Face of Sign (Sign Face)
The entire surface area of a sign upon, against or through which copy is placed.
Flashing Sign
Any sign which contains an intermittent, blinking, scintillating or flashing light source or which includes the illusion of intermittent or flashing light or an externally mounted intermittent light source.
Flood or Flooding
The general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from the overflow of streams, rivers or other inland water.
Flood Hazard Boundary Map
The official map of the City on which appears a description of the boundaries of special flood hazard areas, including representations of the floodway, floodway fringe, future conditions flood hazard areas. The map is applicable to the community within the corporate limits and within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City. The flood hazard boundary map(s) consist of flood insurance rate maps and drainage basin study maps, flood hazard soils plus additional distances required in this UDO and recorded flood storage areas required by this UDO. The floodway areas, floodway fringe areas and future conditions flood hazard areas shown and illustrated on floodway hazard boundary maps are hereby adopted as official flood hazard boundary maps and floodway maps for the City and extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City. These maps and other data are hereby incorporated herein by reference and duly made a part of this chapter. The most recent maps and data officially approved by the City Council are identified in the evidence of the Council’s action and are kept on file with the City for public inspection.
Flood Hazard Soils
Those types of soils in the relatively flat areas associated with natural watercourses which are subject to periodic flooding. The types of soils and their corresponding symbols are as follows:
| Name | Map Symbol |
| Altavista fine sandy loam, 0% to 4% slopes | AfA |
| Augusta fine sandy loam | Au |
| Buncombe soils | Bu |
| Chewacla soils | Cm |
| Congaree fine sandy loam | Co |
| Congaree silt loam | Cp |
| Mantachie soils | Me |
| Roanoke fine sandy loam | Ro |
| Wahee fine sandy loam | Wh |
| Wehadkee silt loam | Wn |
| Wehadkee and Bibb soils | Wo |
Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)
An official map of the city on which appears a description of the boundaries of special flood hazard areas, including representations of the floodway, floodway fringe, future conditions flood hazard areas and a delineation of the risk premium zones applicable to the community within the corporate limits and within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City. The flood insurance study, Wake County, Federal Emergency Management Agency, latest publication, consisting of (i) flood insurance rate maps and (ii) other pertinent data furnished by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to the City, showing and illustrating floodway areas, floodway fringe areas and future conditions flood hazard areas are hereby adopted as official flood hazard boundary maps and floodway maps for the City and extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City. These maps and other data are hereby incorporated herein by reference and duly made a part of this UDO. The most recent maps and data officially approved by the City Council are identified in the evidence of the City Council’s action and are kept on file in Engineering Services for public inspection.
Flood Insurance Study
An examination, evaluation and determination of flood hazards, corresponding water surface elevations (if appropriate), flood hazard risk zones and other flood data in a community issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The flood insurance study report includes flood insurance rate maps (FIRM).
Flood Lamp
A form of lighting designed to direct its output in a specific direction with a reflector formed from the glass envelope of the lamp itself. Such lamps are so designated by the manufacturers and are typically used in residential outdoor area lighting.
Flood Light
A form of lighting designed to direct its output in a diffuse, more or less specific direction, with reflecting or refracting elements located external to the lamp.
Floodplain Administrator
The individual appointed to administer and enforce special flood hazard area regulations
Floodplain, Floodprone or Flood Hazard Area The maximum area, adjoining a river, stream, watercourse or lake which is likely to be flooded, by the base flood or the future conditions flood. The flood -plain, -prone and/or -hazard area includes “floodway” areas, “floodway fringe” areas and future conditions flood hazard areas. These areas are illustrated on flood hazard boundary maps, flood hazard soils plus additional distances, recorded flood storage areas required by this UDO and drainage basin study maps.
Floodproofing
Any combination of structural and nonstructural features, additions, changes or adjustments to properties and structures in accordance with or comparable to guidelines set forth in “Floodproofing Regulations” June 1972 edition, published by the Office of the Chief Engineers U.S. Army, Washington, D.C. for an essentially dry floodproof class (W2).
