Attention to the request.

You would need to determine whether or not to grant uh the requested 2.9 foot uh variance request rather than the full three feet uh in order to meet that uh test.

And finally, the building structure other development is protected um by methods to minimize flood damage.

And I would just note that the existing um property is is built with a masonry foundation.

Uh the existing floor is at least one feet above the perimeter grade, and those things um if um the the conditions are adopted uh we would see an an improvement to the to the flood vent requirements to meet current standard.

So those are the six criteria that you would normally consider uh with an application at this point.

Um I'd be glad to answer any questions, or if you'd like to ask the applicant a question, and um at that point I can come back and and summarize with our our recommendation.

Does anybody have any questions for Bill?

No, can we have the applicant come forward and be sworn in?

Thomas, are you on from here?

Do you finally swear from the top of the whole change and nothing but the two parts that up there?

Uh once it's all over the moment.

Uh home address or business address.

Business is fine.

Uh 9808, Steve Indicator Highway.

Okay, gentlemen, do you want to explain your side of the story here?

Um sure.

The um Bill covered it pretty well.

The um substantial improvement part while he was speaking there.

I thought the determination was it was not substantial improvement.

Is that correct?

It's right up the edge, but yes, I prefer that it was not instead.

Yeah, I thought you'd said it was so, but that doesn't affect the the uh FEMA code is what you're saying.

And I said it was like a moot point almost um yes, because the FEMA guidance says that the addition should be considered new construction, so the whole question of substantial improvement is taken out of consideration.

Um the other thing um that I think it will be important with the board's consideration is that um technically I think the because there's not been a prior variance granted um for the last improvement that was done in 2017.

I think the board's motion has it can uh essentially grant a variance for the existing construction as well as the new construction.

So I think again, in in any combination of that, um whether the the substantial improvement review you know could have made a difference, it it really the right thing to do has been to request that the board consider the whole house um for both the existing and the the new construction.

Okay.

Um so with that said, I mean, we're willing to comply um with the recommendations to bring it into compliance.

Um you asked the question about the existing hot tub that is not part of the new construction.

Um I believe it is secured, but we can currently exist you're not changing that at all.

Correct.

Okay, yeah.

Um, and as far as the flood vents, we can bring there's a there's a mini there, and we we supply pictures and all that, but if it doesn't meet the requirement, we can we can add the new ones in.

Um other than that, it's just an access raising it uh is an additional stairs.

Um we're already removing a spiral staircase, and so it's just accessibility.

I can speak to any other things you need from us to come into compliance.

Any any and all mechanicals that are are that are there will be moved could be kept above okay.

And any existing are are the existing mechanicals to code now?

I believe so.

The outdoor equipment may need to be slightly more elevated on a platform, but that's a that's a small adjustment.

Okay, and I think there's a uh water heater in the garage that may need to be elevated, so yeah.

So there'll be two separate crawl spaces.

Well, one will be could the existing crawl space and the other will be filled.

So I I think that's I didn't elaborate on that.

That's that information is at the end of the staff report.

Um what is clear is uh in with the FEMA documents is that a community is not supposed to permit any new subgrade crawl spaces.

Okay, unless we were to adopt a set of of um limitations on that that matches that uh technical report that's at the back of the staff report.

Okay, and it basically says that it can't be more than two feet below the per outside grade and it it can't the crawl space can't be any more than four feet high.

Um but the problem is we can't approve it that way because we haven't adopted those criteria into our flip plane ordinance.

Um and so the last page of the staff report shows the criteria that would have to be adopted.

That that's from a different community.

Um, but because we haven't adopted that, we can't allow the existing subgrade crawl space to be expanded.

So the the choice then is you either have to wait for us to consider adopting the code amendment or um the the expansion area could be constructed as a slab on grade.

Um we're willing to do the slab on grade, although it's not our preference.

So I mean you guys can't give us a timeline.

Our preference is the crawl space for access, repairs, freezing.

I mean, we can do a uh a slab on grade, but then you have to do sleepers, it the the moisture and the the cold and and the pipes, and you have limited access, and you know, I don't know your FEMA's opinion, but you know, I think it's a potential to trap water rather than let water flow in and out, but that's just building experience.

So we'd we'd look forward to the possibility to do a crawl space, but you're saying you you all need to amend your and that yeah, I mean that would just that would take time and uh you know it would need to make sense that we'd have to get go through a regular code amendment process and explain it to the um to the council why it's necessary and and whether or not to permit it.

One of the things that Ocean City has is the participation in the community rating system where um owners get a discount on flood insurance.