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Portsmouth, Virginia, Code of Ordinances: PART 1! -CODE -Chapter 14.7 FLOOD PROTECTION d. All new construction shall be located at least 50 feet landward of the reach of mean high tide. e. All new construction and substantial improvements shall have the space below the lowest floor either free of obstruction or constructed with non-supporting breakaway wa115, open wood-lattice work, or insect screening intended to collapse under wind and water loads without causing collapse, displacement, or other structural damage to the elevated portion of the building or supporting foundation system. For the purpose of this section, a breakaway wall shall have a design safe loading resistance of not less than 10 and no more than 20 pounds per square foot. Use of breakaway walls which exceed a design safe loading resistance of 20 pounds per square foot (either by design or when so required by local codes} may be permitted only if a registered professional engineer or architect certifies that the designs proposed meat the following conditions: 1 } Breakaway wall collapse shall result from water load less than that which would occur during the base flood; and 2) The elevated portion of the building and supporting foundation system shall not be subject to collapse, displacement, or other structural damage due to the effects of wind and water loads acting simultaneously on all building components (structural and nonstructural). Maximum wind and water loading values to be used in this de#ermination shall each have a one percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. f. The enclosed space below the lowest floor shall be used solely for parking of vehicles, building access, or storage. Such space shall not be partitioned into multiple rooms, temperature-controlled, or used for human habitation. g. The use of fill for structural support of buildings is prohibited. When non-structural fill is proposed in a coastal high hazard area, appropriate engineering analyses shall be conducted to evaluate the impacts of the fill prior to issuance of a development permit. h. The man-made alteration of sand dunes and mangrove stands, which would increase potential flood damage, is prohibited. i. AI! recreational vehicles placed in V-zones shall be on site for fewer than 180 consecutive days, be fully licensed and ready far highway use or meek the same standards as far conventional housing in V-zones. (c) Additional provisions for watercourse, (1} Prior to any proposed al#eration or relocation of any channels or of any watercourse, stream, etc., within this jurisdiction, a permit shall be obtained from the U.S. Corps of Engineers, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and the Virginia Marine Resource Commission (a joint permit application is available from any of these organizations). Furthermore, in riverine areas, notification of the proposal shall be given by the applicant to all affected adjacent jurisdicEions, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (Division of Qom Safety and Floodplain Management), other required agencies, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 76