ryan81
Member
Hello All:
Please see the Yellow Highlighted spaces in the attached floor plan.
I am working on a multi-level tenant space within an existing 2-story building. The building houses a mixture of professional office tenants as well as restaurants and "personal care" type businesses (nail salon, massage parlor) on the main level. Because of the current configuration of adjacent tenant spaces in relationship to the shared/public elevator lobby, there is no current opportunity to provide an accessible route to the second floor of the tenant space from WITHIN that tenant space.
It may not seem fair or equitable, but is it acceptable for the accessible route to the second floor of this tenant space to require a user to go OUTSIDE and back into the building at the common elevator lobby in order to gain access to the second floor of the tenant space? While an accessible route is being provided, the route is not from within the tenant space, while other vertical circulation between floors does exist within the tenant space.
Generally speaking, ADA section 206.2.4 seems to imply that the accessible route should be provided inside where it is otherwise provided by a circulation path unless exempted by the exceptions in section 206.2.3..... Exception 1 does not require an accessible route to connect stories for private buildings under three stories so long as the building or facility is not a shopping center, shopping mall, professional office of a health care provider, or transportation related use. I could see the possibility that this building could be interpreted as a "shopping center", however, the tenant space in question is not open to the public (like a store or restaurant would be) rather, this tenant is a professional office.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Please see the Yellow Highlighted spaces in the attached floor plan.
I am working on a multi-level tenant space within an existing 2-story building. The building houses a mixture of professional office tenants as well as restaurants and "personal care" type businesses (nail salon, massage parlor) on the main level. Because of the current configuration of adjacent tenant spaces in relationship to the shared/public elevator lobby, there is no current opportunity to provide an accessible route to the second floor of the tenant space from WITHIN that tenant space.
It may not seem fair or equitable, but is it acceptable for the accessible route to the second floor of this tenant space to require a user to go OUTSIDE and back into the building at the common elevator lobby in order to gain access to the second floor of the tenant space? While an accessible route is being provided, the route is not from within the tenant space, while other vertical circulation between floors does exist within the tenant space.
Generally speaking, ADA section 206.2.4 seems to imply that the accessible route should be provided inside where it is otherwise provided by a circulation path unless exempted by the exceptions in section 206.2.3..... Exception 1 does not require an accessible route to connect stories for private buildings under three stories so long as the building or facility is not a shopping center, shopping mall, professional office of a health care provider, or transportation related use. I could see the possibility that this building could be interpreted as a "shopping center", however, the tenant space in question is not open to the public (like a store or restaurant would be) rather, this tenant is a professional office.
Thoughts?
Thanks!