Committee hears overhaul to allow single-stair midrise apartments; vote deferred while fire-code language is finalized

Baltimore City Councilmember Ryan Dorsey (Third District) presented council bill 25-0062 to the Land Use & Transportation Committee, proposing to amend the city's building code to permit newly constructed single-stair residential buildings up to mid-rise heights under specified safety standards. The sponsor described the change as aligning new-construction rules with the International Existing Building Code's allowances for single-stair renovations, and said the proposal would allow smaller-footprint, more varied apartment buildings while keeping fire-safety protections in place.

Dorsey and other supporters said the rule that requires two stairways for new buildings over three stories forces large, cookie-cutter buildings, increases costs and limits unit variety. He described the bill's safety requirements, which include full sprinkler systems, pressurized stairwells, fire-rated walls and doors, limits on unit count per floor and maximum travel distances from units to the stair. "The bill is barely 2 pages long and basically it is nothing but a list of ways to address fire safety above and beyond what we require for other buildings," Dorsey said.

The Baltimore City Fire Department, represented by Captain Dennis Dawson, testified in support of the bill as amended and explained technical…