Policymaker Starter Kit

MODEL ORDINANCE NO. ____

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE [CITY/COUNTY] BUILDING CODE TO PERMIT CERTAIN SINGLE-EXIT (SINGLE-STAIRWAY) MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, SUBJECT TO ENHANCED FIRE AND LIFE-SAFETY STANDARDS

Section 1. Findings and Purpose

A. The [City/County] finds that mid-scale multifamily housing on small and irregular lots is constrained by current egress configuration requirements, which can force inefficient floorplates and reduce housing yield.

B. The [City/County] further finds that allowing certain single-exit multifamily buildings with additional fire and smoke controls can expand housing options while maintaining public safety. National research and policy analysis identify single-stair reforms as a growing approach to improve housing feasibility while preserving modern fire protection performance.

C. The purpose of this Ordinance is to establish a limited, safety-forward pathway for Group R-2 multifamily buildings to use one interior exit stairway (or one exterior exit stairway, where permitted), under conditions designed to reduce evacuation time, control smoke, and support firefighter operations.

Section 2. Authority

This Ordinance is adopted under the [City/County]’s authority to adopt and amend building regulations to protect public health, safety, and welfare, consistent with applicable state law and any state building code preemption limits.

Section 3. Adoption / Amendment

The [City/County] Building Code is amended by adding Appendix [SS] – Single-Exit Multifamily Provisions as follows:

APPENDIX [SS] – SINGLE-EXIT MULTIFAMILY PROVISIONS

SS101. Applicability

1. Scope. This Appendix applies only to Group R-2 apartment buildings (dwelling units) seeking approval for a single exit stairway serving residential stories.
2. Not a high-rise. Buildings using this Appendix shall not include an occupied floor more than 75 feet above the lowest level of fire department access.
3. Mixed occupancies. Non-R-2 occupancies may be permitted within the same building only where they comply with all applicable code provisions and do not directly communicate with the Group R-2 portion or the single-exit stairway.
   • Exception: An accessory parking garage may communicate with the exit stairway only if expressly allowed by the Building Official and Fire Code Official under this Appendix.
4. Occupiable roofs. Occupiable roofs are not permitted.
   • Exception: Private roof decks up to 750 sq ft above the top story may be permitted where accessed only by a stair serving a single dwelling unit.

SS102. Building Limits

1. Stories. Not more than five (5) stories of Group R-2 apartment house use may be served by a single exit under this Appendix.
2. Overall height. The building shall have no more than six (6) stories above grade plane total.
3. Unit cap. There shall be no more than twenty (20) dwelling units served by the single exit.
4. Per-story unit limit (recommended). No more than four (4) dwelling units per story. (This aligns with pathways used in practice and is consistent with common single-stair guardrails.)
5. Per-story area limit (optional but common). Net floor area of each story shall not exceed 4,000 sq ft.

SS103. Construction Type

Buildings using this Appendix shall be limited to the following construction types: IA, IB, IIA, IIIA, IV-A, IV-B, IV-C, IV-HT, or VA.

SS104. Fire Protection Systems

1. Sprinklers. The building shall be equipped throughout with an NFPA 13 automatic sprinkler system (or state equivalent) consistent with IBC Section 903.3.1.1.
2. Fire alarm / occupant notification. A manual fire alarm system that activates the occupant notification system shall be installed per IBC Section 907.5.
   • Exception (where permitted): Manual boxes may be reduced where notification activates upon sprinkler waterflow and at least one manual box is installed at an approved location.
3. Smoke detection (common areas). Automatic smoke detection that activates occupant notification shall be installed at minimum in: common spaces outside units; laundry, mechanical, and storage rooms outside units; and all interior corridors serving units.
4. In-unit alarms / visible notification. Smoke alarms shall be installed per code, and habitable spaces in dwelling units shall include visible alarm notification activated by in-room smoke alarms and the building fire alarm system.

SS105. Egress Configuration, Travel Distance, and Smoke Control

1. Rated corridor buffer. A corridor of not less than ½-hour fire-resistance rating shall separate each dwelling unit entry door from the door to an interior exit stairway (including any exit passageway). Dwelling unit doors shall not open directly into an interior exit stairway.
2. Short travel to stair. Travel distance from any dwelling unit entry door to the exit stairway shall not exceed 20 feet.
3. Overall exit access travel distance. Exit access travel distance shall not exceed 125 feet.
4. Stair type. Provide either an exterior exit stairway or an interior exit stairway.
   • Interior stair pressurization. Where an interior exit stairway is used, the stair (and any related exit passageway) shall be pressurized per IBC smoke control provisions and connected to legally required standby power. Doors into the stair shall swing into the stair regardless of occupant load; doors to the exterior shall swing in the direction of egress travel.
5. Elevator hoistway protection. Elevator hoistway openings shall be protected per code; where approved, natural ventilation may substitute for pressurization when it would prevent accumulation of smoke/toxic gases, with standby power as required.

SS106. Exit Discharge and Exterior Exposure

1. No discharge through other occupancies. The exit serving the R-2 portion shall not discharge through any other occupancy (including an accessory parking garage) unless an explicit exception is adopted by the jurisdiction.
2. Egress court geometry. The exit shall not terminate in an egress court where depth exceeds width unless occupants can exit in either direction to the public way.
3. Opening protection near exterior stairs. Openings within 10 feet of an exterior exit stairway (or non-rated exterior walls of an interior stair enclosure) shall be protected with opening protectives rated not less than ¾ hour.

SS107. Emergency Escape and Rescue Openings (EEROs)

Emergency escape and rescue openings complying with IBC Section 1031 shall be provided in all sleeping rooms on all floors served by the single exit.

SS108. Fire Department Capability and Ongoing Compliance (recommended where state law allows)

1. The Fire Chief shall provide the Fire Code Official documentation demonstrating capability for occupant rescue to the highest story (including aerial ladder capability), response times, staffing, and training.
2. A fire safety and evacuation plan shall be prepared and maintained per the International Fire Code, and resident emergency guides shall be provided per applicable IFC provisions.
3. The Fire Code Official is authorized to conduct inspections no less than annually or approve third-party inspection reports.

Section 4. Optional Local Hazard-Area Limitation (template)

If the [City/County] has mapped wildfire or extreme hazard areas, the Building Official may prohibit use of Appendix [SS] within designated hazard zones, or require additional hardening standards. (This mirrors the kind of hazard-area screening some cities have considered when evaluating single-stair expansions.)

Section 5. Severability

If any provision of this Ordinance is held invalid, the remainder shall not be affected.

Section 6. Effective Date

This Ordinance shall take effect [__] days after adoption.

Section 7. Pilot / Sunset (optional but politically useful)

This Ordinance shall sunset on [DATE] unless renewed by the [Council/Commission] after a staff report on permits issued, compliance findings, and any fire incident data.

Implementation note (not part of the ordinance text)

Two hard realities for policymakers:

• Zoning can still block the building even if the building code allows it. A companion zoning text (by-right allowance, minimum lot size tweaks, height/FAR alignment) usually matters as much as the egress change.
• State preemption varies. Some places can do local building amendments; some can’t. Oregon’s 2025 OSSC, for example, explicitly created a “prospective local amendment path” for certain single-exit residential buildings up to four stories.