Issue; Vertical accessibility to the second floor of a law enforcement training facility.
Analysis: The applicant is requesting a waiver from providing vertical accessibility to the second floor of the Immersive Tactical Training building on a campus housing the criminal justice, EMS and fire sciences programs. Because of the nature of the training that is provided, open areas are essential, including a grid that will permit close observation as well as changing the configuration of interior walls for different tactical training programs. The entire project will cost $23,844,499 and the applicant stated providing vertical accessibility is not a financial issue, but because program participants must exhibit strength and substantial mobility, it would not be necessary to make this level accessible. Furthermore, because of the movable walls, and the amount of space needed, a lift would reduce the amount of available training space and a solid elevator shaft would also significantly impact the ability to change the environment easily and quickly.
Project Progress:
The project is in plan review.
Items to be Waived:
Vertical accessibility to the second level, 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.