As a member of the Planning Board, you are responsible for administering laws related to the subdivision of land. Your board develops and updates the community’s master plan, recommends changes in the zoning laws to the city council or town meeting, and may grant special permits in cases for which standard regulations and permits do not apply.
Your board is in a unique position to help protect people, property, and community funds by helping to make sure that development in your floodplains doesn’t increase flood and storm risk to people or property.
Following are some of the ways that you can help protect your community:
Hazard Identification and Mapping
- Interpreting Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and Flood Insurance Studies
- Understanding the limitations of Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and Flood Insurance Studies
- Finding and using additional hazard information
- Sharing emergency information
Planning
Regulation and Development Standards
- Considering potential future conditions when siting new development
- Passing a protective wetlands bylaw
- Keeping public infrastructure outside of damage-prone areas
- Incorporating National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements into local ordinances and regulations
- Ensuring local regulations allow appropriate development techniques
- Creating permanent no-build areas
- Using freeboard to elevate structures above predicted floodwaters
Mitigation and Shore Protection
- Using non-structural shore protection
- Using flood and erosion control structures
- Acquiring existing structures
Infrastructure
- Protecting critical access routes
- Keeping roads and utilities out of damage-prone areas
- Regularly inventorying hazard risk to all public property
- Improving construction and design of critical facilities
- Siting critical facilities out of harm’s way
Education and Outreach