Fairfax council adopts updated fire, WUI and 2025 California building codes; new park rules approved
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Summary
After public hearings, the Town Council adopted local amendments to the 2025 California Fire Code, the Wildland-Urban Interface code, and the 2025 state building standards (Title 24). Council also adopted park-use rules and removed obsolete camping code language following approval of an anti‑camping ordinance.
The Fairfax Town Council on Wednesday adopted three major code updates and approved a package of park-use rules after hearing staff presentations and public comment.
What the council approved: By roll-call vote the council adopted the town’s local amendments to the 2025 California Fire Code (Ordinance No. 899), the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Code (Ordinance No. 900) and the state’s 2025 California Building Standards (Title 24) with local reach‑code provisions (Ordinance No. 901). Key local changes include raising required vertical clearance over fire lanes to 15 feet, eliminating a prior exception so that smaller new commercial buildings must install emergency responder communications enhancement systems, adopting countywide fire-apparatus access (appendix D) standards, and requiring emergency‑water-supply locations to be shown on fire protection plans.
Why it matters: The adoptions update Fairfax’s technical standards in line with the state’s three‑year code cycle and advance countywide consistency for firefighter access and on-site emergency water and communications, items officials say are important for safety in the town’s wildland‑urban interface areas.
Park rules and camping: Council members also adopted a resolution establishing park-use rules for town property, including leash requirements, limits on alcohol except as permitted by special events, and a prohibition on overnight camping consistent with the recently adopted anti‑camping ordinance; staff will deploy park signs reflecting the new rules. Council also introduced and waived first reading of an ordinance amending town code chapter 12.36 to remove provisions superseded by the anti‑camping ordinance.
Votes at a glance (summary): - Ordinance 899 (2025 Fire Code with local amendments): passed unanimously (Ayes: Egger, Garen Gellert, Kohler, Hellman, Blasch). - Ordinance 900 (2025 WUI Code): passed unanimously (Ayes: Egger, Garen Gellert, Kohler, Hellman, Blasch). - Ordinance 901 (2025 California Building Standards/Title 24): passed unanimously (Ayes: Egger, Garen Gellert, Kohler, Hellman, Blasch). - Park-use rules resolution and code-cleanup ordinance: adopted; first reading waived for the code cleanup.
Public input: Speakers urged stronger enforcement of defensible-space requirements, asked for more modeling of evacuation times and routes, and requested clearer park signage and stronger outreach on wildfire preparedness.
Next steps: Staff will finalize signage and implement the new code provisions and will work with county agencies and local fire partners on implementation of WUI and emergency-responder requirements.