Developed Area Law and Legal Definition
According to 44 CFR 59.1 (Title 44 - Emergency Management And Assistance; Chapter I - Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department Of Homeland Security; Subchapter B - Insurance And Hazard Mitigation; Part 59 - General Provisions; Subpart A – General), developed area means “an area of a community that is:
(a) A primarily urbanized, built-up area that is a minimum of 20 contiguous acres, has basic urban infrastructure, including roads, utilities, communications, and public facilities, to sustain industrial, residential, and commercial activities, and
(1) Within which 75 percent or more of the parcels, tracts, or lots contain commercial, industrial, or residential structures or uses; or
(2) Is a single parcel, tract, or lot in which 75 percent of the area contains existing commercial or industrial structures or uses; or
(3) Is a subdivision developed at a density of at least two residential structures per acre within which 75 percent or more of the lots contain existing residential structures at the time the designation is adopted.
(b) Undeveloped parcels, tracts, or lots, the combination of which is less than 20 acres and contiguous on at least 3 sides to areas meeting the criteria of paragraph (a) at the time the designation is adopted.
(c) A subdivision that is a minimum of 20 contiguous acres that has obtained all necessary government approvals, provided that the actual "start of construction" of structures has occurred on at least 10 percent of the lots or remaining lots of a subdivision or 10 percent of the maximum building coverage or remaining building coverage allowed for a single lot subdivision at the time the designation is adopted and construction of structures is underway. Residential subdivisions must meet the density criteria in paragraph (a)(3).”
