Ann Arbor building appeals board tables stair-variance request for fraternity house for 60 days

The Ann Arbor City Building Board of Appeals on May 15, 2025 voted to table for 60 days an appeal (BBA 25007) by the owner of a multi‑story rental property seeking variances from stair riser and tread-depth requirements.

The appeal concerns the main stair connecting the building’s first floor and basement, used for frequent events and daily traffic. The applicant and architect proposed a narrower tread and a slightly increased riser to create a wider, less steep stair profile in the only available footprint; board members and staff said they need more documentation before granting a variance.

The proposed changes are meant to replace an existing, steep stair with risers the architect described as “8 and 5 sixteenths with a 9 inch tread,” and to install a new stair with a 7 1/4‑inch riser and a 10‑inch tread plus a 3/4‑inch nosing. Architect Dwight Hendricks said the request includes “just 1 quarter of an inch, of height variance from the 7 to 7 and a quarter riser” so the design can fit within the building’s fixed structural elements and improve safety.

Why it matters: the stair serves a basement recreation area used for large gatherings. Staff and board members flagged related issues—egress paths, handrail terminations, fire‑rating continuity of doors in the stair path, and the occupancy classification for the basement—that could change whether the design requires more extensive revisions or additional code work.

Board members and staff pressed the applicant to provide information the board said is necessary for inspection and a final determination. Staff asked for structural drawings showing the locations of beams and columns; a…