Comanche County Office of Floodplain Management / Floodplain Authority

Floodplain Discovery, Floodplain Development Permit and Certificate of Compliance (unincorporated Comanche County)

The county's Zoning & Permitting Information page states that "All construction projects must complete a Floodplain Discovery before construction" and that, if the property is located within a Special Flood Hazard Area, "a Floodplain Development Permit is required before construction can begin." The page applies Floodplain Discovery to new construction, utility construction, additions to existing structures, room additions, garages, outbuildings, barn-type structures, other standalone structures, driveway installations and tinhorn installations, so a business of any of the ten industry types building in unincorporated Comanche County starts with the Floodplain Administrator. The county's permit application states that no work of any kind may begin in a floodplain area until a permit is issued, that the development may not be used or occupied until a Certificate of Compliance is issued, that the permit expires if no work is commenced within 1 year of the date of issuance, and that it is not issued until other necessary local, state or federal permits are obtained. Applications go before the Comanche County Floodplain Board and are tested against the "Comanche County Floodplain Regulations effective July 20, 2009". The form lists an Elevation Certificate as "required for all structures", and may also require a floodproofing certificate, a No-Rise certificate or an elevation study for developments exceeding 50 lots or 5 acres in Zone A. The county's compliance form states that the Elevation Certificate must be submitted to verify compliance before slab pour and before occupancy. No fee is published on the county's floodplain page or forms. Office of Floodplain Management, 315 SW 5th Street, Suite 107, Lawton, (580) 355-0535.