Cheektowaga, NY Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Section 125-6 establishes the areas of special flood hazard for the Town by adopting sixteen named FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map panels (36029C0208H through 36029C0352H), effective June 7, 2019, together with the Flood Insurance Study for Erie County, New York, dated the same day; both documents are on file at the Town Engineer's office in the Alexander Community Center, 275 Alexander Avenue. Chapter 125 applies to all areas of special flood hazard within the Town's jurisdiction, exclusive of the Villages of Sloan and Depew (§ 125-5), each of which administers its own zoning.

Under § 125-12A, no development, meaning any man-made change to real estate including buildings, mining, dredging, filling, paving, excavation or drilling, may occur in a mapped flood hazard area without a floodplain development permit; the application fee is $100, plus a possible $500 deposit for extra review costs (§ 125-12B). The local administrator, the Town Engineer, reviews applications for completeness and compliance, determines whether a proposed site will be reasonably safe from flooding, and can require additional technical analysis before issuing or denying a permit (§ 125-14A).

Encroachments into a regulatory floodway are barred outright unless an engineer certifies no rise in base flood elevation, or the Town obtains a FEMA conditional map revision at the applicant's expense (§ 125-15B). Where the requirements of Chapter 125 conflict with any other Town or state regulation, the more restrictive standard controls (§ 125-7B). A certificate of compliance from the local administrator is required before any building or land in a special flood hazard area may be occupied or used (§ 125-14G).