Community Leadership Academy

Issue: Vertical accessibility to the second floor

Analysis: The applicant is requesting a waiver from providing vertical accessibility to the second floor of a 19,007 square foot building undergoing a $166,000 alteration in a building that was originally constructed in 1973 and the existing ground floor does not meet accessibility requirements. The proposed renovations will add accessible restrooms, drinking fountain and accessible landings at the existing exits on the ground floor. According to the applicant, it would cost more than 20 percent of the cost of the alteration to make the second floor accessible. A bid of $91,600 was provided to substantiate the claim.

Project Progress:

This project is in plan review.

Items to be waived:

Vertical accessibility to all levels, as required by section 553.509, Florida Statutes.

553.509 Vertical accessibility. Nothing in Sections 553.501-553.513 or the guidelines shall be

construed to relieve the owner of any building, structure or facility governed by those

sections from the duty to provide vertical accessibility to all levels above and below the

occupiable grade level regardless of whether the guidelines require an elevator to be

installed in such building, structure or facility, except for:

(1) Elevator pits, elevator penthouses, mechanical rooms, piping or equipment catwalks

and automobile lubrication and maintenance pits and platforms;

(2) Unoccupiable spaces, such as rooms, enclosed spaces and storage spaces that are not

designed for human occupancy, for public accommodations or for work areas; and

(3) Occupiable spaces and rooms that are not open to the public and that house no more

than five persons, including, but not limited to equipment control rooms and

projection booths.

Waiver Criteria: There is no specific guidance for a waiver of this requirement in the code.

The Commission’s current rule, authorized in Section 553.512, Florida Statutes, provides criteria

for granting waivers and allows consideration of unnecessary or extreme hardship to the

applicant if the specific requirements were imposed.