"I think it brings a lot of benefits," District 3 Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, a key backer of the reforms, told San José Spotlight. "It means that we can build multifamily housing on more small parcels - close to downtown, close to our transit networks - that are currently really difficult to build under the current building codes."
"When you combine the two directions - ingress and egress - into one single stairwell that's filled with smoke and water, you create a dangerous choke point that increases the risk for everyone involved," District 7 Councilmember Bien Doan, a former San Jose Fire Department captain, said during the Oct. 28 review session of the study proposal."
San Jose city officials commissioned a study to evaluate allowing single-staircase apartment buildings up to six stories. Housing advocates say eliminating the second-stair requirement for mid-rise buildings would lower construction costs and enable multifamily housing on small parcels near downtown and transit. Nearly all large U.S. cities currently require two stairways and a connecting hallway for buildings over three stories. The City Council approved the study 9-2 in October despite warnings from councilmembers and fire officials. Fire leaders and some councilmembers argue a single stairwell could become a smoke-filled choke point during a fire, increasing evacuation and responder risks.
Read at San Jose Spotlight
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