Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council passes ordinances to prohibit first-floor storage in downtown, citing fire risks
Summary
After hearing from Fire Chief Ray Reynolds about increased fire hazard when mercantile space is converted to storage without proper fire-code protections, the council approved a package of ordinances to prohibit first-floor storage uses in downtown multistory buildings and amend nuisance and dangerous-building procedures.
The Nevada City Council approved an ordinance package to prohibit storage uses on the first floors of multistory downtown buildings and to amend nuisance and dangerous-building procedures, citing public-safety concerns.
Fire Chief Ray Reynolds told the council that converting mercantile occupancy to storage without required fire-code ratings increases the building's "fuel load" and poses risks to tenants and neighboring properties. "Those buildings are not designed for the fuel load that's in that occupancy," Reynolds said, noting a pending court date on fire-code violations for a specific property and warning that allowing storage uses could increase the likelihood of major loss in aging downtown buildings.
Councilmembers discussed property-rights concerns and whether existing enforcement tools (court actions and fire-code enforcement) were sufficient. Some members urged a cautious approach to adding new restrictions, but others stressed the value of being proactive to protect irreplaceable historic buildings. Several councilmembers referenced prior discussions and examples from other communities to justify the ordinance.
After debate, the council moved, seconded and approved the ordinance measures on the first reading and subsequent votes, including Ordinance No. 1070 (amending Chapter 50 nuisance abatement procedure), Ordinance No. 1071 (amending dangerous buildings provisions), and Ordinance No. 1072 (amending land development and zoning regulations to prohibit first-floor storage uses in the downtown corridor). The votes were recorded as passed during the meeting.
