Building Guidelines from the City of Galveston
City Releases Damage Assessment Map & Issues
Guidance for Property Owners
Galveston, Texas October 15, 2008
Property owners can now check the city’s website, http://www.cityofgalveston.org, to view the latest version of the island’s damage assessment map. The city’s initial assessment of the community’s 24,000 structures noted the structure’s damage and current condition. These evaluations translated into color-coded FEMA categories that reflect the property’s degree of inhabitability. All island properties were originally assigned one of three colors based on the structure’s current condition:
§ Red: unsafe; leaning; structurally unsound; completely destroyed; collapsed or structure missing.
§ Yellow: general interior flooding; wind damage; or significantly damaged, but repairable. § Green: no damage or only minor damage; or missing siding; shingles; handrails; breakaway walls.
FEMA Substantial Damage Determination Process
Beginning the week of October 6th, FEMA assessment teams arrived to assist the City of Galveston with the substantial damage determination process for residential structures. The City provided FEMA with all the areas determined to be ‘yellow’, which includes structures that are potentially damaged 30% to 70% of their market value before the storm.
FEMA began the process with broad inspection of the island in an effort to further determine which locations will actually require an individual ‘Residential Structure Damage Assessment (RSDE)’ of each building. The initial assessment resulted in several areas being released from ‘yellow’ to ‘green’ and some areas being determined to require a full RSDE assessment.
According to FEMA, all structures that are determined to have sustained substantial damage are automatically considered to be in need of significant improvements, regardless of the actual repair work performed. If the cost necessary to fully repair the structure to its before damage condition is equal to or greater than 50% of the structure’s market value before damages, then the structure must be elevated (or floodproofed if it is non-residential) to or above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE), and meet other applicable National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements.
The RSDE assessment process is ongoing daily, and the results are being tallied into a database for use by the City of Galveston in the final determination. Information collected from FEMA in the assessment process will be provided to the City within approximately 2 weeks of the actual inspection. Once the final determination for a structure is completed the City of Galveston will mail the property owner an official notice of substantial damage determination letter.
After the Determination
If the City determines that a structure is substantially damaged based on the RSDE process, the property owner will have the option of submitting additional information, such a property appraisal or a complete contractors bid for consideration. Please note, the City will utilize the structure’s Galveston County Central Appraisal District (CAD) value plus an additional 5% as a basis for substantial damage determination.
Permitting in the Interim
Properties categorized as yellow and red may be exempt from the FEMA substantial damage determination process if they meet one or more of the following criteria:
1. An elevation certificate verifying the structure is located at or above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) and complies with current National Flood Insurance Program rate maps. These maps are available for order on http://www.fema.gov or residents can visit the temporary Planning and Community Development Office to review the set on file; or
2. The structure has been listed or considered eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and meets the exemption from the flood plain rules; or
3. The building is located in Flood Zone X.
Additionally, the City of Galveston’s Planning and Community Development Office will approve electrical, building, plumbing, or mechanical permits for properties that meet one or more of the stated criteria. Property owners are required to provide the necessary documentation with their permit applications.
The city will hold all permit applications for red- and yellow-tagged structures that do NOT meet these standards until FEMA officials have completed their inspections and determined whether or not these properties received substantial damage. These updates are arriving from FEMA on a continual basis and a structure’s color category may change. Residents are asked to consult the latest version of the map and verify their address with the Planning Office.
Dispelling Rumors
Property owners should be wary of anyone in their neighborhoods announcing the city has condemned streets or entire areas. City officials have not made any final determinations for individual yellow or red properties nor have they condemned entire neighborhoods. A property that has been categorized as red will not necessarily be condemned by the city, it is only considered unsafe for habitation under several of the city’s codes. Following Hurricane Ike, city staff posted “unsafe” notices at properties with significant structural instability during their building assessment survey.Misinformation runs rampant following natural disasters. Its important to always verify information with the city’s Planning and Community Development Office before moving forward with permits, repairs, or demolition.
How to Contact the City
The Department of Planning and Community Development has opened a temporary office at the Galveston County Criminal Justice Center, 601 54th Street. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday. The office closed from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. daily. To contact the Planning Department please call (409) 797-3660/3620 or send an email to planningcounter@cityofgalveston.org. Planning staff is available to assist property owners with questions, permit applications, and assessments.
