Ordinance would make storm shelters optional in new schools, create alternative path for "middle‑scale" housing

Shelby County staff introduced two joint ordinances on Oct. 1 to amend the 2021 Memphis and Shelby County building code: one changes storm‑shelter requirements for educational buildings and the other adds an Appendix M for optional “middle‑scale” housing construction requirements.

Rita Anderson, building official for the Shelby County Division of Construction Enforcement, told the committee the changes align local rules with the State of Tennessee’s adoption of the 2021 International Building Code and offer optional paths to manage cost. On the middle‑scale appendix, Anderson said: "This provides an alternative compliance path for small scale, low rise, multi family buildings, specifically those units with 3 to 24 dwelling units." She said the proposal aims to “support greater housing affordability in our community while still upholding essential life safety standards.”

John Zena, Chief of Development and Infrastructure for the City of Memphis, described the financial intent: the local amendments seek to pull smaller multifamily (3–6 units) back into a residential compliance path where appropriate to lower builders’ costs. Zena said, depending on the options chosen in the appendix, a builder “could save around 8 to 10% in construction costs” on structures between three and eight units. Commissioners asked whether the storm‑shelter change makes shelters optional for schools; Anderson said the draft uses “may” language that leaves the choice to local enforcement and decisionmakers.

All three building‑code items were introduced on first reading and will return for subsequent readings; committee records show mixed votes on first reading with multiple commissioners abstaining on the initial votes but the matters advancing with favorable recommendations to the commission for further consideration.