Owner / Applicant Information

Joe

Montalone

Westfield Washington Schools

1143 East 181st Street

Westfield

46074

Phone

3178678045

[email protected]

Submitter Information

David

Cook, RA

Ralph Gerdes Consultants, LLC

5510 South East Street

Indianapolis

Phone

3177877375

[email protected]

Designer Information

John E.

Rigsbee

CSO Architects INC.

8831 Keystone Crossing

Indianapolis

Phone

3178487800

[email protected]

Project Information

Westfield Middle School Additions and Renovations

345 Hoover Street

Westfield

46074

County

HAMILTON

Project Type

New

Addition

Alteration

Existing

Change of Occupancy

Project Status

F=Filed U or Null=Unfiled

IDHS Issued Correction order?

Violation Issued by:

Local Building Official

Phone:

3175383012

Email:

[email protected]

Local Fire Official

3175383012

Email:

[email protected]

Phone:

Variance Details

Code Name:

Other Code (Not in the list provided)

InBC 2014 1003.2

Conditions:

Extensive remodeling of an existing middle school will create new corridor and locker room ceiling heights at 7'-0" below and existing second floor structure. Code requires a minimum ceiling height of 7'-6" in egress elements and interior spaces, with some exceptions.

DEMONSTRATION THAT PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE ARE PROTECTED:

1=Non-compliance with the rule will not be adverse to the public health, safety or w

2= Applicant will undertake alternative actions in lieu of compliance with the rule to ensure that granting of the variance will not be adverse to public health, safety, or welfare. Explain why alternative actions would be adequate (be specific).

Facts:

1.  The new additions as well as the existing school building are protected throughout by an automatic fire suppression system per NFPA 13.
2.  This is an existing second floor (mechanical room, and old swimming pool spectator deck) with an existing 7'-0" ceiling height currently under half of the floor in existing locker rooms being moved, as well as classrooms and existing corridor that are not being remodeled.
3.  The new spaces being created during this remodel are a new locker room area, and parallel  corridor.

DEMONSTRATION OF UNDUE HARDSHIP OR HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURE:

Imposition of the rule would result in an undue hardship (unusual difficulty) because of physical limitations of the construction site or its utility services.

Imposition of the rule would result in an undue hardship (unusual difficulty) because of major operational problems in the use of the building or structure.

Imposition of the rule would result in an undue hardship (unusual difficulty) because of excessive costs of additional or altered construction elements.

Imposition of the rule would prevent the preservation of an architecturally or a historically significant part of the building or structure

Facts:

Owner's undue hardship is the reuse of existing space for other function and the existing structure and mechanical piping that can be adjusted. Existing rooms and corridors under this space have been at the same ceiling height for more than a decade.

Variance Details

Code Name:

12-4-12 Existing Buildings; Additions or Alterations

12-4-12 (f)

Conditions:

Variance on a Variance: An existing compliant unlimited area middle school, will be placed into non compliance by additions to the building that did not, and still does not have, the required 60 feet of open yard space. The existing distance in non compliance does not change due to this construction, but this variance is a refiling for the approved variance (03- 12-31) due to the new additions on the other side of the building. Code requires an unlimited area E use group to have 60 of open yard space.

DEMONSTRATION THAT PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE ARE PROTECTED:

1=Non-compliance with the rule will not be adverse to the public health, safety or w

Facts:

1.  The new additions as well as the existing school building are protected throughout by an automatic fire suppression system per NFPA 13.
2.  The distance to the residential property lines vary due to the junction of the school building with property line, but all are still a substantial distance from the school.
3.  NFPA 80A - 2012 Edition, sections 5.6.2 and 5.6.3 state where exposing buildings are protected by an approved and maintained automatic fire suppression system...no exposure hazard should be considered to exist.  Additionally, where the exposed buildings are protected by an approved and maintained automatic fire suppression system...the exposure hazard to the total exposed building and its contents should be considered to be substantially reduced.
4.  Similar variances have been approved for modular classrooms, located much closer than these distances, adjacent to unlimited area schools.  Geist Elementary School (16-07-55), Hamilton Southeastern Jr HS (16-07-59), Brookside Elementary School, (16-07-60)

DEMONSTRATION OF UNDUE HARDSHIP OR HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURE:

Imposition of the rule would result in an undue hardship (unusual difficulty) because of physical limitations of the construction site or its utility services.

Imposition of the rule would result in an undue hardship (unusual difficulty) because of major operational problems in the use of the building or structure.

Imposition of the rule would result in an undue hardship (unusual difficulty) because of excessive costs of additional or altered construction elements.

Imposition of the rule would prevent the preservation of an architecturally or a historically significant part of the building or structure

Facts:

The owner's undue hardship involves the fact that this condition has existing for more than a decade (when the last additions were done in 2003) and have not changed. This variance is due to the technicality that we are adding on to the building, and thus changed the previously approved variance.

Variance Details

Code Name:

Other Code (Not in the list provided)

InBC Sec 1008.1.9

Conditions:

Quiet/Time-out rooms without free egress are provided within a school for an alternative educational program geared toward students with behavioral challenges. The door remains locked as a staff member pushes a button to lock a student in the room.

DEMONSTRATION THAT PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE ARE PROTECTED:

1=Non-compliance with the rule will not be adverse to the public health, safety or w

Facts:

1.  The building will be protected throughout by an automatic fire suppression system per NFPA 13.
2.  There will be two (2) video cameras per room, one to monitor inside the room, the other looking at the door from the outside.
3.  When the continuous pressure control button is released, the door is free to open.
4.  Similar variances has been approved: Center Grove Bridges Academy [16-07-47 (b)], Alpha - Brownsburg School [13-10-48 (a)], Brown Elementary (13-11-34), Northwest Indianapolis Autism (12-10-7), Greenwood Autism (11-12-21), IPS New Horizons (17-09-10), Westfield Intermediate School (18-01-20)

DEMONSTRATION OF UNDUE HARDSHIP OR HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURE:

Imposition of the rule would result in an undue hardship (unusual difficulty) because of physical limitations of the construction site or its utility services.

Imposition of the rule would result in an undue hardship (unusual difficulty) because of major operational problems in the use of the building or structure.

Imposition of the rule would result in an undue hardship (unusual difficulty) because of excessive costs of additional or altered construction elements.

Imposition of the rule would prevent the preservation of an architecturally or a historically significant part of the building or structure

Facts:

This alternative school program educates students with behavioral challenges. At times, for various reasons, there is a need to isolate a student in these type of rooms. Meeting the requirements for an I occupancy (jail) is difficult and expensive in an existing school (E occupancy).