[Adopted 3-11-2008 by Ord. No. 2419]
The Municipality of Monroeville hereby adopts a "Residential
Visitability Tax Credit Program" as more fully set forth in Ordinance
No. 39-06-OR enacted by the County of Allegheny on November 21, 2006.
The following words and phrases when used in this article shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context
clearly indicates otherwise:
A variable grade measured by rise over distance.
An exterior or interior way of passage from one place to
another for pedestrians.
A structure used as a place of habitation by a natural person.
The term shall include new residential construction, existing residential
construction, or any commercial or industrial building that is converted
for residential use.
A person responsible for the payment of taxes on a dwelling.
An entry into a dwelling that has no steps or other barrier
to individuals who have significant mobility impairment, and having
a threshold no greater than 3/4 of an inch.
A place where pedestrians may enter a dwelling from a public
right-of-way. The term includes, but is not limited to, sidewalks,
driveway, streets, alleys, and paths.
A toileting room having, at a minimum, a water closet and
lavatory.
The disability of an individual who needs assistive mobility
technology in the form of a wheelchair, walker, crutches or a similar
device in order to move along a circulation path.
The presence of architectural design features which enhance
access and usability for visitors and residents who have significant
mobility impairment and which minimize the cost of full accessibility
modifications, if necessary, at a later time.
The floor or level of a dwelling to which a no-step entry
leads.
In accordance with the terms of this article, a residential
visitability design tax credit against real property taxes levied
by the Municipality of Monroeville on dwellings shall be granted to
eligible property owners. The tax credit authorized under the terms
of this article shall be limited to any new or renovated dwelling
that contains visitability design features which will enhance the
usability of the dwelling for individuals with significant mobility
impairment and which minimize the cost of accessibility modifications,
if necessary, at a later time.
The Monroeville Real Estate Tax Collector shall administer the
Municipality of Monroeville's Residential Visitability Design Tax
Credit Program created under this article. In doing so, the Monroeville
Real Estate Tax Collector shall accept determinations made by the
Allegheny County Office of Property Assessments who shall follow all
procedures and requirements of both of this article and Act 132.[1] The Office of Property Assessments is hereby authorized
to require such information and conduct such other examinations as
it shall deem necessary to ensure the eligibility of dwellings for
participation in the Residential Visitability Design Tax Credit Program.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 72 P.S. § 4751-101 et seq.
A.
Application for the Residential Visitability Design Tax Credit Program
shall be filed by an eligible property owner with the Monroeville
Real Estate Tax Collector upon approval by the Allegheny County Office
of Property Assessments.
B.
Evidence of approval by the Allegheny County Office of Property Assessments shall be accepted by the Monroeville Real Estate Tax Collector as evidence of qualification for the Monroeville residential visitability design tax credit under the same terms and conditions as the Allegheny County approval. Thereafter, the Municipality of Monroeville Tax Collector shall grant the tax credit as provided for in § 334-94 of this article.
In order to be eligible for the County's residential visitability
design tax credit and the Municipality of Monroeville's residential
visitability design tax credit, the architectural design of a new
or newly renovated dwelling shall comply with all of the following
requirements:
A.
The path from either a vehicle parking area or a pedestrian site
arrival point to the dwelling's no-step entrance shall be firm, stable
and slip-resistant.
(1)
The grade of the path shall not exceed the following acceptable slopes:
(2)
Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, if the average slope
of the property line along and contiguous to the public right-of-way
exceeds 1:12, the slope of the exterior circulation path may be greater,
if necessary, to provide access to the no-step entry, but the slope
of such exterior circulation path may not exceed the average slope
of the property line.
B.
The dwelling shall provide at least one no-step entrance approachable
by a firm, stable and slip-resistant path with an acceptable slope,
as provided for in this section. The no-step entrance to the dwelling
may be located on any exterior wall, or may be an entrance to the
visitable level of the dwelling through an integral garage.
C.
All doors located at no-step entrances must have a clear open width
of at least 32 inches, and must be equipped with lever opening hardware.
D.
Interior circulation paths on the visitable level of the dwelling
must be at least 36 inches in width throughout their length.
E.
All interior doorways on the visitable level of the dwelling, excluding
closets and doorways to levels below the visitable level, shall have
a minimum clear open width of 32 inches.
F.
Each dwelling shall, at a minimum, have at least one powder room
or full bathroom on the visitable level. The powder room or bathroom
shall, at a minimum have a thirty-inch-by-forty-eight-inch clear floor
space contiguous to the water closet and lavatory. Any clear space
under the lavatory may be included in these measurements, and clear
spaces to the water closet and lavatory may overlap. Plumbing fixtures
and entry doors accessing the visitable powder room or bathroom shall
be equipped with lever-style hardware.
(1)
All powder rooms and full bathrooms throughout the dwelling shall
have reinforcement of at least two inches by eight inches of blocking
between the studs placed inside the walls in order to facilitate the
installation of grab bars, if needed. Reinforcement shall be capable
of supporting grab bars that resist shear and bending forces of at
least 250 pounds. Blocking should be centered at 34 inches from and
parallel to the finished floor.
(2)
In renovated homes, only the walls in powder rooms and full bathrooms
on the visitable floor(s) and those on floors that have the stud walls
exposed as part of the renovation process must be in compliance with
the requirements of this section.
G.
Light switches may not be higher than 48 inches above the finished
floor on any level of the dwelling, subject to the following exceptions:
(1)
For lights that are controlled by multiple switches on the same floor
of the dwelling, only one switch on that level must comply with the
requirements of this section.
(2)
In renovated homes, only the switches on the visitable floor(s) and
any floor(s) upon which electrical renovations were done need comply
with the requirements of this section.
