FEMA flood zone rules in Greenfield, WI — also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules — determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
The City of Greenfield regulates floodplain development through Chapter 21 of the Zoning Code, which establishes three flood-related districts: FW Regional Floodway (Sec. 21.04.0313), FF Regional Flood Fringe (Sec. 21.04.0314), and GFP General Floodplain (Sec. 21.04.0315). Use standards in these districts are set out in Sec. 21.04.0604, with floodland nonconforming uses governed by Sec. 21.04.1011. The ordinance is adopted under Wis. Stat. Sec. 87.30 and must meet the minimum standards of Wis. Admin. Code Chapter NR 116 and 44 CFR Parts 59-72. The Root River and its tributaries are the principal regulated waterways through Greenfield; FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps for Milwaukee County (community panels under CID 55079C) delineate the regulated floodplain.
Wisconsin Statute Sec. 87.30(1) requires every municipality with mapped floodplain to adopt a reasonable and effective floodplain zoning ordinance. The minimum standards for those local ordinances are set out in Wis. Admin. Code Chapter NR 116, which the Wisconsin DNR administers, and which incorporates federal NFIP requirements at 44 CFR Parts 59-72. Greenfield meets that obligation through Chapter 21 of its Municipal Code, where Division 21.04.0300 establishes its three floodland districts: the FW Regional Floodway District (Sec. 21.04.0313), the FF Regional Flood Fringe District (Sec. 21.04.0314), and the GFP General Floodplain District (Sec. 21.04.0315). Use regulations for those districts are consolidated in Sec. 21.04.0604 ('Uses in the FW Regional Floodway, FF Regional Flood Fringe, and GFP General Floodplain Districts'). Floodland district boundary changes are governed by Sec. 21.08.0206, and floodland nonconforming uses are addressed in Sec. 21.04.1011. Under NR 116 the regulatory floodway is reserved for the discharge of the regional flood (1% annual chance flood) and prohibits most structural development and fill; new habitable structures are prohibited in the floodway. In the flood fringe and general floodplain, development is allowed only if the lowest floor of any habitable space is elevated to or above the flood protection elevation (regional flood elevation plus freeboard, generally 2 feet under NR 116). The Root River runs through the south side of Greenfield (including Root River Parkway) and is the primary regulated waterway. Milwaukee County is mapped under FEMA Community Identification Number 55079C, and the Wisconsin DNR Floodplain Mapping Program plus FEMA's Map Service Center (msc.fema.gov) and National Flood Hazard Layer provide the authoritative effective maps. Greenfield participates in the National Flood Insurance Program; floodplain zoning permits must be issued before any related building permit.
Wis. Stat. Sec. 87.30(2) and Wis. Admin. Code NR 116.21 require local enforcement of the adopted floodplain ordinance. Violations - such as building a new residence in the FW Regional Floodway, placing fill in the floodway, or constructing in the FF or GFP districts without elevating the lowest floor to the flood protection elevation - are prosecutable under Chapter 21. Penalties can include daily forfeitures, stop-work orders, restoration/removal orders, and denial of occupancy. Submitting false elevation certificates is independently actionable. Persistent local nonenforcement can lead to suspension from the NFIP under 44 CFR Part 59, which would eliminate federal flood insurance availability city-wide.
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