Article I — Statutory Authorization, Findings of Fact and

§ 25.38.010. Statutory authorization. ¶

The Legislature of the state of California has in Government Code Sections 65302 , 65560 , and 65800 conferred upon local governments the authority to adopt regulations designed to promote the public health, safety and general welfare of its citizenry. Therefore, the city council of the city of Laguna Beach does hereby adopt the following floodplain management regulations. (Ord. 1576 § 1, 2013)

§ 25.38.011. Findings of fact. ¶

(A) The flood hazard areas of the city of Laguna Beach are subject to periodic inundation which results in loss of life and property, health and safety hazards, disruption of commerce and governmental services, extraordinary public expenditures for flood protection and relief and impairment of the tax base, all of which adversely affect the public health, safety and general welfare.
(B) These flood losses are caused by uses that are inadequately elevated, floodproofed, inappropriately located or protected from flood damage. The cumulative effect of obstructions in areas of special flood hazards that increase flood heights and velocities also contributes to flood losses.
(C) Sea level rise will exacerbate flooding in areas subject to tidal influence and extend the inundation zone into areas that do not currently flood.
(Ord. 1576 § 1, 2013)

§ 25.38.012. Statement of purpose. ¶

It is the purpose of this chapter to promote the public health, safety and general welfare, and to minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions in specific areas by legally enforceable regulations applied uniformly throughout the community to all publicly and privately-owned land within flood prone, mudslide (i.e., mudflow) or flood-related erosion areas. These regulations are designed to:

(A) Protect human life and health;
(B) Minimize expenditure of public money for costly flood control projects;
(C) Minimize the need for rescue and relief efforts associated with flooding and generally undertaken at the expense of the general public;
(D) Minimize prolonged business interruptions;
(E) Minimize damage to public facilities and utilities such as water and gas mains; electric, telephone and sewer lines; and streets and bridges located in areas of special flood hazard;
(F) Help maintain a stable tax base by providing for the sound use and development of areas of special flood hazard so as to minimize future blighted areas caused by flood damage;
(G) Ensure that potential buyers are notified that property is in an area of special flood hazard; and
(H) Ensure that those who occupy the areas of special flood hazard assume responsibility for their actions.
(Ord. 1576 § 1, 2013)

§ 25.38.013. Methods of reducing flood losses. ¶

In order to accomplish its purposes, this chapter includes regulations to:

(A) Restrict or prohibit uses that are dangerous to health, safety and property due to water or erosion hazards, or that result in damaging increases in erosion or flood heights or velocities;
(B) Require that uses vulnerable to floods, including facilities that serve such uses, be protected against flood damage at the time of initial construction;
(C) Control the alteration of natural floodplains, stream channels and natural protective barriers, which help accommodate or channel floodwaters;
(D) Control filling, grading, dredging and other development that may increase flood damage; and
(E) Prevent or regulate the construction of flood barriers that will unnaturally divert floodwaters or that may increase flood hazards in other areas.
(Ord. 1576 § 1, 2013)