HomeMy WebLinkAboutretain sepa dns�SC71V c JEFFERSON COUNTY
o� DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
621 Sheridan Street I Port Townsend, WA 98368
360-379-4450 1 email: dcd@co.jefferson.wa.us
gsQI NCI http://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/260/Community-Development
Date: April 17, 2019 (.
From: Patty Charnas, SEPA Responsible Official
To: Project File — MLA19-00010/ZON19-00005
Re: SEPA DNS — Retain (and Review of Public Comments)
Summary and Retain DNS
Jefferson County is retaining the April 3, 2019 nonproject Determination of Non -Significance (DNS) for
MLA19-00010/ZON19-00005, which updates the Jefferson County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance
(as codified in Chapter 15.15 JCC). This proposal repeals the existing Flood Damage Prevention
Ordinance and replaces it with an update that is consistent with the Federal Emergency Management
Agency's (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program requirements for unincorporated Jefferson County.
On April 3, 2019, the County noticed a nonproject action and a issued a State Environmental Policy Act
(SEPA) DNS. The comment period was open from April 3, 2019 to April 17, 2019.
Review of Public Comments
Jefferson County received one written comment regarding the proposed update to the Flood Damage
Prevention Ordinance. This comment was received from a local action group and the comment noted
that FEMA determined base flood elevations (BFEs) on historical data, not on future flood projections.
Therefore, the action group recommended that the ordinance require applicants to meet a BFE of at
least 2 feet in the ordinance update (rather than the minimum 1 -foot above BFE currently required by
FEMA). Since FEMA provides financial incentives in flood insurance rates for building above the
required 1 -foot minimum, Jefferson County will not be revising the ordinance to require property
owners to exceed the current BFE requirements specified by FEMA. After a review of the public
comment, the existing ordinance language, and the proposed ordinance language, Jefferson County
finds that no revisions are necessary to the DNS and opts to retain its April 3, 2019 DNS.