Council grants elevator and sprinkler exemptions for 125 S. Main to allow second-floor apartments in historic building

Property owners Jacob and Jessica Lawrence asked the council for exemptions from elevator and sprinkler requirements to convert the second floor of their 1913 building at 125 South Main Street into four apartments. Jessica Lawrence summarized the project and the state code issues.

Why it matters: state accessibility and fire-protection rules can require elevators or sprinklers for multiunit converts; installing those systems would require major alterations to a historic structure and significant expense, the applicants said.

Applicant explanation: Jessica Lawrence said the building is historic (built 1913) and that adding an elevator would require extensive rework and make the project financially infeasible; she said, "the cost of the elevator to be put into the building would be over 20% of the actual budget." The owners proposed alternative fire-safety measures including higher-rated floor/ceiling assemblies (thicker separation between units and floors) and lightweight concrete toppings on the second floor instead of a sprinkler system, which would otherwise require extensive water-main upgrades and street work.

Council action: After the planning commission recommended approval, the council voted to grant the requested exemptions for the elevator and sprinkler requirements, allowing the owners to proceed with the alternate fire-safety measures and the planned apartment conversions under the conditions described in the planning commission report.

Ending: The council approved the exemptions and thanked the applicants; staff will follow up with building-inspection conditions and required documentation to ensure the alternate measures meet state and local safety standards.