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Week of December 6, 2004

Front Page

* Builders Meet With Fed Chairman as Market Conditions Turn Less Favorable
* Workforce Housing Problem Hits Close to Home
* Proposed Salmon Habitat Designation Follows Cost-Benefit Approach Advocated by NAHB
* Housing Snapshot

President's Message

* Participating on the Home Builder Research Panel Is Easy and Rewarding

Housing and Economics

* Eye on the Economy

Business Management

* You Can Become the Ritz-Carlton of Builders
* Tech Talk: It Doesn't Hurt to Convert — If You're Prepared

Seniors Housing

* Affluence, Amenities and Other Active Adult Trends to Note
* Take the Active Adult Bus Tour, Let Experts Review Your Plans at IBS

Builders' Show

* Structural Insulated Panels Stand Up to Hurricane Force in ‘So Small Showhouse’
* Make Your IBS Plans Now — and Save

Housing Finance

* Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Announce Higher Conforming Loan Limits for 2005
* NAHB Task Force on Housing Finance Reform Seeking Input from Association Members

Small Builders and Remodelers

* A Clear, Concise Paper Trail Leads to Smoother Running Jobs

Green Building

* Entries Sought for National Green Building Awards

Environment

* Vigilance Advised as Effort Begins to Modernize Flood Insurance Rate Maps

Construction Safety

* OSHA Clarifies Fall Protection Requirements for Working From Exterior Wall Top Plate

Multifamily

* Ron Terwilliger Named Chair of Multifamily Leadership Board
* Sustainability of Current Condo Boom Among Topics to Be Examined at Pillars Conference

Women's Council

* Number of Women in the Construction Industry Grew 22%

Sales and Marketing

* SMI Magazine Wins Folio Award

Commercial Builders

* Adaptive Reuse Is a Profitable Alternative When Budgets Are Tight

Labor

* Student Chapter Job Fair at Builders’ Show Expected to Be the Largest Ever

Building Products

* New Technology Gives Home Builders and Buyers Easy Access to Warranty Information

Builder's Engineer

* Bad News Bearers — Friend or Foe?

Building News Coast To Coast

Association News & Events

* Grand Rapids Builders Lament Loss of Bill Zylstra
* Save 50% on NEBS Holiday Cards, Calendars and More
* Awards Programs Deadlines
* Calendar of Events

NBN Back Issues

 

Vigilance Advised as Effort Begins to Modernize Flood Insurance Rate Maps

After extensive consultation with NAHB and other organizations, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has set out to update and modernize its Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs).

In an attempt to tackle the Herculean task of prioritizing modernization of the country’s 92,222 FIRMS, the agency released its Multi-Year Flood Hazard Identification Plan (MHIP) on Nov. 24. The draft is open for public review and comment until Jan. 31.

Of greatest concern in the remapping effort are the effects that map modernization will have at the local level. Home builders will need to pay close attention to any changes to the mapped location of the floodplain itself, as well as their current floodplain regulations, including the models used to calculate the base flood elevation and the amount of additional freeboard that communities may require.

One particular item of concern is the inclusion of “future conditions,” or the conditions that would exist within a community once it was fully developed in accordance with current zoning maps and building code requirements. Using future conditions is precarious because the modeling is based on local zoning regulations that typically change over time.


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Although federal law precludes FEMA from regulating future conditions, the agency in the past has supported localities that have based the administration and management of floodplains on these speculative development conditions.

NAHB has been successful in convincing FEMA not to regulate future conditions at the federal level. However, in the modernization effort getting underway, the focus will be shifting to the local level and each community will determine how its maps will be updated.

For that reason, builders need to be aware of FEMA’s proposed MHIP schedule and should begin a dialogue with local officials involved in this issue as soon as possible.The first point of contact for any information at a state or local level is the appropriate Floodplain Manager or Flood Insurance Administrator.

Information at the state level can be found on your state government Web site (usually at www.state.postal abbreviation.us). Other sources for this information include the Blue Pages in the center of most phone books and NAHB staff.

Local associations are also advised to assume a proactive role in any and all community outreach programs on this issue to ensure that the home building industry is adequately represented in the remapping cycle.

For further information on FEMA’s map modernization efforts, click here; or e-mail Christopher Galik at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8663.

NAHB’s "FEMA Future Conditions Hydrology Action Kit" also provides a wealth of information on construction in a flood plain, and is a useful resource.
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