Agenda - Council - 05/25/2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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· Attics, crawl spaces, and similar that are not used as living space. Understandin~Fire s~inffiers: The code already requires commercial occupancies to be sprinkled if they meet a s.quare footage requirements listed in the code for that occupancy. Adopting 1306 would .require the following for commercial. For purposes of this chapter, area separation, fire barriers, or fire walls do not establish separate buildings. Gross square footage (gsf.) means the floor area as defined in the International Building Code. The floor area requirements established in items A to E are based on the gross square footagc of the entire building and establish thresholds for these requirements. The following occupancy groups must comply with sprinkler requirements of this chapter, unless specified otherwise: A. Group A-l, A-2, A-3, and A-4 occupancies; 13. Group B, F, M, and S occupancies with 2,000 or more gross square feet of floor area or with three or more stories in height; C. Group E occupancies with 2,000 or more gross square feet of floor area or with two or more stories in height; D. Group E day care occupancies with an occupant load of 30 or more; o Residential Occupancies can be built under the International Building Code (IBC) OR the International Residential Code (IRC). Basically, if there are two outside walls to the home~ it can be built under the IRC [ust like a common residence. If not~ such as in row homes~ it has to be built under the IBC. Chapter 1306 would require sprinklers under the following conditions. WE ARE PROPOSING NEW ONLY. E. Optional occupancy group-municipality may choose option 1 or option 2. We choose option 1. Group R-I and R-2 occupancies with 8,500 or more gross square feet of floor area or dwelling units or guestrooms on three or more floors; and attached R-3 occupancies and attached townhouses built to the International Residential Code with 8,500 or more gross square feet of floor area. All floors, basements, and garages are included in this floor area threshold. FACTS Recent poll of metro sprinkler installers state that it cost approximately 2% of the value of the home to install them. $1.50-2.00 a square foot. A typical residence with 2000 sq. ft and a 500 sq. ft. garage ~vould roughly cost $3750.00. Townhomes would be the same. Neighboring communities have not seen any fall in building permits with the adoption of 1306. In fact, they all have risen (Andover, Coon Rapids, Blaine, and Maple Grove). Sprinkler systems need to be installed by a licensed sprinkler fitter through the State of Minnesota. They currently list 57 on their web site. Majority of them