Taunton, MA Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Article XIII of the Taunton Code, added by amendments through October 15, 2024, layers a Floodplain Overlay District on top of Taunton's underlying zoning districts. Under § 440-1306(B), the District covers every special flood hazard area in Taunton mapped as Zone A or AE on the Bristol County Flood Insurance Rate Maps dated July 6, 2021, with boundaries pinned to the 1% chance base flood elevations in the accompanying Flood Insurance Study, both of which are on file with the City Engineering Office. Section 440-1306(A) lets every use and building otherwise allowed in the underlying district continue in the overlay, except that mobile homes are prohibited outright and any excavation, fill, grading, mining, dredging or paving needs its own permit.

Subsection D goes further: a permit is required for essentially all proposed development in the district, covering new construction, changes to existing buildings, placement of manufactured homes, agricultural facilities, fences, sheds and storage facilities, and any drilling, mining or paving that could raise flooding risk to other properties. Floodway encroachments are tightly limited under Subsection F: in a designated regulatory floodway, fill, new construction and substantial improvements are prohibited unless an engineering analysis proves the project won't raise flood levels during a base flood event.

New construction on an affected lot must show the flood zone and base flood elevation on the permit plan, and before a certificate of occupancy issues, the owner must submit a signed FEMA elevation certificate with the as-built plan. The City designates its City Engineer as the official floodplain administrator under § 440-1308.