Union, NY Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)
FEMA flood zone rules in Union, NY, also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules, determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Key Facts
- Flood maps
- FEMA Flood Insurance Study dated September 30, 1988
- Administrator
- Ordinance Department
- Special permit
- Planning Board, under Article 66 of Chapter 300
- Floodway
- No residential buildings; no rise in flood levels
- Variances
- Zoning Board of Appeals under § 121-16
- Penalty
- Fine up to $250, 15 days, or both
Summary
In the Town of Union outside the Villages of Endicott and Johnson City, any use in an area of special flood hazard other than a short list of low-damage uses needs a special permit from the Planning Board, plus a development permit before construction starts. Floodway encroachments are prohibited unless a technical evaluation shows no increase in flood levels.
A. All uses within areas of special flood hazard other than those specified in § 121-10.1 are permitted only after the issuance of a special permit by the Town of Union Planning Board, as provided in Article 66 of Chapter 300 of this Code. Uses allowed by special permit shall be determined by the nature and location of the applicant's proposal. Therefore: (1) The applicant shall submit a development plan as specified in § 121-11. ... (3) If it is determined that the proposed use is located within a regulatory floodway, the provisions of § 121-10.3, Regulatory floodway provisions, of this chapter shall apply. (4) If it is determined that the proposed use is within a flood-fringe, the provisions of § 121-10.4, Flood-fringe provisions, of this chapter shall apply.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 121, Flood Damage Prevention, applies under § 121-5 to all areas of special flood hazard within the Town of Union. Section 121-6 identifies those areas through the FEMA report "Flood Insurance Study, Town of Union, New York, Broome County," dated September 30, 1988, with Flood Insurance Rate Maps under Map Index No. 360056 0001-0035. The maps are filed at the Town Hall, 3111 East Main Street, Endwell, and with the Town Planning Department. Section 121-10 names the Ordinance Department as local administrator, granting or denying development permit applications.
Section 121-10.1 lists the only uses that need no special permit: agricultural uses such as pasture or grazing, private and public outdoor recreation such as open space, nature preserves and trails, and paved areas such as parking lots, and only where they involve no development or substantial improvement in the floodplain. No use can diminish the capacity of any channel, floodway or drainage facility to discharge base flood waters.
Everything else goes to the Planning Board under § 121-10.2 and Article 66 of Chapter 300. The applicant submits a development plan, plus any engineering the Board requests. Location is read from the Flood Boundary and Floodway Map where base flood elevations are delineated, or from the Flood Insurance Rate Map for unnumbered A Zones, and the Building Official verifies it. A floodway site then follows § 121-10.3, which bars residential buildings, bars any structure or fill that raises flood levels, and requires floodproofing under § 121-13. A flood-fringe site follows § 121-10.4.
Under § 121-11 a development permit is required before the start of construction or any other development in the hazard area. Plans show elevations, and after the lowest floor goes in, the permit holder files a surveyor's or engineer's elevation certificate. Deficiencies bring a stop-work order, and § 121-12(H) bars occupancy until a certificate of compliance issues. Section 121-15 prohibits all floodway encroachments unless a technical evaluation shows no increase in base flood levels. The Zoning Board of Appeals hears variances under § 121-16, with appeal to the Supreme Court under Article 78.
Violations & Fines
Section 121-8 sets a fine of no more than $250, imprisonment of not more than 15 days, or both, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense. The Town can also take other lawful action to stop or remedy the violation. A structure found noncompliant without an approved variance is declared noncompliant and reported to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Disregarding a stop-work order carries the same penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can be built in a flood hazard area in the Town of Union without a special permit?
Who issues the permit for floodplain development?
Can a house be built in the regulatory floodway?
Where are the flood maps for the Town of Union kept?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Union
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