Question

During your permit review, you find that the applicant's site plan shows that the ground is currently higher than the BFE. Should you continue to treat this as a floodplain development permit?

1) Yes, because the ground is currently higher than the BFE
2) No, because the ground is currently higher than the BFE
3) Yes, because the ground is currently lower than the BFE
4) No, because the ground is currently lower than the BFE

Answer 1

Yes, the site should still be treated as a floodplain development permit even if the ground is currently higher than the BFE, due to potential future flooding risks and regulatory compliance.

Step-by-step explanation:

When reviewing a permit for a floodplain development, it's important to assess whether it should be considered as such, even if the ground is currently higher than the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). In this specific scenario, the correct answer would be 1) Yes, because the ground is currently higher than the BFE. This is because the BFE is a reference point used to identify areas at high risk for flooding. Being currently above the BFE does not guarantee that the site will not experience future conditions that would cause it to become at risk of flooding. Thus, treating it as a floodplain development is important for future risk management and adherence to regulatory standards.