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Real estate record and builders' guide: [v. 91, no. 2353]: April 19, 1913

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REAL ESTATE BUILDERS AND NEW YORK, APRIL 19, 1913 illlilllllilB^^^^^^^ ■■■■■■H FIRE-ESCAPES FOR ALL APARTMENT HOUSES Or Two Separate Means of Egress in Buildings Here¬ after Erected, Whether Fireproof or Otherwise, i! ■■■■ BY a bill which has been introduced in the Legislature with the approval of the Tenement House Department, duplicate means of egress will be re¬ quired in all classes of tenement houses erected in the future. This means that fireproof apartment houses of the most costly description, as well as the modest non-fireproof tenement, must have either an exterior fire-escape or something that will perform the duty of an emergency exit, in addition to the main stairway. Commissioner Murphy states that this amendment is largely the result of a symposium that was carried on in The Record and Guide on the question of the expediency of requiring fire-escapes of some sort to be placed on fireproof apartment houses. To the mind of the Commissioner it seemed to be the con¬ sensus of opinion that there ought to be in all buildings a double means of exit. This, of course, relates only to new buildings. One of the values of this provision would be the added sense of safety to tenants who are apt to be panic-stricken in an emergency. Will Facilitate Construction. The bill (Senate No. 2170) has been introduced also for the purpose of facil¬ itating the construction of new tene¬ ments in the Borough of The Bronx, where difficulties caused by steep grades are continually arising, and where cer¬ tain new forms of construction not now permitted in the law have been desired. After conferring with builders in The Bronx the present bill was drafted. Corner Houses. The first amendment relates to the construction of tenement houses at cor¬ ners where one street passes under an¬ other. This condition has been created in The Bronx by the construction of the Grand Concourse and Boulevard, and was not provided for in the law as it stands. The measurements for deter¬ mining the height of a house so situated may be taken from the curb level of the highest street. All tiers of beams below the curb level of the highest street, as well as the first tier of beams above the curb level, must be iron or steel or re¬ inforced concrete with fireproof filling. All inside stairs below this level must be fireproof and enclosed by fireproof walls, with fireproof self-closing doors at top and bottom of each flight; and such stairs shall not be situated under each other. More Than One Safety Exit, The second amendment is the one pro¬ viding for two independent ways of egress from all tenement houses here¬ after erected. They are to run from the HON. JOHN J. MURPHY. Commissioner of tbe Tenement House Depart¬ ment. ground floor to the roof, they must be remote from each other, and must be separated by walls. One of these ways of egress must be a flight of stairs con¬ structed and arranged as already pro¬ vided by law. The other way shall be directly acces¬ sible at each story to each apartment without having to pass through the first way of egress. It may be (1) a system of outside fire-escapes; or (2) an addi¬ tional flight of stairs, either inside or outside, or (3) a fireproof tower. Concrete Floors and Stair Halls. The third amendment to the bill elim¬ inates permission for the use of flexible wire fire-escapes on buildings hereafter erected. The fourth amendment permits the use of concrete walls in stairs and public halls. The fifth amendment takes oflf the re¬ striction which Commissioner Murphy has enforced, requiring the windows on stair halls to be glazed glass and fire¬ proof glass with wire. The sixth amendment relates to the permission to construct the floors and stair halls and the first tier of beams of solid reinforced concrete as an alterna¬ tive to iron and steel beams with fire¬ proof filling. Percentage of Lot Occupied. The seventh amendment alters the re¬ striction on the percentage of lot which may be legally occupied, in the case of corner lots, and also in the case of in¬ terior lots exceeding 105 feet in depth. The present limits are ninety per cent, for a corner lot and seventy per cent, for any other lot. Hereafter in the case of (a) an interior lot between ninety and one hundred and five feet in depth, not more than_seventy per cent.; in the case of (b) an interior lot which exceeds one hundred and five feet in depth, not more than sixty-five per cent In the case of a gore-shaped lot, where the width of the lot at the rear of the lot lii.e is greater than the width at the Required By a New Bill. Concrete Construction in Lieu of Steel and Wood Beams on First Floor. ■■■■■■■liMM^^^^^ front, and the average width does not exceed fifty feet, then the average width through the center shall be taken for the purposes of the aforesaid provision. Retaining Walls. Whenever because of temporary dif¬ ferences in grade with abutting lots, at the rear or side, it is necessary to pro¬ tect the adjoining premises by building retaining walls; and whenever the de¬ partment is satisfied that permission cannot be obtained to build such retain¬ ing walls on the abutting premises, the department may permit the building of retaining walls on the premises on which the tenement house is to be erected, without having such walls considered as reducing the minimum size of yards or courts required by the law, nor as reducing the percentage of lot permitted to be occupied, provided that such re¬ taining walls do not encroach upon such minimum dimensions of yards and courts of more than twenty-four inches, nor extend in height above the first story window-sills; and provided further that there are no living-rooms below such first-story window-sills, except those necessary for the janitor and his family. Building Height, In measuring a court the height of a building in future is to be measured from the curb level to the top of the highest wall, except that a parapet wall extend¬ ing not more than three feet above the top of the roof beams shall not be in¬ cluded in such measurements^ in the case of tenements not exceeding six stories in height. There can be, under the legislative . bill, not more than one apartment in any cellar, and this not to contain more than five rooms and bath, which shall not open upon any court less than five feet six inches in width, and shall be occupied solely by the janitor and his family. The requirement for wire-glass win¬ dows in stairhalls is relaxed so as not to apply to such windows opening on the street in the case of tenement houses not exceeding si.x stories in height. In certain cases where a house situ¬ ated on a corner has a yard and court giving direct access tothe street, the re¬ quirement for a fire passage through the basement from front to rear is modified. The last amendment contained in the bill provides that whenever the provis¬ ions of this chapter of laws are in con¬ flict with any present, future or local ordinance, charter or regulation, the pro¬ vision of this chapter shall in all cases govern.