Environmental Rules in Chelsea, MA (2026)
4 verified environmental rules for Chelsea, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Chelsea's Code of Ordinances Sec. 30-223 requires every property owner to run industry-standard best management practices that keep pollutants out of stormwater, and requires oil and particle separators on new private storm drains serving parking and paved areas. The DPW director can also order a full stormwater management plan when a property connects or expands.
Chelsea Stormwater Management Standards
Some RestrictionsChelsea Code of Ordinances § 30-223(a), (b)(5)
(a)All owners of existing properties shall implement industry standard structural and nonstructural best management practices (BMPs) to minimize the discharge of pollutants carried by stormwater runoff from their properties to any public drain or natural outlet. ... (5)Design and install on-site stormwater management measures such as BMPs and treatment systems to control the characteristics of ...
Erosion Control
Chelsea requires every construction project to submit a sediment and erosion control plan to the Department of Public Works before it can get a building permit. Code of Ordinances Sec. 30-220(2) blocks permit issuance entirely until the director signs off on the plan, folding stormwater and drainage management into the same review.
Chelsea Erosion & Sediment Control Rule
Some RestrictionsChelsea Code of Ordinances § 30-220(2)
(2)The proponents of all construction projects within the city must submit to DPW for approval a plan to manage sediment and erosion control, which includes stormwater and drainage, at the proposed location prior to or in conjunction with its building permit application. No building permits shall be approved and issued until such plan has been approved by the director.
Flood Zones
Chelsea's Floodplain Overlay District (FOD) layers over every underlying zoning district and covers all FEMA-mapped special flood hazard areas (zones A, AE, AH, AO, A99, V, VE) shown on the city's Flood Insurance Rate Map, per Code of Ordinances § 34-184. Development there must meet the state building code's floodplain provisions, and mobile homes and mobile home parks are banned outright.
Chelsea Floodplain Overlay District Rules
Significant RestrictionsChelsea Code of Ordinances § 34-184
(a)Scope and purpose. ... This section applies to the Floodplain Overlay District (FOD). The purposes of the FOD are to ensure public safety through reducing the threats of life and personal injury; eliminate new hazards to emergency response officials; prevent the occurrence of public emergencies resulting from water quality, contamination, and pollution due to flooding ... (b)Floodplain distr...
Flood Elevation Requirements
Chelsea's zoning code overlays a Floodplain Overlay District (FOD) on every FEMA-mapped special flood hazard area in the city, tying development directly to the county Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and requiring base flood elevation data for larger subdivision proposals.
Chelsea, MA Floodplain Overlay District Rules
Some RestrictionsChelsea Code of Ordinances § 34-184(b), (c)(2)
(b)Floodplain district boundaries and base flood elevation and floodway data. The floodplain district is herein established as an overlay district. The floodplain district includes all special flood hazard areas within the city designated as zone A, AE, AH, AO A99, V, or VE on the county flood insurance rate map (FIRM) issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the administrat...