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Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance

Cranford SealThe purpose of the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (FDPO) is to promote the public health, safety and general welfare and to minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions. The FDPO allows Township staff to achieve these goals by:

  • Restricting or prohibiting uses which are dangerous to health, safety and property due to water or erosion hazards or which result in damaging increases in erosion or flood height or velocities;
  • Requiring that uses vulnerable to floods, including facilities which serve such uses, be protected against flood damage at the time of initial construction;
  • Controlling the alteration of natural floodplains, stream channels, and natural protective barriers which help accomodate or channel floodwaters;
  • Controlling filling, grading, dredging, and other development which may increase flood damage; and
  • Preventing or regulating the construction of flood barriers which will unnaturally divert floodwaters or which may increase flood hazards in other areas.

The Township's regulations require that all substantial improvements be compliant with the requirements of the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance. A substantial improvement is one which costs more than 50% of the structures market value. Market value is determined by taking the assessed improvement value of the property (does not include assessed land value) and dividing it by the equalization ratio for the Township. As of April 2020, the equalization ratio for the Township is 35.08%. If an improvement is deemed to be a substantial improvement, it must be brought into compliance with all applicable building codes as well as the Township's Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (§225 of the Township Code). Additionally, all substantial improvements in the floodplain require approval from the Township's Zoning Board of Adjustment. These rules apply to structures that have been substantially damaged as well. Substantial damage is defined as "damage of any origin sustained by a structure whereby the cost of restoring the structure to its before-damaged condition would equal or exceed 50% of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred."

The full language of the FDPO can be found in the Township Code, specifically Chapter §225.