Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENE :RAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN flcnorable Harvih Hall, Cormaisslonei"'. ~' 3%?trd of nA8urano4 comlrslonsr8 Allotin. Texar 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 ""5 sot about~, 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$8t respeatlvely. Article 3959 of th8,Revimd airi1 Statutes as amend8d by the 47tk L&slstum rsadst %aaoh btilding VU@ is OF mix b8 eon- . BtPUCb4d Vithitt this atate, Of thl'8e Of IDOF stories In height, oc In~oase~of a school- house two or mora storl8s In height, vhlch is ovn+I w th$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- iat8 tha' tern "lot aria of the bulldlng." Certafxily; with ret epect 'to the first or’growd floor it mean6 the nuab&,of squar8 feet covered by the bulldl.n& crsleulated bs its outsid ,denrin- sions. If the-second floop-imocmqmased th& ease number of 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 iOnOrabl8 Xbxvln Rail, P&p 3 I uas to protect %h@ae ocdupfi.ug %a seoond'alad oth8r floors above the first as no fire eicape $9 required tor~aas story bti~ldlngs. We belisve that fh8 prcteation t@tlclpr~ed tiu Lagislatur(l~ can be afforded those ocaup~ing the second 2 oh of tbebuild- 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