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Committee advances single-stair code study, instructs planning and fire to develop options
Summary
Committee set aside item 4 for special consideration and instructed planning and fire departments to work on possible code modifications to allow single-stair residential buildings in limited circumstances; staff will return with options and safety analysis.
The planning committee treated item 4 as a special matter and instructed staff to prepare options for limited code modifications that would allow single-stair residential buildings in some cases. Committee members and public speakers debated safety and housing-supply tradeoffs.
Proponents including housing advocates and developers said allowing single-stair configurations could enable more buildable housing, improve light and ventilation in units, and reduce construction costs. “Allowing one-stair buildings can make it easier to build more livable units,” said a representative from a housing advocacy group.
Opponents, including several speakers representing firefighters’ and labor interests, urged caution and recommended additional study. A union representative and a public-safety speaker raised concerns about escape routes in fires and cited past incidents in which single-egress designs were linked to safety problems. One councilmember requested that the Fire Department be added to consultations and that the department provide data about past incidents and turnout for similar configurations.
The committee’s action was procedural: members instructed City Planning and the Fire Department to collaborate, consult with building officials, and return with code-modification options and a fire-safety analysis. The committee emphasized that it was not adopting new code changes at the meeting but directing staff to prepare options for later consideration.
Next steps Staff will prepare a report and proposed code options, including consultation with the Fire Department and building officials; the committee requested consideration of empirical safety evidence and any required mitigation measures before any ordinance is returned for adoption.
