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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Building Board of Appeals Minutes 09/09/2013Page | 1 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE BUILDING BOARD OF APPEALS AMES, IOWA SEPTEMBER 9, 2013 1. The regular meeting of the Building Board of Appeals was called to order by Chairman Larry Cormicle at 4:00 p.m., September 9, 2013, in Room 235 in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue. Present from the Building Board of Appeals were Larry Cormicle, Dan Nutini, Brad Heemstra, Nathan Werstein, and Larry Brandt. Chuck Haselhoff was absent. David Francis has resigned from the Board. Staff members present were Shawn Bayouth, Rich Higgins, Seana Perkins, Tom Henriksen, Bruce Kinkade, Scott Ripperger, Craig Hageman, Adam Ostert, Nick Patterson, Mike Makelbust, Judy Parks, Jessica Spoden, and Mark Lambert. Moved by Brandt, seconded by Werstein, to approve the minutes of September 10, 2012 Vote on Motion: 5-0 Motion passed unanimously 2. Old Business Vacation of demolition order for 2915 Oakland Street. City staff report states the house has been repaired and is now up to code. Order of demolition needs to be rescinded from the Story County Recorder’s office. Moved by Brandt, seconded by Heemstra, to rescind the demolition order Vote on Motion: 5-0 Motion passed unanimously 3. New Business A. Motion to approve time extensions for compliance with Ames Municipal Code Chapter 8, Division III, Sprinkler System Retrofit, Section 8.301(5). Larry Brandt asked if there were any objections to the submittals. Larry Cormicle stated that he had read all of the requests, and they all met the required five criteria. He also noted that the extensions would be until October 1, 2016, and that there would be no additional extensions in the future. Moved by Brandt, seconded by Nutini, to approve the extensions Vote on Motion: 5-0 Motion passed unanimously B. Amendments to the Ames Municipal Code Chapter 5, Building, Electrical, Mechanical and Plumbing Code i. International Building Code (IBC) - Summary of significant changes by Scott Ripperger. Page | 2 Ripperger stated that the majority of changes are mainly for clarification and slight tweaking, i.e., all the definitions are in Chapter 2 instead of spreading them out. The four major changes are: 1) In care facilities, where there are five or fewer persons receiving care that are within a single family dwelling, they are permitted to comply with the International Residential Code (IRC), but they are now required to have the building sprinkled with an automatic fire sprinkler system. 2) In 2009, the IBC required windows in houses and apartment buildings that were more than 72” above the exterior finished grade and the lowest part of the clear opening of the window was less than 24”, the window could not allow passage of a 4” sphere or there had to be devices to limit that. In the 2012 IBC, that goes up to 36” above the finished floor on the interior. It will affect apartment buildings. 3) Sprinkler systems will be required in factories exceeding 2,500 sq ft that are used to manufacture upholstered furniture or mattresses. Mercantile occupancies exceeding 5,000 sq ft that display and sell upholstered furniture or mattresses need to have a sprinkler system, and storage occupancies exceeding 2,500 sq ft used for storage of upholstered furniture or mattresses require a sprinkler system. 4) Carbon Monoxide alarms will be required in institutional and residential occupancies that have a fuel burning appliance or are in a building that has an attached garage. Another noted item is how they calculate structural. The outcome is not changed, but the calculations are done differently. Discussion was held regarding elevators to residential units, 1109.1. Nutini mentioned the struggle for clients wanting first floor retail and second floor residential having to have elevators – it is cost prohibitive for clients. Ripperger stated elevators are required for four or more units up. Ripperger referred to Chapter 5 of the Ames Municipal Code. Staff deleted Chapter 29, the Plumbing section, during the last code adoption. This time staff left it in to use as a reference for fixture counts. Ripperger also said staff clarified the requirement for frost footings on exterior landings. Nutini questioned the stricken language regarding foundations on p age 5-17. Ripperger stated that it is just for clarification – they took out some unneeded language to clean it up. Discussion was held about the need of engineered stamped plans and the table used. Nutini stated that there is ambiguity with regards to what type of stamp is required and when. Brad Heemstra asked what the remaining process was for the code adoption. Seana Perkins provided a proposed schedule and City Council timeline. Moved by Brandt, seconded by Heemstra, to accept the recommendations to the 2012 IBC as amended by staff Vote on Motion: 5-0 Motion passed unanimously Page | 3 ii. International Residential Code (IRC) – Summary of significant changes by Craig Hageman. Hageman stated that Chapter 5 has a lot of clean up and language revision, but not a lot of substantial change. He referred to the 2012 IRC Code Update that was provided to the Board noting there were not a lot of major changes. Some of the changes are: 1) A requirement for a positive closer on door between house and garage. 