Council adopts Title 16 amendment to allow single-stair option for six‑story residential buildings

The Government Operations & Regulations committee voted to adopt BL 20 25 8 98, an ordinance amending Title 16 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws to align the city with Tennessee statewide building construction safety standards and permit an optional single-exit stair configuration for residential buildings up to six stories.

Supporters and city staff said the change is optional for developers and includes several compensating safety requirements. Shannon Roberts, assistant director over trades at Metro Codes, said the ordinance will "allow you to design and build buildings on irregular parcels that you would normally not be able to build a traditional building with the 2 stairs at each end." Roberts added that the option is intended to let developers use lots that currently "would not normally be able to become" viable for housing.

The measure adopts the state standard that allows a single exit stair for certain multiunit residential buildings when paired with additional protections, including a limit of no more than four units per floor, enhanced sprinkler requirements, a maximum of about 4,000 square feet per floor, and use of fire‑resistant materials. A city staff presenter said the change would make the jurisdiction the fourth in Tennessee to opt into the statewide standard after Memphis, Jackson and Knoxville.

Fire department representatives said they initially opposed parts of the proposal but worked with staff and stakeholders to address safety concerns and ultimately supported the ordinance. A fire department speaker said, "we finally came to a area that we could be supportive of" and that additional safety measures had been added during negotiations. Council members asked specific questions about travel distance to the single stair, firewall ratings and rescue capability; a fire official noted the department's ladder trucks reach about nine stories, exceeding the six‑story limit in the ordinance.

Several council members and staff emphasized that the single‑stair configuration is an optional code path, not a mandate. Staff and proponents said the option could increase feasible housing density and affordability on irregular or smaller parcels that cannot accommodate two end‑of‑corridor egress stairs.

A motion to adopt the ordinance was moved and seconded and carried on a voice vote of "aye," with no opposition recorded. One councilmember asked whether a nonvote would remove the item from consent; staff replied that it would remain on consent. The ordinance's effective date was not specified in the meeting record.

The ordinance text, as discussed, makes the single-stair option available only for qualifying residential buildings up to six stories and pairs that allowance with the enumerated safety provisions. Staff and fire officials said they had met repeatedly with stakeholders while drafting the changes; an architect named Mr. Dodd was noted as present and available to comment but did not speak in the recorded excerpt.

Votes at a glance: BL 20 25 8 98 — Motion to adopt an ordinance amending Title 16 to adopt updated building codes allowing a single-exit stair for qualifying residential buildings up to six stories; motion moved and seconded; voice vote, ayes recorded, no opposing votes recorded; individual roll-call votes not specified.

No funding or implementation timeline was provided during the discussion; staff indicated these are code amendments and implementation will proceed through the municipal code update process.