Senior Advisory Board Agenda and Packet 2010 04 15 HOUSING FOCUS GRP

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RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO THE LOUISVILLE BUILDING CODE March 2010 The Comprehensive Plan of Louisville, updated in 2008, contains an article on VISITABIL TV (Chapter Two, Existing Conditions, in the Housing section). In. Chapter Three, The Plan, Policy HS-2.1 states that "The City should encourage residential development that supports the spectrum of housing needs in the community, including housing for seniors, empty-nesters, disabled, first time homebuyers and entry- level to mid-level homebuyers by ensuring that a variety of housing types, prices and styles are created and maintained in the community." In HS-2.6 sets forth the following: ''The City should encourage new housing units which include senior designed units, that might provide, by example main floor bedroom, wider hallways/doorways, main floor baths, fIrst floor laundry and level entries, without steps." Therefore the Louisville Senior Advisory Board recommends that the Louisville Building Code contain the following requirements for new residential construction: 1. At least one zero-step entrance on the accessible route leading fium a driveway or public sidewalk or in a two step home, an additional ramp at an accessible entrance way. 2. A main floor bedroom. 3. All hallways and interior doorways providing 31 % inches of unobstructed passage. 4. A bathroom on the first floor including a shower, tub and grab bars. 5'. A first floor laundry. The above construction details shall apply to 25% of all new construction. Some of the foregoing housing could be off-site development, but no more than 10% of the same development. The foregoing housing must be substantially similar to the external appearance of the rest of the development, using something similar in materials The development may be single family or mixed unit type.