For the purposes of this chapter, the following
definitions shall be applicable unless the context indicates to the
contrary:
BUSINESS OCCUPANCIES
Include all buildings used for the transaction of business
(other than that covered under mercantile) for the keeping of accounts
and records and similar purposes. Minor office occupancy incidental
to operations in another occupancy shall not be considered for purposes
of review under this chapter.
EDUCATIONAL OCCUPANCIES
Includes all buildings used for the gathering of groups of
six or more persons for purposes of instruction.
EMERGENCY ACCESS
That portion of accessibility to a building or parcel of
land which is necessary for emergency vehicles to gain access to exits,
standpipe connections and building perimeter of a building during
an emergency or like condition.
ENFORCING AUTHORITY
The Chief of Police of the Town of Millsboro or his duly
authorized representative.
FORESTRY LANE
A fire lane providing perimeter access for emergency vehicles
and personnel to a building, the lane to be delineated and marked
by shrubbery or other plantings.
INDUSTRIAL OCCUPANCIES
Include factories making products of all kinds and properties
devoted to operations, such as processing, assembling, mixing, packaging,
finishing or decorating and repairing.
INSTITUTIONAL BUILDINGS
Those used for purposes such as medical or other treatment
or care of persons suffering from physical or mental illness, disease
or infirmity; for the care of infants, convalescents or aged persons,
and for penal or corrective purposes. Institutional buildings provide
sleeping facilities for the occupants and are occupied by persons
who are mostly incapable of self-preservation because of age, physical
or mental disability or because of security measures not under the
occupants' control.
MERCANTILE
Includes shopping centers, stores, markets and rooms for
the display and sale of merchandise. Mercantile occupancies are broken
down into three classes as noted below:
A.
Class A: all stores having aggregate gross area
of 30,000 square feet or more or utilizing more than three floor levels.
B.
Class B: all stores of less than 30,000 square
feet aggregate gross area, but over 3,000 square feet, or utilizing
any floors above or below street floor level.
C.
Class C: all stores of 3,000 square feet or
less aggregate gross area and limited to street floor only.
MIXED OCCUPANCIES
Two or more classes of occupancy occurring in the same building,
in which case the most stringent requirements shall apply to the building,
except as set forth in the definition of "place of assembly" below.
PERIMETER ACCESSIBILITY
The building's perimeter, which normally constitutes the
building's exterior walls, and shall be measured at and along the
uppermost portion of the building's exterior wall.
PLACE OF ASSEMBLY
A.
Includes, but is not limited to, all buildings
or portions of buildings used for gathering together 50 or more persons
in commercial places of assembly and 100 or more persons in noncommercial
places of assembly. Places of assembly shall include those facilities
used for such purposes as deliberation, worship, entertainment, amusement
or awaiting transportation. Places of assembly are classified as follows:
B.
Class A: capacity of 1,000 persons or more.
C.
Class B: capacity of 300 to 1,000 persons.
D.
Class C: capacity of 100 to 300 persons.
E.
Occupancy of any room or space for assembly
purposes by less than 100 persons in a building classified for a primary
use shall be classed for the primary use for purposes of review under
this chapter.
PRIMARY EXITS
The principal entrance/exit to a building and/or developed
parcel of land.
PRIMARY FIRE LANE
That portion of the emergency access which shall serve the
primary exits and typical storefront portions of a building or developed
parcel of land.
RESIDENTIAL
A.
HOTELSIncludes buildings or groups of buildings under the same management in which there are more than 15 sleeping accommodations for hire, primarily used by transients who are lodged with or without meals, whether designated as a hotel, inn, club, motel or by any other name. So-called apartment hotels shall be classified as hotels because they are potentially subject to transient occupancy like that of hotels.
B.
APARTMENT BUILDINGSIncludes buildings containing three or more living units with independent cooking and bathroom facilities, whether designated as apartment house, tenement, garden apartment or by any other name.
C.
DORMITORIESIncludes buildings where group sleeping accommodations are provided for persons not members of the same family group in one room or in a series of closely associated rooms under joint occupancy and single management, as in college dormitories, fraternity houses, military barracks and ski lodges, with or without meals.
D.
LODGING OR ROOMING HOUSESIncludes buildings in which separate sleeping rooms are rented providing sleeping accommodations for a total of 15 or less persons, on either a transient or permanent basis, with or without meals, but without separate cooking facilities for individual occupants, except as provided in one- and two-family dwellings.
E.
ONE- AND TWO-FAMILY DWELLINGSIncludes dwellings in which each living unit is occupied by members of a single family, with rooms rented to outsiders, if any, not accommodating more than three persons.
SECONDARY EXITS
The required exits from either the sides or rear of a building
which are not customarily used for customer entrance/access.
SECONDARY FIRE LANE
That portion of an emergency access which shall provide accessibility
to secondary exits, fire department connections and alike features
of fire protection which are not normally considered as part of the
storefront portions of a building or parcel of land and do not normally
have customary access by the public.
STORAGE
Includes all buildings or structures utilized primarily for
the storage or sheltering of goods, merchandise, products, vehicles
or animals.
The purpose of this chapter is to specify basic
design and marking criteria in order to provide access by emergency
equipment and personnel to buildings, fire hydrants, standpipe and
sprinkler connections and exits to buildings in multifamily residential
buildings, commercial buildings, public and private places of assembly
and buildings involving educational, institutional, industrial and
storage occupancies, and to avoid requirements which might involve
unreasonable hardships or unnecessary inconvenience and interference
with the normal use of a building or a parcel of land but to require
compliance with a minimum degree of accessibility.
No modifications, alterations, additions or change in occupancy shall be made to any building, structure or land unless there is compliance with the provisions of this chapter except as provided in §
97-4B of this chapter.
Any person violating any of the provisions of
this chapter or any person who fails to comply with the provisions
of this chapter shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon
conviction thereof by a court of competent jurisdiction, shall be
fined not less than $25 nor more than $200 or be imprisoned for a
term of not less than five days nor more than 30 days, or both, and
shall pay the costs of prosecution.
For the purpose of this chapter, each day that
a violation continues shall be considered a separate offense.
The following criteria shall be used in designating
and marking standpipe and sprinkler connections:
A. All standpipe and sprinkler corrections shall be marked
pursuant to Figure No. 6.
B. Demarcation lines shall be measured from the center
line of the connection and shall extend for a distance of four feet
on either side of the connection.
C. Markings need not be located on sidewalk surfaces
but shall extend from the end of the sidewalk surface to the public
way.
D. No objects, stand, displays or other impediments to
vehicular or pedestrian traffic shall be located within the demarcation
area.