City Council Minutes 2014 02 18 - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Meeting Minutes February 18, 2014 Page 7 of 23 engineered solution mutually approved by the Louisville Fire Protection District and the City of Louisville (with input from Public Works, Police, and Planning Departments) where compliance with the following criteria are demonstrated: 1. Specific access and loading needs of the Louisville Fire Protection District vehicles are met; 2. Staging and firefighting capabilities of the Louisville Fire Protection District are not compromised; 3. Pedestrian and bicyclist visibility by motorists is enhanced; 4. Pedestrian and bicyclist exposure to vehicle traffic is reduced; 5. A safe driving environment through management of roadway design speeds is promoted; and 6. Adequate means of emergency egress is provided given the density of development. The reason for a variance or waiver criteria is every land use application has an appeal process. Specific criteria must establish whether a variance may be granted and there is not an appeal process in the municipal fire code. An example of why a waiver may be appropriate is found in Section D105.2 of Appendix D in the International Fire Code, which states "aerial fire apparatus access roads shall have a minimum unobstructed width of 26-feet, exclusive of shoulders, in the immediate vicinity of any building more than 30-feet in height." This requirement would eliminate on-street parking in Downtown if considered without reason. Section B could allow the City and Fire District an opportunity to outline a specific fire plan, which better balances a solution, ensuring fire safety and a safer pedestrian and vehicular environment. Sec. 15.12.110.Fire Lane Requirements. There are four elements outlined by the Louisville Municipal Code, which staff recommended for elimination for the following reasons: 1) Section A is proposed for elimination because the 16-foot dimension is inconsistent with the International Fire Code's required 20-feet. 2) Section B is proposed to be eliminated because the combination of Section D104.1 in Appendix D of the International Fire Code and Section 504 of Chapter Five in the International Fire Code is more restrictive. 3) Section C and D are proposed for elimination for the following reasons: a. Inconsistency with Table D103.4 in Appendix D of the International Fire Code. The LMC amendment was adopted when residential sprinklers were not required in 2009. The 2012 Building Code will require residential sprinklers. Staff recommended the International Fire Code be established as the life safety standard for single access developments, not the LMC.