Chicopee, MA Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

In the City of Chicopee, Massachusetts, § 275-64 of the Zoning Ordinance sets up the Floodplain Overlay District, which sits on top of every other zoning district. The district covers all special flood hazard areas in the city designated Zone A or Zone AE on the Hampden County Flood Insurance Rate Map issued by FEMA. The map panels and the Hampden County Flood Insurance Study report are dated July 16, 2013, and both are on file with the Department of Planning and Development. The stated purposes are sound management of land subject to periodic flooding, protection of public health and safety, and keeping the City eligible for the National Flood Insurance Program.

Every development in the district, structural or not and whether allowed by right or by special permit, must comply with MGL c. 131, § 40, the floodplain and coastal high hazard sections of the Massachusetts State Building Code (780 CMR), the DEP Wetlands Protection Regulations (310 CMR 10:00), the Inland Wetlands Regulations (310 CMR 13:00) and Title 5 (310 CMR 15). A variance from those state rules can be granted only under the state variance procedures.

Permitted uses are conservation of soil, water, plants and wildlife; outdoor recreation such as play areas, nature study, boating, fishing and hunting where otherwise legally permitted; foot, bicycle or horse paths and bridges that do not affect the natural flow pattern of any watercourse; agriculture of all types; forestry, landscaping, lawns and fences; and uses allowed in the underlying district, except mobile homes and mobile home parks.

A building permit for construction or substantial improvement in the district is granted only on conditions. All new construction, substantial improvement or other development, including fill, is prohibited in the floodway, though boat marinas and other accessory water recreation uses are allowed if they do not raise the base flood level or impede the flow of the one-hundred-year flood. Permitted structures and portable structures, vehicles or vessels must be fully anchored against both flotation and currents. No development starts until all necessary local, state and federal permits are obtained and evidence of them is submitted to the Building Commissioner. New and replacement water supply and sewage systems must be designed to minimize or eliminate floodwater infiltration, and on-site waste disposal systems must be located to avoid contamination during flooding.

Before any alteration or relocation of a watercourse, the Planning Director or Development Manager must notify adjacent communities, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, state agencies including the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, and FEMA Region 1. The alteration cannot diminish the flood-carrying capacity of the watercourse.