Oyster Bay, NY Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

L. No. 6-2009), applies to "all areas of special flood hazard within the jurisdiction of the Town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County, New York" (§ 121-5), meaning it does not reach the roughly twenty incorporated villages inside the Town, each of which floods under its own code. Special flood hazard areas are those shown on FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate Map for Community Number 360483, tied to a Flood Insurance Study dated September 11, 2009 and kept on file at Town Hall, Department of Planning and Development, Audrey Avenue (§ 121-6).

Under § 121-12, it is unlawful to undertake any development, including filling, grading, dredging, paving or new structures, in a special flood hazard area without a valid floodplain development permit issued by the local administrator, defined in § 121-11 as the Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development. The application fee is $25, and the local administrator may require a deposit of up to $500 to cover added review, inspection and approval costs (§ 121-12B). Section 121-13 requires elevation certifications from a licensed engineer or surveyor for the lowest floor of new or substantially improved structures in Zones A1-A30, AE, AH and A, and for the lowest structural member in V-zones, plus engineer-certified floodproofing plans for nonresidential buildings and breakaway-wall designs exceeding 20 pounds per square foot in V-zones.

The local administrator reviews every application for completeness and for whether a proposed site will be reasonably safe from flooding, and must deny a permit that would cause physical damage to another property until the applicant mitigates the impact (§ 121-14).