[Added 4-25-1979 (Art. III of Ch. 10 of the 1973 Code)]
A.
The purpose of this article is to provide basic requirements
to ensure the safety, health and welfare of the occupants and users
of buildings and the proper maintenance of buildings and their exterior
environs to enhance their appearance and value, such buildings being
those for which monetary grants and/or loans will be provided by the
City of Troy.
B.
No provision of this article shall be construed to repeal, modify or constitute an alternative to any applicable legislation that contains more stringent requirements including, but not limited to, the provisions of Chapter 176, Housing and Property Maintenance, of this Code. Said applicable legislation together with the requirements set forth herein shall constitute the minimum property standards.
A.
The provisions of this article applicable to the interior
of a building shall not, unless noted otherwise, apply to floors or
portions thereof that are vacant of any use; provided that they remain
vacant for a period of at least 10 years following the grant agreement
or the period specified in the grant agreement, whichever period is
greater. If, during that time period, such vacant floor area is to
be used, the area to be used must first comply with these standards.
B.
Prior to final approval of a grant, facade improvement
and/or loan application, the recipient shall agree in writing to make,
or cause to be made, all repairs, improvements, alterations and installations
necessary to comply with the minimum property standards. Such work
shall be completed within the time allowed for such work as agreed
to by the recipient and the City of Troy.
C.
The Bureau of Code Enforcement of the City of Troy
will make all inspections, determinations and interpretations relating
to the minimum property standards. Terminology not defined or detailed
herein shall generally have the same meaning as contained in the Uniform
Fire Prevention and Building Code.
A.
Existing exits shall be modified and/or maintained
to comply with the following requirements:
(1)
Exit signs and exit directional signs shall be provided
where an exit directly to the exterior is not obvious from any location
within the main occupied space of a floor of a building. Such signs
shall be adequately illuminated for easy visibility.
(2)
All exits, exitways, aisles and corridors shall be
maintained to provide clear and unobstructed egress to the exterior
of the building and shall be provided with artificial illumination
adequate for safety.
(3)
During normal hours of occupancy, all doors in exit
paths shall be operable for exiting without the use of a key or manipulation
of a locking device other than a push-bar (exit bolt). Dead bolts
shall not be permitted on any exit door. Where doors are arranged
in tandem (side-by-side), all doors shall be operable for exiting.
(4)
Handrails shall be provided on at least one side of
stairways 44 inches wide or less and on both sides if wider than 44
inches. Doors in enclosed stairways shall be provided with self-closers
and shall be kept closed at all times.
(5)
Doors in exits that serve more than 75 persons (determined
by dividing the total capacity by the number of exits) shall swing
in the direction of exit travel.
B.
Additional exits. Additional exits shall be constructed
if the following requirements are not met with existing exits:
(1)
Places of public assembly:
Occupancy Capacity
|
Number of Exits
Above Main Floor
|
Required Below
Main Floor
| |
---|---|---|---|
Less than 76
|
1
|
2
| |
76 or more
|
2
|
2
|
(2)
All other uses:
(a)
There shall be at least one exit from all occupied
floors below the second-floor level. For all occupied floors above
the first floor, the following minimum exit requirements shall be
complied with:
[1]
Two exit stairways remote from each other, one
of which may be a fire escape or exterior stairway;
[2]
One interior exit stairway protected by a sprinkler
system activated by smoke detectors which shall also activate a local
alarm bell. The system shall protect the interior stairway and all
corridors, hallways and other spaces adjoining and open to the stairway;
or
[3]
One interior exit stairway constructed of noncombustible
materials and enclosed by construction having a fire-resistance rating
of at least one hour, having access to it at each floor only through
fire-rated self-closing doors and exiting at grade level directly
to the outside without having to go through other parts of the building.
(b)
Exceptions: If a floor is used for storage only,
and no person is regularly employed on that floor, the exiting may
be the same as for floors below the second-floor level.
A.
Fire extinguishers shall be provided in accordance
with the recommendations (as to number, type and location) of the
City's Bureau of Fire Prevention and/or the Bureau of Code Enforcement
and shall have passed inspection by a qualified firm or person within
the previous 12 months.
B.
Sprinkler systems shall have passed inspection and
testing by a qualified firm or person within the previous 12 months.
C.
Fire alarm systems shall be operational as evidenced
by certification of satisfactory testing within the previous 12 months
or by testing during an inspection by City personnel.
D.
Standpipe systems shall be maintained in good operational
condition.
A.
