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Home My WebLink AboutOrdinance 14177ORDINANCE NO / 7 ~` AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH (1986), AS AMENDED, BY THE AMENDMENT OF CHAPTER 7 "BUILDINGS," ARTICLE IV, "MINIMUM BUILDING STANDARDS CODE," BY AMENDING DIVISION 3 "MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES," SECTION 7-87 "STRUCTURAL AND MATERIALS STANDARDS" SUBSECTION (m)(3) AND SUBSECTION (m)(4) PROVIDING STANDARDS FOR EMERGENCY ESCAPE OR RESCUE WINDOWS AND DOORS; SECTION 7-91 "FIRE PROTECTION STANDARDS" SUBSECTIONS (fl(2), (fl(3) AND (f)(4) PROVIDING FOR STANDARDS FOR SMOKE DETECTORS, PROVIDING THAT THIS ORDINANCE IS CUMULATIVE, PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE, AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS SECTION 1 That the Code of the City of Fort Worth (1986), as amended, is amended by the amendment of Chapter 7, "Buildings", Article IV "Minimum Building Standards" Division 3 "Minimum Standards for Buildings and Structures," section 7-87 "Structural and Materials Standards" subsection (m)(3) to read as follows "(3) In dwelling units of multi-family dwellings and lodging houses, each sleeping room below the fourth story and each basement shall have at least one window or exterior door approved for4 emergency escape or rescue, as described in (m)(4) below, which shall provide access directly into a public street, public alley, yard or exit court, or shall be brought into compliance as new construction This requirement shall not include sprinklered high-rise buildings as defined in the Building Code !f amulti-family dwelling or lodging house does not comply with this requirement, the owner shall, by November 30, 2000, replace or install windows or doors to comply with current codes at the time of replacement or installation From the effective date of this ordinance through November 30, 2000, if any dwelling unit in amulti-family dwelling or lodging house has a sleeping room below the fourth story that does not comply with the emergency escape or rescue window requirement and such unit is or becomes vacant, said unit shall not be leased until it complies with the emergency escape or rescue window requirement. In dwelling units of one (1) and two (2) family dwellings and multi-family dwellings with a sleeping room in the loft apartment, each sleeping room below the fourth story of the one and two family dwellings and each basement of the one and two family dwellings and each loft which is a sleeping room shall have at least one window or exterior door approved for emergency escape or rescue which shall open directly into a public street, public alley, yard or exit court as required by the code in effect at the time of construction " Further, Section 7-87 "Structure and Materials Standards" subsection (m) (4) shall be amended to read as follows "(4) Escape or rescue windows shall comply with the restrictions in effect at the time of construction or replacement; or with the minimums specified herein, whichever is more restrictive The interior edge of the window sash of all escape or rescue windows shall measure at least 19" by 24 5", however, if the window sash is replaced, the window must conform to the building code at the time of replacement. When windows are provided as a means of escape or rescue, they shall have a finished sill height of not more than forty-eight (48) inches above the floor " Further, Section 7-91 "Fire Protection Standards" subsection (f) "Smoke Detectors" shall be amended to read as follows "(1) Dwelling units, congregate residences, residential occupancies, hotels or lodging house guest rooms shall be provided with smoke detectors maintained in operable condition Smoke detectors shall be installed in accordance with the approved manufacturer's instructions and the Building Code All dwellings, regardless of when constructed, shall have smoke detectors installed in compliance with the code in effect at the time of construction, but not less than the minimum standards set forth in subsections (2) and (3) below (2) In dwelling units other than efficiency dwelling units, smoke detectors shall 2 A. be installed on each story of the dwelling unit, including basements, B be installed on the ceiling or wall at each point centrally located in the corridor or area giving access to each separate sleeping room, except that where the ceiling height of a room open to the hallway serving the sleeping rooms exceeds that of the hallway by twenty-four inches or more, a smoke detector shall be installed in the hallway and in the adjacent room, C be installed on the upper level of a story or basement that is split into two or more levels, except that when the lower area contains a sleeping area, a detector shall be installed on each level D be installed at the ceiling of the upper level in close proximity to the stairway when the sleeping rooms are on an upper level, and E sound an alarm audible in all sleeping areas of the dwelling unit in which they are located " (3) In efficiency dwelling units, smoke detectors shall be located on the ceiling or wall of the main room However, when an efficiency dwelling unit has a sleeping area on an upper level, a smoke detector shall be installed at the ceiling of the upper level in close proximity to the