ANNA MARIA – The city recently sent substantial damage assessment letters to Anna Maria property owners whose structures appear to have sustained hurricane damage.
City Planner Ashley Austin signed the recently delivered standardized letter that says, “The city of Anna Maria is a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP ensures flood insurance and additional forms of disaster assistance are available within participating communities in exchange for the community’s adoption and administration of floodplain management regulations within Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs). It’s important to know that the entirety of the city of Anna Maria is located in a SFHA.
“Your home may have suffered damage as a result of damage from Hurricane Helene on September 26th and/or Hurricane Milton on October 9th. As an NFIP participant, city of Anna Maria officials are tasked with assessing whether the work necessary to restore a damaged building to its pre-damage condition constitutes the NFIP’s definition of ‘substantial damage.’ If the estimated cost to repair your damaged building to its pre-damage condition equals or exceeds 50% of its estimated market value, it is determined to be ‘substantially damaged’ and must be brought into compliance with current floodplain management regulations of the Florida Building Code and the city of Anna Maria code of ordinances. The city’s local floodplain management regulations can be found in Chapter 82 of the city of Anna Maria code of ordinances,” the letter says.
“As you may be aware, the city deployed teams contracted by the State Department of Emergency Management to help aid in the substantial damage assessments. Teams were either granted access into your home or performed an assessment from the road. Based on a field assessment, it appears that your property may have been damaged. A permit is required for any repair and/or restoration work. Upon review of a permit application package, a substantial damage determination will be made. In order to make a substantial damage determination, applications must include descriptions of proposed work, a detailed breakdown of the cost of work and the pre-damage market value of your home, excluding the value of the land. Substantial damage determinations will then be mailed to the property owner according to the information on file with the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s Office.
“We regret your loss and the damage you have experienced. We will try to make the permitting process as easy and as seamless as possible. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and assistance at this difficult time,” the letter says.
Property owners with questions or in need of assistance or consultation are advised to call the building department at 941-778-6130, ext. 127.
