Issue: Vertical accessibility to all levels of a historic hotel.
Analysis: The applicant is requesting a waiver from providing vertical accessibility to all levels of a historic 7-story hotel undergoing a $7,500,000 alteration. The façade and historic lobby are being restored and to provide access to the elevated upper level lounge would cause significant damage to the historic character of the building. On the 7th floor penthouse level, the existing roof is higher than the existing floor level and to access Stair #1, two steps are required. To accommodate access to Stair #1, a required means of egress, substantial demolition and modification of the structure would be required. The applicant submitted documentation of the historic nature of the building.
Project Progress:
The project is under construction.
Items to be Waived:
Vertical accessibility to all levels of a historic hotel, 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.