Jamestown, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 215 § 215-19.1
Climatic and geographical design criteria
Operative Text
A. The Code Enforcement Officer shall determine the climatic and geographic design criteria for buildings and structures constructed within this City as required by the Uniform Code. Such determinations shall be made in the manner specified in the Uniform Code using, where applicable, the maps, charts, and other information provided in the Uniform Code. The criteria to be so determined shall include but shall not necessarily be limited to, the following: (1) Design criteria to include ground snow load; wind design loads; seismic category; potential damage from weathering, frost, and termite; winter design temperature; whether ice barrier underlayment is required; the air freezing index; and the mean annual temperature; (2) Heating and cooling equipment design criteria for structures within the scope of the RCNYS. The design criteria shall include the data identified in the Design Criteria Table found in Chapter 3 of the RCNYS; and (3) Flood hazard areas, flood hazard maps, and supporting data. The flood hazard map shall include, at a minimum, special flood hazard areas as identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the Flood Insurance Study for the community, as amended or revised with: (a) The accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM); (b) Flood Boundary and Floodway Map (FBFM); and (c) Related supporting data along with any revisions thereto. B. The Code Enforcement Officer shall prepare a written record of the climatic and geographic design criteria determined pursuant to this section, shall maintain such record within the office of the Code Enforcement Officer, and shall make such record readily available to the public.
Section 215-19.1 of the Jamestown Code of Ordinances requires the local Code Enforcement Officer to identify and document the specific environmental and geographic conditions—such as snow loads, wind forces, seismic risk, frost depth, flood zones, and temperature data—that govern how buildings in Jamestown must be designed and constructed. These determinations follow the methods and reference materials set out in New York's Uniform Code. The resulting written record must be kept on file in the Code Enforcement Office and made freely accessible to the public.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 215-19.1, property owners and developers planning new construction or significant structural work in Jamestown generally consult the climatic and geographic design criteria record maintained by the Code Enforcement Officer before finalizing building plans. Compliant operators ensure their architects and engineers incorporate the applicable ground snow loads, wind design loads, seismic categories, flood hazard designations, and other criteria into project specifications. Reviewing the publicly available record early in the design process helps align plans with the Uniform Code requirements that Jamestown has adopted.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 215-19.1 establishes that the Code Enforcement Officer must keep a public record of the environmental design criteria used for buildings in Jamestown, including flood hazard area maps and related data. Tenants who have concerns about whether a building was constructed to appropriate standards for local conditions—such as flood risk or structural loads—can request to review this publicly available record at the Code Enforcement Office. Tenant-rights organizations or housing advocates can help residents understand how these criteria relate to habitability or safety concerns in their building.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 7, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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