) The inability of the applicant to derive reasonable use of the property is
not the result of actions by the applicant in creating the undevelopable
condition after the effective date of the ordinance; and
(iv) The proposal is the minimum necessary while still allowing reasonable
use of the site.
(2) Applications shall include the following information:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
A description of the areas of the site which are critical areas and/or
resource lands or within setbacks required under the Mason County
Resource Ordinance;
A description of the amount of the site which is within setbacks required
by other County standards;
A description of the proposed development, including a site plan and
topographic contour information adequate to determine flood depths on
the site and property;
An analysis of the impact that the amount of development would have on
the resource lands or critical areas;
An analysis of whether any other reasonable use with less impact on the
resource lands or critical areas is possible;
Mason County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance 15
Effective August 18, 2008