Medford, MA Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Medford adopted its Flood Damage Prevention ordinance, Chapter 46, Article II of the Revised Ordinances, to reduce flood losses under the National Flood Insurance Program. Section 46-34 makes the article apply to all areas of special flood hazard in the city, and Section 46-35 defines those areas as the parcels shown as Zone A and AE on the Middlesex County Flood Insurance Rate Map, covering FIRM panels 25017C0409E through 25017C0439E, dated June 4, 2010, and the accompanying Flood Insurance Study of the same date. Before any construction or development begins in a mapped flood zone, Section 46-77 requires a development permit from the city engineer, with plans showing the elevation of the lowest floor, any floodproofing, and any proposed alteration of a watercourse.

Section 46-36 bars any structure or land from being constructed, located, extended, converted or altered in a flood zone without full compliance with the article, and puts the city engineer in charge of enforcement. Section 46-113 prohibits encroachments in a floodway, whether or not it has a FEMA-designated regulatory floodway, if the fill or construction would raise flood levels during a base flood discharge. Property owners who believe the FIRM boundary is misapplied to their lot can appeal the city engineer's interpretation, and anyone denied a permit can seek a variance from the city council under Section 46-78, which weighs factors such as danger to life, the availability of alternative sites, and the cost of emergency services during flooding; variances in a designated floodway are barred outright if they would raise flood levels.

A city council variance decision can be further appealed to superior court under M.G.L.A. c. 40A. Violating the ordinance is punished under the citywide general penalty of Section 1-13, up to $300 per offense, with each day of a continuing violation counted as a separate offense.