West Haven, CT Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)

West Haven's Flood Management Program was adopted by the City Council as Ord. No. 201 on 4-11-1983 and sits in Chapter 111 of the city code. Under § 111-5 the Planning and Zoning Commission is the administering agency, responsible for adopting the flood hazard area regulations and a permit procedure for regulated activities in a flood hazard area. The elevation work falls on the Director of Planning under § 111-6. With the assistance of the City Engineer, the Director verifies and records the actual elevation, in relation to mean sea level, of the lowest floor, including the basement, of all new or substantially improved structures.

The same section requires the Director to verify and record the elevation to which a structure has been floodproofed, and to obtain certification from the applicant's engineer when floodproofing is used. In coastal high-hazard areas the Director obtains a registered professional engineer's certification that the structure is securely anchored to pilings or columns able to withstand velocity waters and hurricane wave wash, and reviews plans for breakaway walls together with the Building Official. When base flood elevation data has not been provided, § 111-6(L) directs the Director to obtain, review and reasonably utilize any base flood elevation data available from a federal, state or other source, including requests for engineering data from the applicant.

Chapter 111 itself prints no freeboard figure and no numeric design elevation. It points to the flood hazard area regulations for the standards, and § 111-6(M) requires the Director to provide that those standards are fulfilled. All records pertaining to the chapter are kept in the Planning and Zoning office and are open for public inspection under § 111-7.