HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 83-14 '
ORDINANCE 0O.
ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 6 ,
SECTION 6-21 OF THE CODE OF THE ORDINANCES TO
AMEND THE BUILDING CODE OF THE CITY 0F'
8EADMO0I TO PROVIDE REGULATIONS CONCERNING
FIRE HYDRANTS AND ACCESS TO BUILDINGS AND
ALARM SYSTEMS; PROVIDING FOR SEVBBABILITy;
PROVIDING FOR REPEAL AND PROVIDING A PENALTY.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF BEADM00I:
Section l .
That Chapter 6 , Section 6-21 of the Code of ordinances is
hereby amended to add new sections 904 and 905 to the I982 Edition
of the Standard Building Code to read as follows:
Section 904 Eire Hydrants:
l . All sites to be built upon shall have adequate fire
hydrants, water lines, and tire aooeaa drives
according to the type of construction. It shall be
the responsibility of the developer to provide such
fire hydrants, water lines, and fire access drives as
follows:
a) Water lines shall be of proper material as
specified by City standards and their sizes and
fittings shall meet minimum requirements as
specified by the City of Beaumont Water Utilities
Department. Fire hydrants shall have openings and
fittings which fit City of Beaumont Fire
Department equipment.
b) Fire hydrants shall be accessible for use so that
tire trucks with mid-mount steamer connections can
be driven over an all-weather surface road or
drive to within ten ( IO' ) feet of the fire
hydrant.
o) Fire hydrants shall be placed not less than two
( 2 ' ) feet nor more than four ( 4 " ) feet from the
line edge of street or drive , with a 3-font radios
clearance.
d) The center of the steamer connection of the fire
hydrant shall be not less than twelve ( 12" ) inches
nor more than twenty-four ( 24" ) inches above the
natural ground level or concrete grade level.
e) Dead end water mains which supply fire hydrants
shall be permitted only by the Fire Chief and
Director of Water Utilities, after a study of the
plans for the development and a determination that
water mains cannot be looped.
t ) During construction, water lines, hydrants and
all-weather access drives shall be installed and
usable for fire protection in such a manner that
dietaoc.ea to buildings specified in 2-b and 2-o
below are not exceeded by more than 50% at any
point when construction has progressed above
foundation level. After initial occupancy no
allowance from the distances specified in 2-b and
2-c below will be permitted.
2 . Location of Fire Hydrants:
a) Single-family dwelling sites
Eire hydrants shall be located along the curb or
edge line of a street, public road or private drive so
that each. single-family dwelling unitis within 350
feet of a fire hydrant. (This will result in a normal
spacing of fire hydrants 700 feet or less measured
along the curb or edge line of a street, public road
or private drive. )
b) Multi-family dwelling sites ( apartments,
townhomes, cluster housing , condominiums , hotels ,
motels , high-rise apartments or any multi-family
dwellings )
Fire hydrants shall be located along the curb or
edge line of a street, public road or private drive
so that each building is within 300 feet of a fire
hydrant. (This will result in a normal spacing of
fire hydrants 600 feet or less measured along the curb
or edge line of a street, public road or private
drive. )
c) Commercial and industrial sites:
Fire hydrants shall be located along the curb or
edge line of a street, public road, private drive or
parking lots so that each building or every portion of
a building is within 250 feet of a fire hydrant.
(This will result in a normal spacing of fire hydrants
500 feet or less measured along the curb or edge line
of a street, public road , private drive or parking
lot. )
3 . Approval
a) The complete layout of fire hydrants and water
lines shall be submitted to the Fire Chief for
approval before installation.
4 . Obstruction of fire hydrants
a) No person may stop , park or leave standing any
non-emergency vehicle, whether attended or
unattended, within 15 feet of a fire hydrant.
b) No person may obstruct, in whole or in part, any
fire hydrant within the city limits of Beaumont
with or by lumber, boxes, merchandise or any
material or substance of any kind, character or
description.
c) No person may obstruct, in whole or in part, any
fire hydrant within the City of Beaumont by
flowers, shrubs or plants of any description.
Section 905 - Control Access to be Provided by Operator or Premises
The operator of premises where a building exists or is
under construction shall provide the building with horizontal access,
each road of which. shall,
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a) be public or private;
b) have a width of at least 20 feet;
c) have an overhead clearance of at least 14 feet;
d) intersects with a dedicated street;
e) if longer than 100 feet
i ) intersect with a dedicated street at each end;
ii) end in a traffic circle having a diameter of
at least 50 feet;
f ) be free of all obstructions which pose a sub-
stantial threat of interference to fire-fighting
or rescue activities:
g) be surfaced with a material substantial enough to
support fire department vehicles; and,
h) remain structurally unaffected during inclement
weather.
Section 2 .
That Section 1124 of the 1982 Edition of the Standard
Building Code is hereby deleted and repealed and a new section 1124
is hereby enacted in lieu thereof to read as follows:
Section 1124:
Any building, exceeding 2 ,000 square feet ( except single
family dwellings or dwelling units within an apartment house,
condominium or townhouse having exterior entrances to each unit)
shall be equipped with an automatic fire alarm system in a manner
meeting or exceeding the requirements of N. F.P.A. Standard 72E. Fire
alarm systems shall be tested in accordance with manufacturer' s
recommendations and at least once each year by a licensed fire alarm
company .
Section 3 .
That if any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase
of this ordinance, or the application of same to a particular set of
persons or circumstances, should for any reason be held to be
invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the remaining portions of
this ordinance, and to such end the various portions and provisions
of this ordinance are declared to be severable.
Section 4 .
All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith
are repealed to the extent of the conflict only.
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Section 5 .
Any person who violates any provision of this ordinance
shall, upon conviction, be punished as provided in Section 1-8 of
the Code of Ordinances of Beaumont, Texas.
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL of the City of Beaumont this the
/S,Ck day of 19 d3 .
Mayor -
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