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Home My WebLink AboutOrdinance 14171 ORDINANCE NO. / AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH (1986) AS AMENDED, BY THE ADDITION OF SECTION 7-50 ENTITLED "ACCESSIBILITY STANDARD FOR CERTAIN CITY ASSISTED HOUSING CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS" REQUIRING CERTIN BUILDING STANDARDS IN CITY ASSISTED HOUSING PROGRAMS TO PROVIDE BASIC ACCESS TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES; PROVIDING THAT THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BE CUMULATIVE OF OTHER ORDINANCES; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE WHEREAS; persons with disabilities and their immediate families are often isolated in their own homes because the homes of most of their acquaintances contain insurmountable barriers, and often experience difficulty in finding a suitable house to rent or buy; and WHEREAS, certain features in housing construction make new houses more accessible and livable for persons with disabilities and thus enhance the quality of life for these persons WHEREAS, the City of Fort Worth is committed to provide accessibility to persons with disabilities through its housing programs. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS 1 SECTION 1 This ordinance is to require certain standards in the construction of new single-family dwellings, duplexes and triplexes that are constructed with city assistance as defined in SECTION 2, to make houses more accessible for persons with disabilities. SECTION 2. The following requirements shall be applicable to the construction of new single- family dwellings, duplexes and triplexes ("Applicable Dwelling Units"), with city assistance. For purposes of this ordinance, "city assistance" shall mean funds for the construction of Applicable Dwelling Umts in any city-funded program, with the funding source of CDBG, HOME or any other federal, state or local housing programs. SECTION 3 The following design requirements shall apply Requirement 1 Building Entrances. Applicable Dwelling Umts must provide at least one building entrance on an accessible route served by a no-step entrance or a ramp in compliance with the CABO/ANSI-A117 1, Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities Standard, as adopted by the Fort. Worth Building Code ("Accessibility Standard") and having a maximum slope not to exceed one in twelve (1 12), unless it is impractical to do so because of terrain or unusual characteristics of the site as determined by a City of Fort Worth building official ("City Building Official") upon review of the written 2 t request set forth in SECTION 4 The building entrance doors shall comply with the Accessibility Standard and shall have a minimum clear opening of 32 inches. The entrance may be at the front, side or back of a dwelling as long as it is served by an accessible route such as a garage or sidewalk. Requirement 2 Intenor doors. All Applicable Dwelling Units, whether or not on an accessible route, shall provide doors designed to allow sufficient width for the passage of wheel chairs. Except those serving closets less than 15 square feet in area, interior doors within an Applicable Dwelling Umt must provide a minimum of 30" clear opening. A 2' 8" door or standard 6' 0" sliding patio door assembly is deemed sufficient to comply with this requirement, provided however, compliance with requirements on Maneuvering Clearance at Doors m the Accessibility Standard shall not be mandatory Requirement 3 Accessible routes into and through the Applicable Dwelling Unit. An Applicable Dwelling Unit must provide an accessible route through the hallways and passageways of the first floor of the umt. Further, the accessible route must provide a minimum width of 36", except through doors, and be level with ramped or beveled changes at door thresholds. Requirement 4 Wall reinforcement in bathroom. 3 Reinforcement in the walls shall be provided at designated locations as specified by the Accessibility Standard, so that grab bars may be installed, if needed, at a later date without the necessity of removing portions of the existing wall. Requirement 5 Light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats and other environmental controls. All Applicable Dwelling Units shall be designed and constructed to contain light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats and other controls in compliance with the requirements of the Accessibility Standard. Where multiple controls serve the same elements (e g., two remote switches for a light) only one must be accessible SECTION 4 SECTION 3 Requirement 1 (Building Entrances) may be waived by the City Building Official when in hisJher opinion, due to grade or site conditions ("Conditions"), access by ramp is unattainable. A person requesting said waiver shall file a written request ("Request") with the