Re: Common house permitting and Cities... | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: Larry Moss (mossballoonhq.com) | |
Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2006 18:06:04 -0700 (PDT) |
On Wed, 13 Sep 2006, Lyle Scheer wrote:
Yes, if we had planned this from the start of the project. Yes, if we had not needed to get a variance and then spend cash to fight a legal battle with the neighbors just to be allowed to build our project. after the building has been designed, after we've gotten bank financing, after we've threaded all of these, to turn around and add an elevator to our budget? I don't see how we can do it.
It should have been considered sooner. Someone earlier in the planning should have said something. But, isn't it better to have this come up now than in an ADA lawsuit in a few years? It would cost you a lot more to retrofit an existing building than to modify plans now. In the spirit of trying to achieve what you want (lower cost) while still meeting ADA requirements and showing community support, here are some things to consider. You got the ok to leave out the elevator. That's for now. What about down the road when, as others pointed out, your population will grow older and others may move in with other needs? You can build without the elevator but make it a possibility for the future. If the house is designed with large closets stacked on the first and second floors, an elevator can be put in later. Depending on your current design, this may not be a big deal to add. Basically, build a shaft that the elvator can go in, but use the space for closets/storage. If the second floor shower is accessible, you won't have to do a bathroom remodel when the time comes to add the elevator. Not everyone that can benefit from a roll-in shower is in a wheelchair. Someone older may be able to make it up the stairs but not have the strength to stand for long in a shower. It might be easier for them to get into a roll-in or low-step shower and move right to a shower seat. Include grab bars also in the shower. Again, this is something that can help some people. You don't know exactly what needs different people will have. ADA compliance is meant to make things easier for everyone, not to cause trouble. Much cheaper than an elevator, and again something that can be added later, is a chair lift. at some point in the future, you might have someone unable to climb stairs that doesn't need a full elevator. There was a question about why a a building would have a first floor accessible bathroom with the bedrooms upstairs. Consider an injury, or a disaster in one of the main units and someone didn't need permanent or long term residence, but did need a place to stay for a short time. A common room on the first floor could be converted to a temporary residence if an accessible bathroom exists. Larry Moss BalloonHQ.com
- Re: Common house permitting and Cities..., (continued)
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Re: Common house permitting and Cities... Lyle Scheer, September 13 2006
- Re: Common house permitting and Cities... Lyle Scheer, September 13 2006
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Re: Common house permitting and Cities... Ann Zabaldo, September 13 2006
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Re: Common house permitting and Cities... Lyle Scheer, September 13 2006
- Re: Common house permitting and Cities... Larry Moss, September 13 2006
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Re: Common house permitting and Cities... Lyle Scheer, September 13 2006
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Re: Common house permitting and Cities... Lyle Scheer, September 13 2006
- Fw: Common house permitting and Cities... Robert Heinich, September 13 2006
- Re: Common house permitting and Cities... Philip Proefrock, September 14 2006
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