[R.O. 2008 §505.010; Ord. No. 307 §201, 9-8-1980; Ord. No. 476 §1, 3-9-1998]
A. 
Except as hereinafter provided, every building hereafter erected or enlarged within the fire limits as set out in Section 510.010 shall, except as provided for in Section 510.020, be enclosed on all sides with walls constructed wholly of brick, stone, hollow tile, hollow or solid concrete block, concrete or other equivalent incombustible materials, and shall at the roof, also top, and sides of all roof structures, including dormer windows, covered with incombustible or fire-retardant materials. All cornices shall be of incombustible material.
B. 
When a commercial building is being constructed in the fire limits, the requirement for masonry construction may be waived if said building will have exterior wall protection due to proximity of property lines, that is to say if the exterior walls are located a distance of at least eight (8) feet from the nearest property line, and one-hour fire-resistant construction throughout is used.
C. 
Metal-clad buildings shall be permitted in accordance with the aforesaid waiver set forth in Subsection (B) above if:
1. 
Metal studs are used throughout all exterior walls; and
2. 
One-hour fire-resistant materials are used throughout the building.
[R.O. 2008 §505.020; Ord. No. 307 §202, 9-8-1980]
A. 
No frame, wooden or metal structure shall hereafter be built within the fire limits as given herein, or as there may be hereafter established, except the following:
1. 
Temporary one-story buildings for use of builders.
2. 
Wooden fences not over ten (10) feet high.
3. 
Porches, balconies and canopies not exceeding ten (10) feet in width, nor extending more than three (3) feet above the second-story floor beams. No such structure shall be joined to any similar structure of another building.
4. 
Bay windows when covered with incombustible or fire-retardant materials.
5. 
Small detached-frame outbuildings not exceeding one hundred fifty (150) square feet in area and eight (8) feet in height, and not within five (5) feet of any lot line.
6. 
One-family frame dwellings not exceeding two (2) stories in height and separated by at least five (5) feet from lot line of adjoining property.
7. 
A building of frame construction or of unprotected metal construction occupied exclusively as a private garage or stable not more than one (1) story in height nor more than seven hundred fifty (750) square feet in area, located on the same lot with a dwelling; provided that such building be placed at least three (3) feet from the lot line.
8. 
One-story all-metal buildings with no wood in wall or roof structure, with an area not exceeding one thousand (1,000) square feet, and not within ten (10) feet of any lot line.
9. 
Coal tipples, ice houses, material bins, trestles and water tanks when built of planking and timbers of the dimension usual for heavy timber construction.
10. 
Cooling towers not in excess of two hundred fifty (250) square feet in base area and fifteen (15) feet in height.
11. 
The area starting at the corner of Park Drive and Main running south to the City Limits (Stouts Creek), then west to City Limits bordering School property on the west side then north along City Limits to "M" Highway. Also one hundred twenty (120) feet along north side of Park Drive from Main Street to "M" Highway, then west one hundred twenty (120) feet from south side of "M" Highway to City Limits; then across "M" Highway continue back one hundred twenty (120) feet north on "M" Highway to the southwest corner of the Courthouse Square. That area shall be excluded from the application of Section 510.040 of this Article.
B. 
No frame or metal building not in conformity with this Section shall be moved from without to within the fire limits.
[R.O. 2008 §505.030; Ord. No. 307 §203, 9-8-1980]
Any existing frame building within the fire limits not in conformity with this Title, which may hereafter be damaged by fire, decay or otherwise to an amount greater than one-half (1/2) of its value, exclusive of foundation, shall not be repaired or rebuilt, but shall be removed.
[R.O. 2008 §505.040; Ord. No. 307 §204, 9-8-1980]
A. 
The floor area of buildings between fire walls shall not exceed the following:
One Story
(square feet)
Exceeding One Story
(square feet)
If not fronting on a street or if fronting on only 1 street
6,000
5,000
If fronting on 2 streets
7,500
6,000
If fronting on 3 streets
9,000
7,500
If fronting on 4 streets
10,000
9,000
B. 
For the purpose of this Section, a "street" shall be deemed to include any avenue, boulevard, street, alley or lane, twenty (20) feet or greater in width, or any court, parking space or yard with direct connection to a street, and not less than twenty (20) feet wide. Such court, parking space or yard shall be the property of the owner of the building and shall not be enclosed or roofed over.
C. 
Non-fire-resistive buildings, fully equipped with approved automatic sprinkler, may be one hundred percent (100%) greater in area than the above.
D. 
Fire-resistive buildings (reinforced concrete frame, floors and roofs or the equivalent) shall not be limited as to area or height.
E. 
No building shall exceed three (3) stories or forty-five (45) feet in height unless of fire-resistive construction (reinforced concrete frame, floors and roof or the equivalent).
[R.O. 2008 §505.050; Ord. No. 307 §205, 9-8-1980]
Every room of any building exceeding one thousand (1,000) square feet in area or occupied by more than one hundred (100) persons shall have at least two (2) exits. Every story of any building shall have at least one (1) exit and every story that exceeds two thousand five hundred (2,500) square feet in area shall have at least two (2) separate and independent exits. All doors in required exits shall swing in the direction of exit travel. The term "exit" and the required number of exits, their location, unobstructed width, illumination and indicating signs shall be in accordance with a nationally recognized standard and satisfactory to the Board of Aldermen.
[R.O. 2008 §505.060; Ord. No. 307 §206, 9-8-1980]
A. 