2) Egress window wells are required to have drainage somewhere out on the property or to the foundation and drainage system. 3) A requirement for verifying ventilation in a house / getting some air changes in a house. That can be done with a mechanical ventilator where it’s a separate system or it may calculate out that all the local fans in the house will suffice for that air exchange, i.e., bath fans, kitchen hood vents, anything that is vented to the exterior, any ductwork that is coming from the exterior back into the building. A blower door test will determine whether the air changes are happening or not. Heemstra asked if the blower door test will be required. Hageman stated that it will be required in the 2012. It can be performed by a third party, but it needs to have verification to the building department on the outcome. Cormicle referred to R303.4. Nutini asked about the status of fire sprinklers. Hageman said the State of Iowa is just beginning their adoption process and they are going to amend out the requirement for residential sprinklers again and we will follow that lead. Hageman mentioned another significant requirement change that staff is going to recommend amending out of this code cycle. It is the requirement for the protection of floors even in unfinished basements. If there are TJI floor joists, for example, that would need to be protected with half inch gypsum board throughout the entire basement except for 80 sq ft around the mechanical area. Other jurisdictions are leaving the floor protection requirement in even though they will amend out the residential sprinkler requirement. It is section R501.3. Hageman continued that the 2012 IRC has consolidated a lot of information about deck construction into one section now. Another page on bracing with a simplified method on wall bracing has been added, Section R602.12. Hageman then addressed Chapter 5, Section R302.1, the addition of Exception #6: Walls of detached garages and accessory structures greater than or equal to 3 feet from a property line. The purpose of it is for clarification, so the chart will match our zoning or dinance. He also pointed out that 18”x18” grid of #4 rebar in the foundation wall is now in Chapter 5 also. Heemstra questioned R311.7.8.2 Continuity. Hageman stated that we are back to the 2009 version that states handrails may be interrupted at the point of transition from handrail to guardrail on stairways open on both sides at the bottom of a flight of stairs. Cormicle questioned R315.3 Where required in existing dwellings. Hageman said this section now clarifies locations. Page | 4 Hageman addressed R403.1 General. This lays out the specifications for concrete and encased electrodes. This has been enforced for a number of years, but now we are adding it to our local amendments. Nutini asked what the city stance is on grounding on CSST. Hageman stated that it is required in the fuel gas section of the IRC. It is also a requirement of Alliant Energy that it must be in place before they will unlock a meter. Heemstra asked for clarification on the blower door test. Is the blower door test required or does one have to have a whole-house ventilation system if one does a blower door test and are less than five? Hageman stated that a blower door test will be required. Heemstra asked if it was on all homes in the city and questioned if that was happening now. Hageman responded that the majority do. Heemstra stated that he is reading it differently. He is hearing that blower door tests are required, but he is reading R303.4 that a whole-house ventilation system is required when a blower door test is less than five. Hageman then referred to R303.4 of the IRC, where the air infiltration rate of the dwelling unit is less than five air changes per hour when tested with a blower door at a pressure of 2 inches of water column in accordance with section N1102.4.1.2, the dwelling unit shall be provided with whole-house mechanical ventilation in accordance with N1507.3. Moved by Brandt, seconded by Nutini, to accept the staff recommended changes to the 2012 IRC Vote on Motion: 5-0 Motion passed unanimously iii. International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) Seana Perkins stated that there is no synopsis. Staff is proposing adoption in its entirety. Cormicle clarified that we follow state law on energy conservation. Moved by Brandt, seconded by Heemstra, to adopt 2012 IECC as recommended by staff with no local amendments Vote on Motion: 5-0 Motion passed unanimously iv. International Existing Building Code (IEBC) Ripperger stated there are no significant changes to point out. Moved by Heemstra, seconded by Brandt, to adopt 2012 IEBC as recommended by staff with no local