[R.O. 2008 §505.010; Ord. No. 307 §201, 9-8-1980; Ord. No. 476 §1, 3-9-1998]
A.
Except as hereinafter provided, every building hereafter erected or enlarged within the fire limits as set out in Section 510.010 shall, except as provided for in Section 510.020, be enclosed on all sides with walls constructed wholly of brick, stone, hollow tile, hollow or solid concrete block, concrete or other equivalent incombustible materials, and shall at the roof, also top, and sides of all roof structures, including dormer windows, covered with incombustible or fire-retardant materials. All cornices shall be of incombustible material.
B.
When a commercial building is being constructed in the fire limits,
the requirement for masonry construction may be waived if said building
will have exterior wall protection due to proximity of property lines,
that is to say if the exterior walls are located a distance of at
least eight (8) feet from the nearest property line, and one-hour
fire-resistant construction throughout is used.
[R.O. 2008 §505.020; Ord. No. 307 §202, 9-8-1980]
A.
No frame, wooden or metal structure shall hereafter be built within
the fire limits as given herein, or as there may be hereafter established,
except the following:
1.
Temporary one-story buildings for use of builders.
2.
Wooden fences not over ten (10) feet high.
3.
Porches, balconies and canopies not exceeding ten (10) feet
in width, nor extending more than three (3) feet above the second-story
floor beams. No such structure shall be joined to any similar structure
of another building.
4.
Bay windows when covered with incombustible or fire-retardant
materials.
5.
Small detached-frame outbuildings not exceeding one hundred
fifty (150) square feet in area and eight (8) feet in height, and
not within five (5) feet of any lot line.
6.
One-family frame dwellings not exceeding two (2) stories in
height and separated by at least five (5) feet from lot line of adjoining
property.
7.
A building of frame construction or of unprotected metal construction
occupied exclusively as a private garage or stable not more than one
(1) story in height nor more than seven hundred fifty (750) square
feet in area, located on the same lot with a dwelling; provided that
such building be placed at least three (3) feet from the lot line.
8.
One-story all-metal buildings with no wood in wall or roof structure,
with an area not exceeding one thousand (1,000) square feet, and not
within ten (10) feet of any lot line.
9.
Coal tipples, ice houses, material bins, trestles and water
tanks when built of planking and timbers of the dimension usual for
heavy timber construction.
10.
Cooling towers not in excess of two hundred fifty (250) square
feet in base area and fifteen (15) feet in height.
11.
The area starting at the corner of Park Drive and Main running south to the City Limits (Stouts Creek), then west to City Limits bordering School property on the west side then north along City Limits to "M" Highway. Also one hundred twenty (120) feet along north side of Park Drive from Main Street to "M" Highway, then west one hundred twenty (120) feet from south side of "M" Highway to City Limits; then across "M" Highway continue back one hundred twenty (120) feet north on "M" Highway to the southwest corner of the Courthouse Square. That area shall be excluded from the application of Section 510.040 of this Article.
B.
No frame or metal building not in conformity with this Section shall
be moved from without to within the fire limits.
[R.O. 2008 §505.030; Ord. No. 307 §203, 9-8-1980]
Any existing frame building within the fire limits not in conformity
with this Title, which may hereafter be damaged by fire, decay or
otherwise to an amount greater than one-half (1/2) of its value, exclusive
of foundation, shall not be repaired or rebuilt, but shall be removed.
[R.O. 2008 §505.040; Ord. No. 307 §204, 9-8-1980]
A.
The floor area of buildings between fire walls shall not exceed the
following:
|
One Story
(square feet)
|
Exceeding One Story
(square feet)
| ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
If not fronting on a street or if fronting on only 1 street
|
6,000
|
5,000
| |
|
If fronting on 2 streets
|
7,500
|
6,000
| |
|
If fronting on 3 streets
|
9,000
|
7,500
| |
|
If fronting on 4 streets
|
10,000
|
9,000
|
B.
For the purpose of this Section, a "street" shall be deemed to include
any avenue, boulevard, street, alley or lane, twenty (20) feet or
greater in width, or any court, parking space or yard with direct
connection to a street, and not less than twenty (20) feet wide. Such
court, parking space or yard shall be the property of the owner of
the building and shall not be enclosed or roofed over.
C.
Non-fire-resistive buildings, fully equipped with approved automatic
sprinkler, may be one hundred percent (100%) greater in area than
the above.
D.
Fire-resistive buildings (reinforced concrete frame, floors and roofs
or the equivalent) shall not be limited as to area or height.
E.
No building shall exceed three (3) stories or forty-five (45) feet
in height unless of fire-resistive construction (reinforced concrete
frame, floors and roof or the equivalent).
[R.O. 2008 §505.050; Ord. No. 307 §205, 9-8-1980]
Every room of any building exceeding one thousand (1,000) square
feet in area or occupied by more than one hundred (100) persons shall
have at least two (2) exits. Every story of any building shall have
at least one (1) exit and every story that exceeds two thousand five
hundred (2,500) square feet in area shall have at least two (2) separate
and independent exits. All doors in required exits shall swing in
the direction of exit travel. The term "exit" and the required number
of exits, their location, unobstructed width, illumination and indicating
signs shall be in accordance with a nationally recognized standard
and satisfactory to the Board of Aldermen.
