2501 RIVERSIDE AVENUE

Issue: Vertical accessibility to a second floor office area.

Analysis: The applicant is requesting a waiver from providing vertical accessibility to the second floor of a two story office building. The structure is undergoing a $574,048 alteration and includes all areas on the first floor housing the conference room, accessible toilet rooms, accessible work areas and employee break room. A new ramp will be provided as well as new, accessible parking spaces. All services located on the second floor are replicated on the first. An estimate of $113,635 to install an elevator was submitted. The applicant also provided a cost breakdown of $124,430 for accessibility features included in the overall construction cost.

Project Progress:

The project is under design.

Items to be Waived: Vertical accessibility to the second floor, 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.