City of Naples officials are discussing potential code changes to allow residential buildings to use flood panels as a mitigation method despite current restrictions from the Florida Building Code , the National Flood Insurance Program and the Federal Emergency Management Agency .
During a City Council workshop Tuesday morning, the director of building services presented information on flood mitigation options for existing residential structures. Currently, "dry floodproofing" of residential buildings is not compliant with code regulations, but city staff says it is currently working with the state to create a framework that allows flood panels under strict guidelines.
Under the proposed guidelines, flood panels would be permitted if:
- They do not constitute a "substantial improvement" to the building or are installed on a structure determined to have incurred substantial damage.
- An engineering evaluation confirms that the panels will not make the building unsafe.
- They do not make a nonconforming building more nonconforming.
- They comply with permitting regulations and flood codes.
"There has already been a very serious interest by a lot of residents of the community ... Southern Lee County, Collier, Marco Island, Fort Myers Beach and even the Bonita area. We've gotten lots and lots of calls, but there's no system. There has been no system in place at the county or city level to even deal with permitting something like this," said John Wilkinson with Sunmaster of Naples , a local company that is responsible for helping businesses along Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South.
The panels, typically made of aluminum, are placed at all points of entry to a home (doors, windows, etc.) and secured with bolts attached to the main structure. Product manufacturers tell Gulf Coast News that the panels can be assembled in as little as 10-15 minutes.
"We're really forced into carrying 20-pound sandbags and stacking hundreds of these item on top of a tarp. You really need to find a much simpler, more effective way of being able to do that, especially with Florida having a large elderly community," said Anthony Diamond of Garrison Flood Control.
For some business owners, flood panels have been permitted for years, and in many cases, they have already proven effective.
“It’s a true blessing to have them. ... We were very scared after all the devastating flooding. I hope we don’t have to use them again, but it’s awesome to have them," said Ivo Malinoski, owner of Turco Taco on U.S. 41.
Since Tuesday's meeting was a City Council workshop, no vote occurred. The panel discussion is not on the agenda for Thursday, Feb. 20, meaning it will most likely be continued at the beginning of March.