[R.O. 2008 §505.060; Ord. No. 307 §206, 9-8-1980]
A.
Those walls which are required by this Title to be of masonry construction
shall be continuous from foundation to the roof. The thickness of
such walls shall be sufficient to carry safely all imposed loads and
shall comply with minimum dimensions as specified in this Section.
1.
Brick Bearing Walls, Not Common To More Than One (1)
Building. Shall have a minimum thickness of twelve (12) inches
for one-story buildings or for the upper two (2) stories of buildings
more than one story in height. This minimum thickness shall be increased
four (4) inches for each two (2) stories or fraction thereof below
the upper two (2) stories. [For example, minimum thickness required
for a seven-story wall would be twenty-four (24), twenty (20), twenty
(20), sixteen (16), sixteen (16), twelve (12) and twelve (12) inches.]
Brick bearing walls, not common to more than one (1) building, may
be eight (8) inches in thickness under the following conditions:
2.
Brick Non-Bearing Walls. Not wholly supported by girders at each story, and not common to more than one (1) building, shall conform to minimum thickness of Subsection (1) above, except that walls four (4) inches less in thickness may be permitted where sixteen (16) inches or greater thickness is specified in Subsection (1). [For example, minimum thicknesses required for a seven-story wall would be twenty (20), sixteen (16), sixteen (16), twelve (12), twelve (12), twelve (12), and twelve (12) inches.]
3.
Brick Non-Bearing Walls, Wholly Supported By Girders
At Each Story. May be one (1) inch in thickness where common
to more than one (1) building or eight (8) inches in thickness where
not common to more than one (1) building.
5.
Natural Stone Walls. Shall be four (4) inches
thicker than specified above for brick walls. Hewn or squared stone
walls shall conform to the thicknesses specified above for brick walls.
6.
Concrete Or Hollow Tile Walls. Shall conform
to the thickness specified above for brick walls, except that no hollow
block or hollow tile wall shall be used where common to more than
one (1) building unless faced on both sides with not less than four
(4) inches of brick properly bonded.
7.
Reinforced Concrete Walls Of Monolithic Construction. Shall be not less than two-thirds (2/3) the thickness specified
above for brick walls, except that no such wall shall be less than
six (6) inches in thickness. Concrete walls not properly reinforced
shall conform to the thickness specified above for brick walls.
[R.O. 2008 §505.070; Ord. No. 307 §207, 9-8-1980]
A.
Parapets eight (8) inches or more in thickness shall be extended
a minimum of eighteen (18) inches above the roof level on those walls
which are required by this Title to be of masonry construction, except
as specifically exempted below. All parapeted walls shall be suitably
coped. Parapets shall not be required on:
1.
Walls terminating at roofs of fireproof or semi-fireproof construction.
2.
A wall of a building the roof of which is at least three (3)
feet lower than the roof of, or any opening in, an adjacent building
wall.
3.
Walls facing on a street having a width of thirty (30) feet
or more.
4.
Walls of a building which is thirty (30) feet or more distant
in all directions from other buildings.
5.
Walls of a detached dwelling or of a building not exceeding
one thousand (1,000) square feet in area.
6.
Walls of a building where the roof has an angle of more than
twenty degrees (20°) with the horizontal.
[R.O. 2008 §505.080; Ord. No. 307 §208, 9-8-1980]
A.
For the purpose of preventing the spread of fire from building to
building, communicating openings in fire walls and certain openings
in exterior walls required by this Title to be of masonry or equivalent
construction shall be protected by approved fire doors, approved fire
windows or other approved means satisfactory to the Chief of the Fire
Department.
B.
Protection shall be required for conditions as follows:
1.
When communicating openings are located in fire walls separating
buildings. In such cases, communicating openings shall be protected
by fire doors approved for the protection of openings in fire walls.
2.
When openings are located above the first story in an exterior
wall facing on a street less than thirty (30) feet measured from building
line to building line.
3.
When openings in an exterior wall are less than thirty (30)
feet distant in a direct unobstructed line from an opening in another
building. Protection shall not be required where openings in exterior
walls face in the same direction.
4.
When openings in an exterior wall are above and are less than
thirty (30) feet distant from any part of a neighboring roof of a
building of other than fire resistive-construction (reinforced concrete
frame, floors and roof or their equivalent).
[R.O. 2008 §505.090; Ord. No. 307 §209, 9-8-1980]
Firestopping in all classes of buildings shall be arranged to
cut off all concealed draft openings, such as at floors, ceilings,
roofs and attic spaces, and shall form effectual fire barriers horizontally
and vertically. In buildings of non-fire-resistive construction, wood
two (2) inches in thickness, nominal dimension, may be used; in other
types of construction approved non-combustible material shall be used.
[R.O. 2008 §505.100; Ord. No. 307 §210, 9-8-1980]
All workmanship and building materials shall be of good quality
and shall conform to specifications which the Board of Aldermen prescribes.
The more generally standard specifications for quality of materials
are those of the American Society for Testing Materials. All parts
of every building shall be designed to safely carry loads to be imposed
thereon and shall in all other respects conform to good engineering
practices.
