Issue: Vertical accessibility to a rooftop solarium.
Analysis: The project is a hotel/apartment building originally constructed in 1948 with 33 units in a 3 story, 17,000 square foot structure. The rooftop solarium is being restored and according to the applicant, additional work must be done to provide a secondary means of egress from the area. Furthermore, adding additional floor area would exceed the permissible amount allowed under local zoning regulations and thus, prohibits the construction of an additional elevator stop. The applicant stated it is not cost, but construction regulations that prevent the area from being accessible.
Project Progress:
The project is under design.
Items to be Waived:
Vertical accessibility to a rooftop solarium, 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.
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