stairway and in the main room Smoke detector(s) shall sound an alarm audible in the sleeping area of the dwelling unit." (4) in dwelling units ,where a sleeping area is in a loft of a loft apartment and an emergency escape or rescue window or door is not required in the sleeping area by the Building Code, smoke detectors shall be installed in accordance with Section 7-91 and an additional smoke detector shall be mounted on the ceiling or wall within the loft sleeping area " SECTION 2. This ordinance shall be cumulative of all provisions of ordinances and of the Code of the City of Fort Worth, Texas (1986), as amended, except where the provisions of this ordinance are in direct conflict with the provisions of such 3 ordinances and such Code, in which event conflicting provisions of such ordinances and such Code are hereby repealed SECTION 3. It is hereby declared to be the intention of the City Council that the sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses and phrases of this ordinance are severable, and, if any phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph 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, paragraph or section SECTION 4. All rights and remedies of the City of Fort Worth, Texas, are expressly saved as to any and all violations of the provisions of the ordinances amended in Section 1, which have accrued at the time of the effective date of this ordinance and, as to such accrued violations and all pending litigation, both civil and criminal, whether pending in court or not, under such ordinances, same shall not be affected by this ordinance but may be prosecuted until final disposition by the courts SECTION 5. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect after its passage and upon publication as required by law, and it is so ordained APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY 4 J ASSISTAN CITY ATTORNEY DATE , ~/S ~ZO 8 ~ ADOPTED ~~~~~ d EFFECTIVE.., ~~ ~S, ;~~~c~ C... Wiz, ' ~ ~ City of Fort Worth, Texas ~ll~A~or And Caunc~ amAtun~cAt~ion C DATE REFERENCE NUMBER LOG NAME PAGE 5/2/00 G-12903 12CHAP7 1 of 2 SUBJECT AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 7 "BUILDINGS", ARTICLE IV "MINIMUM BUILDINGS STANDARDS CODE", DIVISION 3 "MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR BUILDINGS", SECTIONS 7-87 AND 7-91 TO REVISE STANDARDS FOR EMERGENCY ESCAPE OR RESCUE WINDOWS AND DOORS AND SMOKE DETECTORS RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council adopt certain ordinance amendments to revise Chapter 7 "Buildings", Article IV, "Minimum Buildings Standards Code", Division 3 "Minimum Standards for Buildings", Section 7-87 "Structural and Materials Standards", subsections (m)(3) and (m)(4) providing standards for escape windows or doors, and Section 7-91 "Fire Protection Standards" subsections (f)(2), (f)(3) and (f)(4) providing for standards for smoke detectors DISCUSSION The proposed ordinance amendments modify existing ordinances by mandating that escape windows and doors in multi-family dwellings conform to the strictest of either the standards set at the time the buildings were built or to criteria set out in the proposed ordinance Additional proposed ordinance amendments create standards for smoke detectors in or near sleeping areas of multi-unit dwellings • Emergency escape or rescue windows in sleeping rooms of multi-family dwellings shall comply with the code requirements in effect at the time of construction or with the minimums specified in the proposed amendments, whichever requires a larger window • Emergency escape or rescue windows shall have a minimum net clear window frame opening, with said opening being not less than 19 inches by 24 5 inches, and a finished sill height not more than 48 inches above the floor ~ ,,~j ~~~/ /'' • If the windows are not in compliance on the effective date of this ordinance, (1) they shall be reconstructed to be in compliance by one year a r the effective date, or-.~2) e tructio ~rr~van ion Rnarri of Annc3alS " • In addition to adhering to the standards as specified in Section 7-91, a smoke detector shall be installed in the loft of a loft apartment, if such loft is a sleeping room • If the window sash is replaced after the effective date of the ordinance, the window must:ponform to the building code at the time of replacement City of Fort Worth, Texas ~1-~A~ar And (,,aunc~( C,~inn~un~cAt~an DATE 5/2/00 REFERENCE NUMBER G-12903 LOG NAME 12CHAP7 PAGE 2 of 2 SUBJECT AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 7 "BUILDINGS", ARTICLE IV "MINIMUM BUILDINGS STANDARDS CODE", DIVISION 3 "MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR BUILDINGS", SECTIONS 7-87 AND 7-91 TO REVISE STANDARDS FOR EMERGENCY ESCAPE OR RESCUE WINDOWS AND DOORS AND SMOKE DETECTORS FISCAL INFORMATION/CERTIFICATION The Finance Director certifies that this does not effect funds of the current operating budget. CBj P Submitted for City Manager's FUND ACCOUNT CENTER AMOUNT CITY SECRETARY Office by: (to) ~P I~P nROVF~^ ~ Ramon Guajardo 6140 }` ~~, GLIV~C~~ ~ Originating Department Head: e Yi~~iL~~1GL MAY ~ 2000 David Yett 7623 (from) ~~? +r'.~:~'1,l~.,,~y~.-• , GL [ j~~ L ,~Va, l~{'I/tjtJ Additional Information Contact: City Secretary of the City of Fort Worth, ~'Stxa~ Cynthia Garcia 7611 P,dcpted Ord~r~~nca ~~,o!'`f/~