All wiring and equipment shall be in a good state
of repair so as to be free of shock and fire hazards. All switch,
outlet and junction boxes shall be properly covered. Wiring shall
be properly secured to the structure, be protected from physical damage
and be free of deteriorated insulation.
B.
Electrical extension cords shall not be used to compensate
for an inadequate number of convenient outlets; outlets will be added
to correct such situations.
C.
Overcurrent protection devices (fuses) shall be properly
sized.
D.
Artificial illumination shall be provided to adequately
light all spaces for safe occupancy.
E.
The electrical service entering the building and the
circuits within the building shall be such capacity as to safely serve
the electrical loads of the building use.
All water supply, drainage and vent piping,
and all plumbing fixtures shall be in a good state of repair so as
to be free of leaks and functioning properly for their intended use.
A.
There shall be provided an adequate and safe means
of heating and ventilating all occupied spaces, including toilet rooms.
B.
Central heating equipment (boilers/furnaces) shall
have passed a state inspection, if applicable, or a safety inspection
by a qualified person or firm within the previous 12 months.
C.
Oil-burning heating equipment shall be provided with
a remote shut-off device for use in emergencies.
D.
Combustible materials shall not be stored within five
feet of boilers/furnaces or other heat-producing equipment.
E.
Flue pipes for boilers/furnaces and other heating
equipment, and for hot water heaters, shall be properly installed
and maintained.
F.
Gas-fired equipment shall be provided with shut-off
valves at the equipment location.
A.
Generally, interior spaces shall be maintained in
a good state of repair and free from unsanitary and unsafe conditions.
B.
The structural system of the building shall be maintained
free of any defects or conditions that weaken its integrity.
C.
Wall, ceiling and floor materials and finishes shall
be in a good state of repair and a sanitary condition, free of holes,
open cracks, and loose, peeling or deteriorating materials.
D.
Toilet facilities shall be maintained in a sanitary
condition.
E.
Interior spaces shall be free of any accumulation
of trash, junk, debris and unsanitary materials. Combustible materials
being stored shall be stacked in a tight, neat fashion to minimize
the fire hazard.
F.
Flammable materials shall be stored in compliance
with the requirements of the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building
Code.
A.
Roofs shall be maintained free of leaks.
B.
Roof drainage systems are to be in a good state of
repair, and roof drainage shall not create a hazard or nuisance.
C.
Chimneys, parapet walls and other building projections
shall be in a good state of repair.
D.
All exterior wall surfaces which face directly on
the main street (streets, in the case of a corner lot) and which are
within 30 feet of the street right-of-way and all other wall planes
which start and terminate within that 30 feet, including cornices,
eaves, soffits, etc., are to be properly maintained free of open cracks
and joints, missing or deteriorated materials, peeling, chipping and
faded paint or other finishes, and free of excessive soil markings.
E.
All windows and doors are to be in a good state of
repair. Any closed-up openings in the walls shall be in conformance
with applicable codes, and their appearance shall blend harmoniously
with the wall.
F.
Business and advertising signs shall be in a good
state of repair or shall be removed, including any supporting structures.
G.
Awnings and canopies shall be in a good state of repair
and free from excessive soil, rust, holes and cracks or the awnings
and canopies and their supporting framework shall be removed.
H.
Fences, retaining walls and other similar structures
shall be in a good state of repair.
I.
Sidewalks and other paved areas shall be in a good
state of repair, as well as steps, fire escapes, guardrails and handrails.
Exterior stairs having four or more risers shall be provided with
handrails on any open side but on no less than one side.
J.
The exterior, including the City's right-of-way adjacent
to the property, shall be free of all weeds, litter, debris, junk,
and improperly stored trash or other materials.
K.
All areas of the lot used or accessible to be used
for motor vehicle parking shall be paved with a durable layer of asphalt,
concrete or other suitable paving material and maintained in good
condition.
L.
All plantings and lawn areas shall be properly maintained.
All accessory structures (garages, carriage houses, storage buildings, etc.) shall be maintained in compliance with the applicable provisions of § 141-61, above.
The interior of any building or any floor of
a building that is vacant of any use whatsoever shall be maintained
free of litter, debris and junk, and of any unsanitary or hazardous
condition. Vacant buildings shall comply with the building exterior
and surrounding environs requirements.[1]
Where feasible, property owners are encouraged
to provide facilities to enhance the accessibility and use of premises
by handicapped persons. Such facilities include but are not limited
to ramps, adequate door widths, railings, etc.
This article shall become effective on May 1,
1979, and shall apply to all buildings and owners of buildings receiving
monetary grants, loans, and/or facade improvements after such date.