Holden Beach Clarifies “Building Height”

As many of you know, each municipality has a different/unique/confusing method of measuring building height. With the recent release of flood maps in our counties and the hubbub around flood insurance increases, the definition of building height has become very important for everyone. Measuring height to enable flood insurance savings and architectural features has become paramount. Otherwise, we will be building elevated, increasingly smaller, flat topped, square houses to meet the height restrictions and enable building and development.

At their meeting on January 13, the Holden Beach Board of Commissioners voted to amend the way the town measures building height. To see the full proposal, click here. Below are the basics of the revised ordinance.

REFERENCE LEVEL. The reference level is the bottom of the lowest horizontal structural member of the lowest floor for structures within special flood hazard, or coastal high hazard areas designated as Zone AE or VE

REGULATORY FLOOD PROTECTION ELEVATION. The base flood elevation plus the freeboard. In special flood hazard areas where base flood elevations (BFEs) have been determined, this elevation shall be the BFE plus ( 2 ) feet of freeboard.

BUILDING HEIGHT. The vertical distance measured from Design Flood Elevation (DFE) to the highest point of the structure

HEIGHT MEASURING POINT: (HMP). This is defined as design flood elevation or base flood elevation plus two feet.

(1). Wherever there is less than nine feet between the DFE and finished grade the height measuring point may be moved to a maximum of nine feet above finished grade.

(a). All structures located in any A or V zone must have a minimum of eight feet clearance between the lowest horizontal structural member and finished grade.

(2). FEMA flood area “X” measuring point shall be the lowest original soil under the structure after the undisturbed soil has been balanced.

For the rural, residential and commercial districts:

Building height. No building shall exceed a maximum height of 31 feet measured from Design Flood Elevation to the highest point of the structure.