City Code on Floodplain Management

The City of Annapolis' Code

As part of the Development Review process, all applicable developments must address the City of Annapolis' Code (Chapter 17.11)

It is the purpose of this chapter to promote the public health, safety and general welfare, and to:

  • Protect human life, health and welfare;
  • Encourage the utilization of appropriate construction practices in order to prevent or minimize flood damage in the future; 
  • Minimize flooding of water supply and sanitary sewage disposal systems; 
  • Maintain natural drainage; 
  • Reduce financial burdens imposed on the community, its governmental units and its residents, by discouraging unwise design and construction of development in areas subject to flooding; 
  • Minimize the need for rescue and relief efforts associated with flooding and generally undertaken at the expense of the general public; 
  • Minimize prolonged business interruptions; 
  • Minimize damage to public facilities and other utilities such as water and gas mains, electric, telephone and sewer lines, streets and bridges; 
  • Reinforce that those who build in and occupy special flood hazard areas should assume responsibility for their actions; 
  • Minimize the impact of development on adjacent properties within and near flood-prone areas; 
  • Provide that the flood storage and conveyance functions of floodplains are maintained; 
  • Minimize the impact of development on the natural and beneficial functions of floodplains; 
  • Prevent floodplain uses that are either hazardous or environmentally incompatible; and 
  • Meet community participation requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program as set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 44 Section 59.22.