HomeMy WebLinkAbout1973-1517 REGULATIONS APPLICABLE TO EXISTING APARTMENT HOUSES ETC ORDINANCE NO. /5/7
AN ORDINANCE relating to building code requirements; adopting regula-
tions applicable to existing apartment houses, hotels
and motels and requiring alterations to existing non
conforming buildings; providing a penalty for violations ;
adopting Chapter 11.13, "Apartment Douse and Hotel
Safety Code ", consisting of Sections 11.13.010, 11.13.015,
III' ' 11.13.020, 11.13.030, 11.13.040 11.13,050, 11.13.060,
11.13.070, 11.13.080, 11.13.090, 11.13.100 11.13.110,
11.13.120, 11.13.130, 11.13.140, 11.13.150 and 11.13.160,
and repealing Sections 10.24,010, 10.24.020 10.24.030,
10.24.040, 10.24.050, 10.24.060, 10.24.070, 10.24.080,
10.24.090 and 10.24.100, all of the City of Yakima Muni-
cipal Code.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF YAKIMA
Section 1. A new chapter is hereby adopted and added to the City
of Yakima Municipal Code which new chapter shall be numbered and
entitled "Chapter 11.13, Apartment House and Hotel Safety Code ", and
which shall contain the sections and shall read as follows:
"CHAPTER 11.13
or
APARTMENT HOUSE AND HOTEL SAFETY CODE
411 11.13.010 Pur.ose and Sco.e of Chatter. The purpose of
this chapter is to provide a reasonable degree of safety to
occupants of apartment houses, hotels and motels by requiring
alterations to existing buildings which do not conform with the
minimum requirements of this chapter. The provisions of this
chapter shall apply exclusively to existing apartment houses and
hotels as defined by Section 11.13.015 of this chapter.
11.13.015 Definitions. As used in this chapter the follow-
ing words and phrases shall have the following meanings ascribed
to them:
1. "Apartment house" means any building more- thar ne
story in height containing four or more dwelling units.
For the purpose of this section, a dwelling unit means
411 a suite of two or more rooms. with facilities for 11-,-
ing, sleeping, cooking and heating.
2. "Hotel" means any building, more than one story in
height, containing four or more guest rooms designed
to be used for sleeping purposes, and includes accomo-
dations known as motels,- tourist courts, motor lodge
and similar accommodations which meet the definition
of this section. Provided, "hotel" does not include
any jail, hospital, asylum, sanitarium, orphanage,
prison, detention home or other institutions in which
human beings are housed and detained under legal res-
traint.
11.13.020 Enforcement. The Chief Building Inspector and
his assistants and the Fire Marshal and his deputies are hereby
authorized to enforce the provisions of this chapter and in so
doing, are vested with the authority of Section 202 of the Uni-
form Building Code as adopted by the City of Yakima.
11.13.030 Effective Date. Eighteen months after the effec-
tive date of this chapter, no apartment house, hotel or motel
shall be used for human occupancy unless such apartment house,
hotel or motel conforms to the requirements of this chapter, and
no owner, lessee or other person entitled to or in possession of
any apartment house, hotel or motel shall cause or allow such
building to be so occupied unless such building conforms to the
requirements of this chapter.
11.13.040 Number of Exits. Every apartment house, hotel
or motel designed for or capable of occupancy by eleven or more
persons above the first floor shall be constructed so that
occupants have access to not less than two exits as defined by
Section 3301 of the Uniform Building Code. A fire escape, from
each story above the first floor, which conforms to specifica-
tions of Section 11.13.080 of this chapter may be used as one
such required exit.
11.13.050 Stair Construction. All stairs shall have a mini-
mum run of nine inches and a maximum rise of eight inches and a
minimum width of thirty inches, exclusive of handrail. Every
stairway shall have at least one handrail. A landing having a
minimum horizontal dimension of thirty inches shall be provided
at each point of access to the stairway.
11.13.060 Interior Corridor and Stairway. Every interior
corridor and stairway shall be enclosed with walls of not less
than one hour fire- resistive construction. Dead end corridors
shall not exceed twenty feet in length.
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Where existing partitions form part of a stairwell encloare,
corridor, or passageway, woodlath and plaster in good condition
will be acceptable in lieu of one hour fire-resistive construc-
tion. Doors to stairway enclosures shall be protected by a self-
closing door equivalent to a solid wood door not less than one
and three-eighths inches thick. Enclosures shall include land-
ings between flights and any corridors, passageways, or public
Moms necessary for continuous exit to the exterior of the build-
,
ing.
The stairway need not be enclosed in a continuous shaft if
cut off at each story by one-hour fire-resistive construction.
In lieu of compliance with the above requirements, approved
automatic fire sprinkler systems may be installed in all stair-
.
ways, interior corridors and egress ways of existing apartment
houses, hotels and motels; provided that such automatic sprinkler
systems if so installed shall also be installed in all janitor
• rooms, storage closets, utility rooms and other usable spaces in
which combustible materials may be stored or kept, unless such
rooms or spaces are equipped with self-closing fire doors having
a one-hour fire resistance rating.
