Salem, Oregon
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Development Services Division
440 Church St. SE, 5th Floor
503-584-4646
developmentservices@cityofsalem.net
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 14300
Salem, OR 97309
Hours
Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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Floodplain Development Permits
Prior to construction, development, or change of use activity within the floodplain or Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), you must obtain a Floodplain Development Permit from the City. The goal of this process is to help reduce risks to people and property in areas that are subject to flooding and to protect the beneficial functions of the floodplain.
To review Salem's floodplain overlay zone regulations, please view Salem Revised Code Chapter 601.
To contact a Floodplain Manager, call or email Development Services at 503-584-4646 or developmentservices@cityofsalem.net.
Changes to Floodplain Development in Salem
In order to comply with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requirements for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) relating to the NFIP Endangered Species Act Integration in Oregon, the City of Salem is implementing new tracking and plan review requirements for development in the floodplain or Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). These new standards are based on the "Permit-by-Permit" approach described by FEMA guidance documents (pdf).
New development in the SFHA must comply with the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), including mitigation measures to ensure no net loss of key floodplain functions. Property owners must complete a Floodplain Mitigation Assessment, demonstrating no net loss of flood storage, water quality, or riparian vegetation.
FEMA provides guidance materials, including the Floodplain Habitat Assessment and Mitigation Regional Guidance for Oregon (pdf), available on FEMA's ESA Integration in Oregon website. Additional checklists and guidance are being developed by City staff and will be available to assist with this process. Property owners may need to hire a qualified professional for assessment preparation.
Project Timeline:
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November 25, 2024 City Council Meeting: The City's Floodplain Administrator provided an Information Report and presentation to City Council regarding options for compliance with the NFIP Endangered Species Act Integration in Oregon. City Council elected to proceed with the permit-by-permit approach.
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December 1, 2024: The City notified FEMA of the permit-by-permit selection.
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January 2025: City staff began working on amendment's to Salem's land use code to include ESA compliance elements as part of the floodplain development permit process.
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January 31, 2025: Data collection begins for all development activity in the Special Flood Hazard Area.
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March 4, 2025: Proposed code amendments were initiated by the Planning Commission with the adoption of PC Resolution No. 25-01.
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April 15, 2025: A public hearing on the proposed code amendments was held before the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission favorably recommended City Council accept the ordinance bill for first reading.
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May 27, 2025: The first reading of Ordinance Bill 6-25, amending SRC Chapter 601, was presented to City Council and advanced to Second Reading.
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June 9, 2025: Ordinance Bill 6-25 is passed at Second Reading.
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July 9, 2025: New floodplain development standards became effective.
This webpage will be updated as additional information becomes available. Floodplain management staff are available for questions and site specific direction.
Definitions
To determine building requirements for new or substantially improved structures in the floodplain, it is important to understand the definitions of some terms used for floodplain management purposes. Additional definitions relating to floodplain development can be found in SRC Chapter 601.005.
- Development
- Any manmade change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation or drilling operations or storage of equipment or materials.
- Structure or building
- A walled and roofed building, including a gas or liquid storage tank, that is principally above ground, as well as a manufactured home. It does not include open pavilions, bleachers, carports and similar structures that do not have at least two rigid walls and a roof.
- Substantial improvement
- Any repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, replacement, or other improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the structure before the start of construction of the improvement. This term also includes structures which have incurred substantial damage.
- Substantial damage
- Damage sustained by a structure whereby the cost of restoring the structure to its condition immediately prior to the damage would equal or exceed 50 percent of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred.
- Base flood elevation
- The elevation to which floodwater is anticipated. All new and substantially-improved structures and their associated service facilities must be elevated a minimum of one foot or more above the base flood elevation. Please contact a flood plain manager to determine the base flood elevation relative to your property.
Get a Permit
There are two classes of Floodplain Development Permits. A Class 1 Floodplain Development Permit is required for any development within the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) which does not require a Mitigation Assessment. A Class 2 Floodplain Development Permit is required for any development within the SFHA which requires a Mitigation Assessment (pdf). A Floodplain Manager can help you determine if a Floodplain Development Permit is needed for your project and the applicable class of review.
Floodplain Development Permit applications can be submitted to the Permit Application Center Portal by selecting “Submit a Land Use Application” under the Actions section of the PAC Portal Dashboard. You will then select Class 1 or Class 2 Floodplain Development Permit under the “Develop Property in Special Areas” section of the “Begin Application” step.
Floodplain Development Permits
Requirements for Structures
To minimize damage to structures during flood events, the City requires all new and substantially-improved structures in the floodplain to be anchored against movement by floodwaters, be resistant to flood forces and to be constructed with flood resistant materials. In addition, new structures and substantial improvements to existing structures must be elevated so that the lowest floor (including the basement) is at least one foot above the base flood elevation. All electrical, mechanical, plumbing and other service facilities shall be elevated a minimum of one foot above the base flood elevation. This can be done in one of the following ways:
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Elevation on fill
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Elevation on piles, posts, piers, or columns
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Elevation on walls or a crawlspace
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Dry floodproofing for any non-residential structure
Builders should work closely with a registered professional land surveyor, engineer, or architect authorized by law to certify elevation information. It is helpful to involve your survey professional early in the planning stages of a project so that minimum required elevations can be marked on-site. An elevation certificate will be required prior to permit issuance or scheduling a foundation inspection. You will also need to provide an elevation certificate after completion of the proposed structure and prior to issuance of the final certificate of occupancy. Elevation certificates are permanently retained by the City and provide essential information demonstrating compliance with local and federal floodplain development requirements.
Substantial Damage to Structures
After a presidentially declared disaster, homes damaged by flood waters will be inspected to determine whether a structure was damaged to the extent that it will have to meet current building codes and floodplain management regulations when it is repaired. The City must also make a determination of “substantial damage” to a severely damaged home or other structure in a Special Flood Hazard Area, regardless of the cause of damage. This can include damage caused by events such as fire, windstorms, ice and flooding. If the cost of repairing the structure is 50 percent or more of its market value before the disaster, it is considered substantially damaged. Land value is not a consideration; the determination is based strictly on the value of the damaged structure. If your home or structure has been damaged and your property is in a Special Flood Hazard Area, please contact a local floodplain manager prior to preparing repair plans.
Questions or Concerns
If you have concerns about construction activity or structures being erected in the floodplain without a permit, you can file a complaint about building construction and a floodplain manager will investigate the concern.
