Blaine, MN Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)

Blaine's freeboard standard is defined in Sec. 125-20(d): the regulatory flood protection elevation (RFPE) is set no lower than two feet above the elevation of the regional flood, plus any increase in flood elevation caused by floodway encroachments. In an AO zone, the RFPE instead runs at least three feet above the highest adjacent grade of an existing structure, or three feet above the highest adjacent grade for a proposed addition. This elevation standard is enforced concretely in the Flood Fringe District under Sec. 125-23(b)(1), which requires that all structures, including accessory structures, be elevated on fill so the lowest floor, defined in Sec.

125-20(h) as the lowest floor of the lowest enclosed area including a basement, sits at or above the RFPE. The finished fill elevation cannot be more than one foot below the RFPE, and the fill must extend at that elevation for at least 15 feet beyond the structure's outside limits, preventing a narrow, unstable elevated pad. Alternative elevation methods, such as stilts, pilings, or above-grade tuck-under garages, are allowed under Sec. 125-23(d)(6) if certified by a registered professional engineer or architect. All as-built fill and building elevations must be certified to the zoning administrator by a registered professional engineer, architect, or land surveyor under Sec.

125-28(b)(4), and the building official keeps a permanent record of the lowest-floor elevation of every new or altered structure in the floodplain under Sec. 125-28(b)(5).