Case Information

*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENE :RAL OF TEXAS

AUSTIN

flcnorable Harvih Hall, Cormaisslonei"'. ~'

3%?trd of nA8urano4 comlrslonsr8 Texar

Allotin.

Gear Sir; . .

Leglalature to-

houses.. :,

uoaps 18 m-

arlsen a8 to

in the cade.

ot the4 tern2 'lot area' in

this caee OF similar one3. :

"8inoe arrangements are be made to commence oonatructlon owthla pro sot about~, ""5

Decsmber~l, the Architects have requested

that 574 84cux-4 thla ruling ,83 300~ a3 poasi-

ble. ”

Xonorable Marvin Hiall, Fag8 2

It is obssrved from pur stat8lssnttpatth8 gr8und floor of the bull.ding has a lot are8 oi over 14.700 6 ua*

feet and that the seaond floor has an mea of over 7, boo:

square feet. Although you use the term "over" with reswot

to the dQs8nsions giv8n, v8 plrssusmthat such dirsnslons will not exceed 15,000 and 10,000 squan f$8t respeatlvely.

Article 3959 of th8,Revimd airi1 Statutes amend8d by the 47tk L&slstum rsadst

%aaoh btilding VU@ is OF mix b8 eon- .

BtPUCb4d Vithitt this atate, Of thl'8e Of IDOF

stories In height, oc In~oase~of a school-

house two or mora storl8s In height, vhlch

is ovn+I w th$t Stete,,or by amPcIty, coun-, tr, or s&ho01 diatrlot, and in uhloh building ., pub110 assembltes are ~permltted or Intended to be permitted, or in which soh6ols of any

k%nd are conduoted, or in whioh,sleeping

apartments are psrmlttsd:or intended to be

permItted on any floor above ths first; ,&all bo.provIded anb aqulpped vlth at leaat 0x18

adequate flr8:escape if the lot area of euoh

building shall not exoeed five thousand (5,-

003). square feet, and an8 a&lithnal adequate

fire esaape'for each five thourrand~~(5,OOO)

rquara feet, or rbotf0n thereof if~such

fraction exceeda tvo'thouaand (2,000) squam

feet ill exceaa of the first five~thoussnd

(-5,OOO)~square faet'of lot area." ! '; ,~ -: )

ft will be observed that the Lsglslature did not de- tha' tern "lot aria of the bulldlng." Certafxily; with ret iat8 epect 'to the first or’growd floor it mean6 the nuab&,of squar8 feet covered by the bulldl.n& crsleulated bs its outsid ,denrin- If the-second floop-imocmqmased th& ease number of sions. feet, no statutory @onstruorlon would be, neaesskrf,,but in

lnstant.eaao the second floor 1s'conside~abl.s anrallar than

ground floor.

The purpose at the Firs Escape Law, as sxpr6sBed the caption of,the Bill, was to afford adequate proteotion~

human life for those assembled In certain public bulldIngs.

The Legislature then determined that adequate protection could be afforded by o&e fire escape ,for eeoh five thousand (5,003) feet of lot area. Obviously, the iatentlon of the Legislature

.,. 88

I iOnOrabl8 Xbxvln Rail, P&p 3

uas to protect %h@ae ocdupfi.ug %a seoond'alad oth8r floors above the first no fire eicape $9 required tor~aas story bti~ldlngs. tiu Lagislatur(l~ We belisve that fh8 prcteation t@tlclpr~ed can be afforded those ocaup~ing the second oh of tbebuild- 2

m by calculating the numb8r o? firs ehcaper pequlred upon tb

basis of the square feet 8ncompassed.b~ the Osgood Sloor. We

believe ths bulldlng under~consideration to require tvo adequate fire escapes.

/7 / ATmill= '=ovm DAC 18, ~941 .n.

Lloyd AFmBtmng hsI3istallt I 1 ! / 1 I / I ! I , I COMMll-fEL