11.13.070 Exterior Stairs. Exterior stairs shall be non-
combustible materials or of wood of not less than two inch
nominal thickness with solid treads and risers. Combustible con-
struction shall not serve more than two floors above grade.
All openings in the exterior wall below or within ten feet,
measured horizontally, of an exterior stairway shall be .protected
by a self-closing fire assembly of wired glass or equivalent fire
protection having a three-quarter hour fire-resistive rating.
11.13.080 Fire Escapes. Fire escapes may be used as one
mans of egress, if the pitch does not exceed sixty degrees, the
width is not less than eighteen inches, the treads are not less
than six inches wide, and they extend to the ground or are pro-
vided with counter-balanced stairs reaching to the ground.
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shall be by an opening having a minimum dimension of twenty -nine
inches when open. The sill shall be not more than thirty inches
above the floor and landing. Access to fire escapes must be
from the common corridor or public area. Access shall be free
and clear of storage, furnishings or other obstructions.
11.13.090 Doors and Openings. Exit doors from corridors
shall swing in the direction of exit travel, shall be self -
closing, and shall be capable of being opened from the inside
without the use of a key or any special knowledge or effort;
provided, exit doors serving buildings with occupant loads of
ten or less shall not be required to swing in the direction of
egress providing the exit doors meet all other requirements of a
legal exit. All doors from corridors shall have a minimum fire
resistive rating of thirty minutes. No more than one latching
device is permissible on an exit door. Doors shall not reduce
the required width of the stairway more than six inches when
111 'open. Transoms and openings, other than doors, from corridors
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to rooms, shall be fixed closed and shall be covered with a mini-
mum of three - fourths inch plywood or five-eighths inch gypsum
wallboard on both sides of openings, secured, taped and sealed.
11.13.100 Exit Signs and Illumination of Exitways. Exit.- .
ways and exit signs shall be well lighted, and exit signs shall
be visible from every living unit, having letters at least five
(5) inches high (where direct exit to' the path of egress is not
obvious), directing a clear and unobstructed path of egress to
each required exit.
Signs shall be illuminated by whatever practical means makes
the exit sign readily visible to the farthest occupant served b
Y P by
the sigt *. Directional exit signs are required at each point
where the direction of egress is not obvious.
11.13.110 Fire and Protection Si :nalin: S steins. An alarm
system shall be provided as specified in Section 10.05.050 of the
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City of Yakima Municipal Code; provided, an alarm system is not
required in hotels, motels and apartment buildings of three
stories or less if provided with a direct exit to the outside
from each habitable unit or when corridors and exit passageways
11, do not exceed thirty-five feet from the main exit door.
11.13.120 Enclosure of Openings. Elevators, shafts, ducts,
and other vertical openings shall be enclosed as required for
stairways in Section 11.13.060 or by wired glass set in steel
frames. Doors shall be noncumbustible, or as regulated in Sec-
tion 11.13.060.
11.13.130 Separation of Occupancies. Occupancy separations
• shall be provided as specified in Section 503 of the Uniform
Building Code. Lobbies and public dining rooms, not iacluding
cocktail lounges, shall not require a separation if the kitchen
is so separated from the dining room. Boiler rooms, furnace
• rooms, shops, maintenance rooms, laundry rooms, storage rooms or
other hazardous areas shall be separated from the rest of the
building by a one-hour fire-resistive occupancy separation as
specified in Chapter 5 of the Uniform Building Code.
In lieu of compliance with the above requirements, a super-
vised heat and smoke detector system approved as an alternate as
provided in Section 11.13.140 of this chapter may be installed
in boiler or heater rooms and kitchens where it becomes impracti-
cal to provide a one-hour fire-resistive occupancy separation.
11.13.140 Alternates. No alternate method of providing
fire protection and safety and sanitary measures required by
this chapter shall be deemed to comply with this chapter unless
411
such alternate method is approved by the Board of Appeals as pro-
viding for protection and safety to an extent equivalent to the
requirements of this chapter. For the purpose of making such
determination, the Chief of the Yakima Fire Department shall it
as a voting member of the Board of Appeals.
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11.130150 Ligt, Ventilation and Sanitation. Every apart-
ment house, hotel or motel shall provide light, ventilation and
sanitation as specified by Section 1305 of the Uniform Building
• Code.
11.13.160 Violation -- Pe nalt y . Any person, firm, or cor-
poration-convicted of violating any provision of this chapter
shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $250 for each offense.
A separate offense shall be deemed to be committed during each
day any violation occurs or continues."
Section 2. Sections 11.24.010, 10.24.020, 10.24.030, 10.24.040,
10.24.050, 10.24.060, 10.24.070, 10.24.080, 10.24.090 and 10.24.100
of the City of Yakima Municipal Code are hereby repealed in their
entirety.
Section 3. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect
40 thirty days after its passage, approval and publication as provided
by law and by the City Charter.
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, signed and approved this 33zibday
of 21 , 1973.
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Mayor
ATTEST:
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City Clerk
Ilk
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