amendments Vote on Motion: 5-0 Motion passed unanimously Page | 5 v. International Mechanical Code (IMC) – Summary of significant changes by Mike Makelbust. Makelbust stated there are no changes to the amendments or any significant changes to the IMC. It addresses the air dispersion systems in commercial buildings, which it has not done before. Cormicle asked if 5.206 of the city code was the only clarification and otherwise it is in its entirety as written. Makelbust confirmed. The one issue is referencing exceptions regarding duct systems.. Moved by Heemstra, seconded by Brandt, to adopt 2012 IMC with the noted revisions by city staff in Chapter 5 Section 5.206 Vote on Motion: 5-0 Motion passed unanimously vi. International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) - Summary of significant changes by Mike Makelbust. Makelbust stated that there are no significant changes. There are some new definitions. Cormicle asked if 5.207 of the city code was the only clarification. Makelbust confirmed. Moved by Brandt, seconded by Werstein, to adopt 2012 IFGC with the noted revisions by city staff in Chapter 5 Section 5.207 Vote on Motion: 5-0 Motion passed unanimously vii. Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) - Summary of significant changes by Mike Makelbust. Makelbust stated there are three significant areas that have changes: 1) In Section 605.0.12, a sentence has been added that says “the service valve at the main unless a post indicator valve (PIV) is required by the Fire Inspector”. It is making the post indicator valve requirement an option now of whether or not the Fire Inspector will require it. The following wording is simply moving information from different sections and putting all in one location. When the PIV is not being used, it describes the service valves at the property line. 2) In Section 904.1, a paragraph is being struck regarding each individual building or structure having a main vent stack equal in size or larger than the required building sewer. It is eliminating the requirement of one 3” plumbing stack. Now it can be accomplished with multiple 2” stacks, which aligns us with the UPC. 3) Another change to align us with the UPC is the deletion of the air admittance valve on an island kitchen or an island bar sink. Moved by Brandt, seconded by Nutini, to approve the 2012 UPC with the amendments as noted in Chapter 5 by city staff Vote on Motion: 5-0 Motion passed unanimously Perkins stated that a motion to adopt Chapter 5 was needed. Jessica Spoden clarified that minor changes have been made to Chapter 5. Moved by Brandt, seconded by Heemstra, to adopt Chapter 5 with the noted revisions dated July 1, 2012 Page | 6 Vote on Motion: 5-0 Motion passed unanimously viii. Chapter 8 Fire Code – Summary of significant changes to the International Fire Code (IFC) by Tom Henriksen. Henriksen stated that the book has been reformatted, going from 46 chapters to 66, a lot having to do with hazard ous materials and special processes and operations. Some of the significant issues are requirements for: rooftop items, emergency lighting, textile and vinyl wall coverings, monitoring companies being required to notify the local fire agency if there is a change in service of the facilities they monitor, and floor level exit signs. Cormicle asked why items 11-38 were deleted in Chapter 8 on pages 8-2 and 8-3. Shawn Bayouth responded that the deletions referred to current structures. Even though the code has become more complex and the number of businesses has increased substantially over the years, there is still only one fire inspector on staff and it was determined that the items were not being inspected. In trying to prioritize most effectively, while being mindful of treating all businesses equally, staff decided to put the priority on occupancy structures and new construction, thus setting behind some of the items that could be applied to current structures. The code gives the ability to the authority having jurisdiction to notify any businesses that don’t meet the standard and to provide them a time schedule to become code compliant. The sections are written out now with the intention of bringing them back in the future after staff has had a chance to determine how many structures would be impacted, what the cost will be, and what kind of time schedule could be put in place that could be agreeable to each business owner. Moved by Heemstra, seconded by Brandt, to adopt Chapter 8 Fire Code as presented by city staff dated September 1, 2013 which includes the adoption of the 2012 IFC Vote on Motion: 5-0, with Nutini’s vote in writing Motion passed unanimously 4. Board or staff comments Cormicle asked to be notified if any Board members were needed to appear before City Council. Perkins stated she will keep the Board informed. 5. Adjournment Moved by Heemstra, seconded by Brandt , to adjourn the meeting at 6:21 p.m. Vote on Motion: 4-0. Nutini left the meeting prior to the adjournment. Motion passed unanimously ____________________________ Eileen Carter, Recording Secretary