The project block had been considered part of an area that was previously, and will again, be protected from the 1% chance of flood by a Federal flood protection system whose restoration is Federally funded and underway. The project area, which was previously designated as Zone AR (a temporary flood zone), in May 2000 was redesignated as Zone A99, an area inundated by 1% annual chance flooding, for which no BFE\'s (average depths) have been determined. This is an area to be protected from the 1% annual chance flood by a Federal flood protection system under construction. As a result of this redesignation, the City of Sacramento did not require the project team to floodproof the building. The project site is within an urban neighborhood, it is not on farmland, wetland, parkland, nor is it a habitat for endangered species. It meets sustainable goals of appropriate, transit-oriented development. Could credit be given for this point considering the redesignation of the flood zone?
You are eligible for this credit due to the site\'s PROJECTED Flood Zone X in the City of Sacramento. Explanation: The intent of this credit is to avoid development of inappropriate sites and reduce environmental impact on a site. One of the credit requirements is to build on land no lower than 5 feet above the 100-year flood as defined by FEMA. The project site in Sacramento had previously been classified as Flood Zone AR, which set the minimum elevation for all new construction at three feet above base flood elevation or ground, whichever is lower. The Base Flood Elevation was set at 24 feet, making the site lower than the LEED requirement. This is a temporary designation that covers Special Flood Hazard Areas that no longer provide sufficient protection from a 100-year flood, and was implemented after the city\'s flood protection system was compromised during flooding in the area in 1980. In 1989, FEMA developed new maps, however, and the project site area in Sacramento became a special use A99 Flood Zone. This new designation, currently in effect, is also temporary, and is based in part on the Army Corps of Engineers\' assessment that found certain areas of Sacramento could be susceptible to flood elevations up to 26 feet. However, the new designation carries no depth for Base Flood Elevations. The City of Sacramento is still in the process of implementing flood mitigation measures that will ultimately lead to the entire city\'s redesignation as Flood Zone X, which means all locations will be considered out of the 100-year flood area. This is projected to occur in 2003, which is the same scheduled completion date for the East End Complex. Therefore, because of the site\'s scheduled designation as Flood Zone X, this project\'s efforts are consistent with the intent of this credit requirement to comply with FEMA standards. One final issue to resolve is whether the project is at the required 5 feet ABOVE the 100-year flood plain.