City Building Official at the City of Fort Worth Development Department and include all documents necessary to prove the existence of the Conditions. The Request shall demonstrate that the Conditions on the site render it impossible to comply with the requirements for exterior accessibility in this ordinance 4 Within 10 calendar days from the receipt of a completed Request, the City Building Official shall render a wntten decision. A copy of the decision shall be filed in the official records of the Development Department. Appeals to the City Building Official's decision shall be made to the Construction and Fire Prevention Board in accordance with Section 7-47 of the City Code SECTION 5 This ordinance shall be cumulative of all provisions of ordinances and of the Code of the Crty of Fort Worth, Texas (1986), as amended, .except where the provisions of this ordinance aze in direct conflict with the provisions of such ordinances and such Code, in which event conflicting provisions of such ordinances and such Code aze hereby repealed. SECTION 6 It is hereby declared to be the intention of the Crty Council that the sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses and phrases of this ordinance aze severable, and, if any phrase, clause, sentence, pazagraph or section of this ordinance shall be declared unconstitutional by the valid judgment or decree of any court of competent jurisdiction, such unconstitutionality shall not affect any of the remaining phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and sections of this ordinance, since the same would have been enacted by the City Council without the incorporation in this ordinance of any such unconstitutional phrase, clause, sentence, pazagraph or section. SECTION 7 This ordinance shall take effect and be in full force and effect from and after the date of its passage, and it is so ordained. 5 '~ . APPROVED AS TO FO AND LEGALITY Assistant Crty Attorney DATE ADOPTED EFFECTIVE City of Fort Worth, Texas A ar Anil aunc~l ~,a~»i»un;cAt~ian ~~ ~ C DATE REFERENCE NUMBER LOG NAME PAGE 4/25/00 G-12896 05CONSTRUCT 1 of 2 SUBJECT BASIC ACCESS ORDINANCE RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council approve adoption of the attached ordinance providing accessibility standards in certain City-assisted housing construction programs. DISCUSSION Subchapter X, Chapter 2306 of the Texas Government Cade provides construction requirements for single-family affordable housing when the construction is funded by federal or state funds. This statute became effective on September 1, 1999 The statute specifically delineates the requirements for both exterior and interior accessibility on newly constructed single-family dwellings to provide access to persons with disabilities A local work group was formed to further the intent and purposes of this statute and to provide guidelines in the City-assisted affordable housing construction programs This work group is composed of City staff from various departments, representatives from the Fort Worth Mayor's Committee on Persons with Disabilities, and a representative from the Homebuilders Association The work group met, discussed and drafted the attached proposed ordinance which provides the following conditions and requirements. 1 Applicable dwelling units shall provide one building entrance on an accessible route served by a no-step entrance or a ramp, and 2. Interior doors and hallways shall provide sufficient widths for the passage of a wheelchair; and 3 Walls shall be reinforced in specified locations for the installation of grab bars, and light switches and other outlets shall be installed at accessible locations, and 4 The City Building Official may waive the exterior requirements upon review of a written request; and 5 The City Building Official's decision may be appealed to the City's Construction and Fire Prevention Board Staff believes the proposed ordinance will provide necessary guidelines for builders who participate in City assisted affordable housing construction programs to provide accessibility to persons with disabilities. This ordinance will have city-wide effect. The Safety and Community Development Committee approved this recommendation at its April 11, 2000 meeting City of Fort Worth, Texas ~~A~crr An~i ~un~il ommun;c~~i~n C C DATE 4/25/00 REFERENCE NUMBER G-12896 LOG NAME 05CONSTRUCT PAGE 2 of 2 suB.JECT BASIC ACCESS ORDINANCE FISCAL INFORMATION/CERTIFICATION The Finance Director certifies that this action will have no material effect on City funds LW.k . Submitted for City Manager's FUND ACCOUNT CENTER AMOUNT CITY SECRETARY Office by: (to) Libby Watson 6183 ® ~~ Originating Department Head: ~~ pp ,~,ol~~ ~,~,Ju,~ Jerome Walker 7537 (from) a~R ~S Additional Information Contact: .~~L 1k,~1 e,~rp at t;.c> ~stq^~.e!c Jerome Walker 7537 ~ C.~1,7 ~;4 Cnc .~r~,t~ '~C~~aa~ A ~! A~.aDted Qt'd1119FT~ Hd,i ._