FEMA flood zone rules in Lowell, MA — also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules — determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Lowell lies along the Merrimack and Concord Rivers with extensive FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas, and all construction in those zones must meet the Massachusetts Floodplain Overlay and NFIP standards.
Lowell has a long history of Merrimack River flooding, including major events in 1936, 1987, 2006, and 2007. FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps designate significant portions of the city as Zone AE along the Merrimack, Concord, Beaver Brook, and River Meadow Brook corridors. The Lowell Floodplain Overlay District in the zoning code requires lowest floor elevation at least one foot above the base flood elevation (freeboard), flood-resistant materials below that elevation, and wet or dry floodproofing for non-residential structures. Any fill or structure in the regulatory floodway requires a no-rise certification. Federally backed mortgages in SFHAs require flood insurance under the NFIP.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Lowell, MA
Lowell Code Section 204-4C(1)-(4) declares unlawful any unnecessary motor noise (backfiring, racing, tire-screeching), improper horn/signaling-device use, di...
Lowell, MA
Lowell Code Section 204-3 sets a full district-by-time dBA table (residential 40-50 dB(A), industrial up to 70 dB(A) daytime), measured at the property bound...
Lowell, MA
Lowell restricts gas-powered leaf blower use to daytime hours; no outright ban exists, but decibel and hour limits apply under the general noise ordinance.
Lowell, MA
Outdoor music at restaurants, breweries, and event venues in Lowell requires an entertainment license and must end by 10 p.m. in residential zones.
Lowell, MA
Lowell Code Chapter 204, Section 204-3 sets district-based dBA limits keyed to time of day. In single- and two-family residential districts the limit drops t...
Lowell, MA
Lowell Code Section 204-4C(12) makes it unlawful to operate any radio, stereo, loudspeaker, instrument or other sound-reproducing device so as to disturb a r...
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