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Salina advisory board recommends access-road amendments, engineer certification, and 300-foot remoteness metric
Summary
The Building Advisory Board recommended amendments to Appendix D of the International Fire Code to clarify fire-apparatus access roads, endorse a 300-foot remoteness metric for second entrances, require licensed-engineer certification for access-road design, and forward the package to the city commission.
The Salina Building Advisory Board voted unanimously to recommend amendments to Appendix D of the International Fire Code that define fire-apparatus access-road requirements, propose a 300-foot remoteness standard for second entrances in many plats, and require licensed-engineer design and certification to ensure roads can support emergency apparatus.
Staff presented Appendix D changes as a response to practical challenges with the ICC’s "half-diagonal" remoteness measure on oddly shaped or long, skinny parcels. Staff said Salina’s average block spacing (about 300 feet on Santa Fe) makes a 300-foot separation predictable for developers and better aligned with local subdivision design standards.
Why it matters: the appendix governs emergency-vehicle access points, when two remote entrances are required (IFC triggers at 30 units), and minimum design expectations for nonpublic fire access roads. Staff said adopting an objective 300-foot test helps avoid rendering some properties undevelopable due to geometry while keeping safety aims intact.
Design, certification and construction: staff recommended keeping the IFC requirement that access roads support a 75,000-pound apparatus but avoid a single prescriptive base-depth specification; instead, roads should be designed and certified by a licensed engineer (including geotechnical analysis) so local conditions determine appropriate construction standards. Staff noted ladder trucks can weigh more than 75,000 pounds and that an engineer-based standard accounts for local soil and topology.
Related residential fire-flow issue: staff also flagged an amendment in Appendix B that would allow a 50% reduction in required fire flow if single-family homes are sprinklered, but said they are seeking state guidance because Kansas statute limits local sprinkler mandates.
Next steps: the board moved, seconded and voted to adopt the Appendix D amendments and will forward the recommended changes and associated resolution (Resolution 25-01) to the Salina City Commission for consideration on Monday, December 8.