Floodway
That portion of channels of streams and areas of land adjacent thereto within the City and its extraterritorial jurisdiction necessary to carry and discharge the waters of the base flood without increasing the water surface elevation of that flood more than 1 foot at any point, and those areas illustrated on the maps referred to in the definition of flood hazard boundary map, and those areas adjoining watercourses draining 1 square mile or more of watershed which lie within the outermost boundaries of either the flood hazard soils or the made land which traverse such soils lying along said watercourses, and those areas required by this UDO to be delineated as flood storage areas or are delineated as a special flood hazard areas on the drainage basin study maps.
Floodway Fringe
That portion of the special flood hazard area outside the floodway and illustrated on the map referred to in the definition of flood hazard boundary map above. The floodway fringe for watercourses not defined on maps referred to in the definition of flood hazard boundary map above are herein defined for those areas adjoining watercourses draining less than 1 square mile of watershed as the flood hazard soils plus 2 additional vertical feet from the outermost boundaries of either said soils or the made land which traverse such soils lying along said watercourses and the floodway fringe for those areas adjoining watercourses 1 square mile or more is defined as lands which lie 5 vertical feet from the outermost boundaries of either the flood hazard soils or the made land which traverse such soils lying along the watercourse.
Footcandle (FC)
A quantitative unit measuring the amount of light cast onto a given point, measured as 1 lumen per square foot.
Forest Management
A woodland area where all of the following occur:
- The growing of trees;
- The harvesting of timber, leaves or seeds;
- The regeneration of trees by the replanting of trees at the rate of 1 inch caliper per every 100 square feet of tree disturbing activity area within 220 days of harvesting; and
- The application of “best management practices,” including the NC Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources, “Forest Practice Guidelines Related to Water Quality”—Title 15A North Carolina Administrative Code, subchapter 11, sections 1.101—.0209 and all successor documents.
- A forest management plan is prepared or approved either by a professional forester registered in the State of North Carolina or by the North Carolina Forest Service. Copies of the forest management plan shall be provided to the City upon request.
Freestanding Retaining Wall
A wall that serves to retain soil where the change in ground elevation exceeds to the angle of repose of the soil. A freestanding wall can be completely disconnected from a building. It can also touch a building, but should not be a structural element that is needed to support the building.
Frontage
There are 8 frontages, including: Parkway (-PK), Detached (-DE), Parking Limited (-PL), Green (GR), Green Plus (GP), Urban Limited (UL), Urban General (-UG) and Shopfront (-SH). Front Wall Plane The building facade facing the primary street right‐of‐way. If this facade contains wall articulation, the entire length of the articulated wall shall constitute the front wall plane. Bay windows shall not be considered part of the front wall plane.
Front Yard
The area located between the front line of a building or structure and the front boundary of a lot or an existing or proposed street right-of-way and extending along the entire width of the lot.
Full Cutoff Fixture
An outdoor light fixture shielded or constructed in such a manner that it emits no light above the horizontal plane of the fixture.
Future Conditions Flood
The flood having a 1 percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year based on future conditions hydrology.
Future Conditions Flood Elevation
A determination of the water surface elevations of the 1 percent annual chance flood based on future conditions hydrology as published in the flood insurance study. This elevation, when combined with 2 additional vertical feet, establishes the regulatory flood protection elevation in future conditions flood hazard areas.
Future Conditions Flood Hazard Area
The land area that would be inundated by the 1 percent annual chance flood based on future conditions hydrology as determined in this UDO.
Future Conditions Hydrology
The flood discharges associated with projected land use conditions based on Raleigh’s zoning maps or the Comprehensive Plan’s Future Land Use Map or both and without consideration of projected future construction of flood detention structures or projected future hydraulic modifications within a stream or other waterway such as bridge and culvert construction, fill and excavation. Future conditions flood discharges are published in the flood insurance study.