Those walls which are required by this Title to be of masonry construction shall be continuous from foundation to the roof. The thickness of such walls shall be sufficient to carry safely all imposed loads and shall comply with minimum dimensions as specified in this Section.
1. 
Brick Bearing Walls, Not Common To More Than One (1) Building. Shall have a minimum thickness of twelve (12) inches for one-story buildings or for the upper two (2) stories of buildings more than one story in height. This minimum thickness shall be increased four (4) inches for each two (2) stories or fraction thereof below the upper two (2) stories. [For example, minimum thickness required for a seven-story wall would be twenty-four (24), twenty (20), twenty (20), sixteen (16), sixteen (16), twelve (12) and twelve (12) inches.] Brick bearing walls, not common to more than one (1) building, may be eight (8) inches in thickness under the following conditions:
a. 
Walls of dwellings not over two (2) stories in height; and
b. 
Walls not over fifteen (15) feet in height, provided such walls are reinforced at intervals not exceeding twenty (20) feet by cross walls, piers or buttresses.
2. 
Brick Non-Bearing Walls. Not wholly supported by girders at each story, and not common to more than one (1) building, shall conform to minimum thickness of Subsection (1) above, except that walls four (4) inches less in thickness may be permitted where sixteen (16) inches or greater thickness is specified in Subsection (1). [For example, minimum thicknesses required for a seven-story wall would be twenty (20), sixteen (16), sixteen (16), twelve (12), twelve (12), twelve (12), and twelve (12) inches.]
3. 
Brick Non-Bearing Walls, Wholly Supported By Girders At Each Story. May be one (1) inch in thickness where common to more than one (1) building or eight (8) inches in thickness where not common to more than one (1) building.
4. 
Brick Walls Which Are Common To More Than One (1) Building. When not covered by Subsection (A)(2) above, shall conform to the minimum thicknesses of Subsection (A)(1), except that no such wall shall be less than sixteen (16) inches in thickness.
5. 
Natural Stone Walls. Shall be four (4) inches thicker than specified above for brick walls. Hewn or squared stone walls shall conform to the thicknesses specified above for brick walls.
6. 
Concrete Or Hollow Tile Walls. Shall conform to the thickness specified above for brick walls, except that no hollow block or hollow tile wall shall be used where common to more than one (1) building unless faced on both sides with not less than four (4) inches of brick properly bonded.
7. 
Reinforced Concrete Walls Of Monolithic Construction. Shall be not less than two-thirds (2/3) the thickness specified above for brick walls, except that no such wall shall be less than six (6) inches in thickness. Concrete walls not properly reinforced shall conform to the thickness specified above for brick walls.
[R.O. 2008 §505.070; Ord. No. 307 §207, 9-8-1980]
A. 
Parapets eight (8) inches or more in thickness shall be extended a minimum of eighteen (18) inches above the roof level on those walls which are required by this Title to be of masonry construction, except as specifically exempted below. All parapeted walls shall be suitably coped. Parapets shall not be required on:
1. 
Walls terminating at roofs of fireproof or semi-fireproof construction.
2. 
A wall of a building the roof of which is at least three (3) feet lower than the roof of, or any opening in, an adjacent building wall.
3. 
Walls facing on a street having a width of thirty (30) feet or more.
4. 
Walls of a building which is thirty (30) feet or more distant in all directions from other buildings.
5. 
Walls of a detached dwelling or of a building not exceeding one thousand (1,000) square feet in area.
6. 
Walls of a building where the roof has an angle of more than twenty degrees (20°) with the horizontal.
[R.O. 2008 §505.080; Ord. No. 307 §208, 9-8-1980]
A. 
For the purpose of preventing the spread of fire from building to building, communicating openings in fire walls and certain openings in exterior walls required by this Title to be of masonry or equivalent construction shall be protected by approved fire doors, approved fire windows or other approved means satisfactory to the Chief of the Fire Department.
B. 
Protection shall be required for conditions as follows:
1. 
When communicating openings are located in fire walls separating buildings. In such cases, communicating openings shall be protected by fire doors approved for the protection of openings in fire walls.
2. 
When openings are located above the first story in an exterior wall facing on a street less than thirty (30) feet measured from building line to building line.
3. 
When openings in an exterior wall are less than thirty (30) feet distant in a direct unobstructed line from an opening in another building. Protection shall not be required where openings in exterior walls face in the same direction.
4. 
When openings in an exterior wall are above and are less than thirty (30) feet distant from any part of a neighboring roof of a building of other than fire resistive-construction (reinforced concrete frame, floors and roof or their equivalent).
[R.O. 2008 §505.090; Ord. No. 307 §209, 9-8-1980]
Firestopping in all classes of buildings shall be arranged to cut off all concealed draft openings, such as at floors, ceilings, roofs and attic spaces, and shall form effectual fire barriers horizontally and vertically. In buildings of non-fire-resistive construction, wood two (2) inches in thickness, nominal dimension, may be used; in other types of construction approved non-combustible material shall be used.
[R.O. 2008 §505.100; Ord. No. 307 §210, 9-8-1980]
All workmanship and building materials shall be of good quality and shall conform to specifications which the Board of Aldermen prescribes. The more generally standard specifications for quality of materials are those of the American Society for Testing Materials. All parts of every building shall be designed to safely carry loads to be imposed thereon and shall in all other respects conform to good engineering practices.