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Committee reviews ordinance to allow single-stair egress for up-to-six-story multifamily buildings
Summary
A city planning committee heard a detailed presentation and public comment on a proposed ordinance that would let some multifamily buildings up to six stories use a single internal stair as the primary egress, contingent on state code changes and safety provisions.
The Land Use Planning Management meeting considered a proposed ordinance to amend the California building and fire codes to allow some multifamily residential buildings up to six stories to be constructed with a single interior stair under specific safety conditions. The committee heard department reports, fire-department analysis and public comment, and asked staff to continue refining the proposal before sending it for formal action.
Committee members were presented with a draft that would add a new section to the municipal code mirroring provisions adopted in other cities and referencing amendments to the California Building Code and California Fire Code. A Department of Building and Safety representative said the draft adapts provisions used elsewhere and limits building size and occupancy, describing features such as controlled smoke management, travel-distance limits and alarm systems intended to reduce the risk of single-stair designs.
Several housing and development advocates spoke in favor, saying the change could reduce construction costs and speed production of smaller family-sized units. A Central City Association representative told the panel: "En cuanto a un momento en donde Los Ángeles está sufriendo, este, una falta de vivienda, tenemos que ayudar a minimizar los desarrollo el el precio de los desarrollos." Another housing advocate, Jesse Sweig, asked the committee to continue technical consultation with architects, saying the provision resembles earlier Seattle rules but requires extra review before final adoption.
Fire department staff described the draft as "a reasonable accommodation" if the ordinance includes the proposed 30 technical conditions and if the city keeps the contingency that the measure take effect only after state code amendments or formal approvals. Fire Department spokesperson David Pérez summarized the department's view: "Las provisiones se aprueban de parte de los Comisión Estándares de Construcción de California," and warned the committee to retain the contingency language so the city would not act outside state authority.
Members of the public raised questions about evacuation timing, smoke-control reliability and how first responders would learn whether an arriving building has a single stair. The fire representative said crews do not currently have a searchable database listing which small buildings have a single stair and that the department often learns building features only on arrival. Planning staff said the proposed ordinance includes measures such as pressurized stair enclosures, limits on unit counts and smoke-control systems intended to mitigate single-stair risks.
The committee did not take a final vote on the ordinance at this hearing. Members directed staff to continue work on the draft, to coordinate with the fire department and city attorney on contingency language tied to state approvals, and signaled intent to return with technical clarifications and a timeline for possible council consideration.
The committee's next steps include additional staff reports and technical updates; no formal effective date or adoption vote was recorded at this meeting.
