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(9) Variances may be issued for the repair or rehabilitation of historic structures upon a <br />determination that the proposed repair or rehabilitation will not preclude the structure's <br />continued designation as a historic structure and the variance is the minimum necessary to <br />preserve the historic character and design of the structure. <br />(10) Prerequisites for granting variances: <br />(a) Variances shall only be issued upon a determination that the variance is the <br />minimum necessary, considering the flood hazard, to afford relief. <br />(b) Variances shall only be issued upon: (i) showing a good and sufficient cause; (ii) <br />a determination that failure to grant the variance would result in exceptional hardship to the <br />applicant, and (iii) a determination that the granting of a variance will not result in increased <br />flood heights, additional threats to public safety, extraordinary public expense, create nuisances, <br />cause fraud on or victimization of the public, or conflict with existing local laws or ordinances. <br />(c) Any application to which a variance is granted shall be given written notice that <br />the structure will be permitted to be built with the lowest floor elevation below the base flood <br />elevation, and that the cost of flood insurance will be commensurate with the increased risk <br />resulting from the reduced lowest floor elevation. <br />(11) Variances may be issued by a community for new construction and substantial <br />improvements and for other development necessary for the conduct of a functionally dependent <br />use provided that (i) the criteria outlined in Article 4, Section D (1)-(9) are met, and (ii) the <br />structure or other development is protected by methods that minimize flood damages during the <br />base flood and create no additional threats to public safety." <br />SECTION 3. Chapter 94 "Floods", Article II "Flood Hazard Reduction", Division 3 "Standards", <br />of the Code of Ordinances of the City of La Porte, Texas is hereby amended in its entirety, and shall <br />hereinafter read as follows: <br />Sec. 94-86. General standards. <br />In all areas of special flood hazards the following provisions are required for all new <br />construction and substantial improvements: <br />(1) All new construction or substantial improvements shall be designed (or modified) and <br />adequately anchored to prevent flotation, collapse or lateral movement of the structure resulting <br />from hydrodynamic and hydrostatic loads, including the effects of buoyancy; <br />13 <br />