Building Code Board of Appeals Minutes

MEETING
CITY OF WALKER
BUILDING CODE BOARD OF APPEALS
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
7:00 p.m.

The meeting of the Building Code Board of Appeals was called to order by Tom Byle, Chairman at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall 4243 Remembrance Rd., N.W., Walker, Michigan.

Members present: Tom Byle, Chairman; Bob Beaudry; Randy Smith; and Vern Farmer. Member absent: Charles Brown. Also present: Jeff Nelson, Building Official and Bonnie Antcliff, Recording Secretary.

Property located at 3110 Wilson, N.W. also known on the tax rolls as 41-13-06-302-002. Hearing requested by Rockford Construction.

The applicant’s request is to construct an addition to existing unlimited area industrial building 50 ft. from the property line instead of the required 60 ft. The addition will be built of the same non-combustible materials as the existing building. The building code at that time only required a 30 ft. setback for this non-combustible type of construction.

Tom Byle, Chairman reviewed the application and site plan submitted. No citizen appeared with respect to this request.

Mr Byle explained that we are missing one member of the Board and it will take a 3 to 1 vote tonight to approve this. He explained that they have the option to come back when we have a full Board. The applicant opted to hold the hearing today.

Jeff Nelson stated that this was two parcels at one time and the applicant went to combine the two parcels so that the expansion will be at the 50 ft. setback and the parking lot will be part of this parcel. When this building was built, 30 ft. was the clear area around the building for unlimited area buildings and was allowed as long as it was for non-combustible materials and it was sprinkled. The code has changed since then for allowed combustible materials and for second stories. By doing that, they have required that the setback should be 60 ft. The applicant is requesting to build it the way the building would have been when the 30 ft. setback was required. They would have to be 50 ft. from the property line under the old code unless they had a rated wall. They are intent on keeping the 50 ft. which would allow for a zero rated wall under the old code.

George Dressander, Rockford Construction stated that the major issue is that if we have to go to the 60 ft. setback, it would make it 10 ft. offset on the existing building for the new addition which causes a small problem construction wise. What becomes difficult is the racking system that has been established in the existing building, would then be offset by that 10 ft. and as you take hi-los down the aisles, we would like to continue the same racking system and that 10 ft. would not allow that to happen. The new facility will be used for storage and warehouse, there will be no manufacturing. We would like to continue the 50 ft. setback for this new addition so that our present racking system will work.

Tom Byle stated that in order to grant this we must find that the building code meets or exceeds, does not apply, or that the building official has interpreted the code wrong.

Bob Beaudry asked if the new building will be fire suppressed?

The applicant replied yes, it is a pre-engineered, metal building and will be totally fire suppressed.

Randy Smith asked if this was a non-combustible wall?

Jeff Nelson replied that if this is granted, he would like the Board to require this to be non-combustible, with steel studs, with no wood, other than fire treated for blocking. 30 ft. used to be the standard, that is true but not true, if you were less than 30 ft. you had to have rated walls. If you were 50 ft. or more you didn’t. They are still at 50 ft. so they could go with zero rated walls but to meet the old code they still had to be non-combustible and sprinkled.

Bob Beaudry moved and Randy Smith supported the motion to grant the applicant’s request to construct an addition to existing unlimited area industrial building 50 ft. from the property line instead of the required 60 ft. The addition will be built of the same non-combustible materials as the existing building. The building code at that time only required a 30 ft. setback for this non-combustible type of construction.

The Board imposed the following condition:

Motion carried 4 to 0.

Vern Farmer moved and Randy Smith supported the motion to adjourn the Building Code Board of Appeals meeting at 7:20 p.m.

Motion carried 4 to 0.

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Walker, MI  49534
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