It's a different world: How to handle this code dilemma?

[Yikes]

Today's LA times had an article headlined: "UC [university of California] to make some campus bathrooms gender neutral"

http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-ln-uc-bathrooms-20140929-story.html

Obviously there are many social implications to all of this, and I'm not posting this to focus on those issues. Rather, the question on this forum is a technical /code related. Assuming those campus buildings we designed and permitted with a code-minimum number of restroom facilities, then how does DSA interpret the state plumbing and accessiblity codes (and ADA) for the following issues without creating a code violation:

- separate facilities for each sex

- unisex is only allowed for occupant loads of less than 10

- fixture counts in the plumbing code are organized by sex. How do they get counted now?

- geometric symbols and pictograms for the visually impaired (CBC 11B-703.7.2.6)

- if urinals are converted to toilets, what about CalGreen and LEED, etc. water conservation goals?

 

[cda]

sounds like just doing one holers

the number of single-stall facilities possibly

Got to love calif and todays forward thinking universities !!!

 

[conarb]

Contact your County Counsel/City Attorney's office and tell them you've got a "conflict of laws" situation and let them make the decision, same as you should do when ADA conflicts with state assessablity codes.

 

[JBI]

First and foremost who has jurisdiction and what do their regulations provide for with regard to legislative or regulatory conflicts?

Co-ed dorms have been around for some time. I would suspect this issue has been dealt with previously, even if in another State.

 

[cda]

can they provide the required amount of restrooms and the unisex are extras???

 

[conarb]

First and foremost who has jurisdiction and what do their regulations provide for with regard to legislative or regulatory conflicts? Co-ed dorms have been around for some time. I would suspect this issue has been dealt with previously, even if in another State.

This law was based upon the demands of the transsexual activist group, they claim it's a civil rights issue. I heard one being interviewed on the radio, he/she/it claimed that he/she/it may get up in the morning and "identify" and dress as a female, later he/she/it may "identify" as a male and want to use the mens' room in female clothing, he/she/it may then switch gender identify several times during a single day. This really gets complicated.

 

[Mark K]

Various state agencies have jurisdiction. On this matter I believe it is the Building Standards Commission.

 

[steveray]

cda has it.....

 

[Yikes]

cda, I think that is what they will have to do - - add restrooms where none existed before.

JBI - the AHJ is the Division of the State Architect, known as DSA. They enforce the codes on state-owned buildings such as state university buildings. In this case, the UC system has to answer to DSA to ensure buildings are code-compliant.

Mark, the more I think about it, I guess there are 2 options: (1) BSC will either fix this in the next code cycle, or (2) DSA acting as Building Official will make modification to the code on a case-by-case basis per Section 104.10 or its equivalent in the plumbing code.

I suppose there won't be an ADA violation if a Unisex symbol is placed on the entrance door, although people will have to get used to the fact that Unisex no longer implies single-accommodation.

conarb, you linked to Berkeley's webpage. All I can say is that their door symbols will be many and complicated.

 

[Yikes]

Or, we could go back to the good old days of the original gender-neutral restrooms: a single outhouse with a moon symbol on the door.

 

[cda]

Or, we could go back to the good old days of the original gender-neutral restrooms: a single outhouse with a moon symbol on the door.

Moon is for a certain sex!!!

 

[cda]

http://www.answers.com/Q/Why_are_there_crescent_moons_carved_on_outhouse_doors

 

[conarb]

Rest rooms can no-longer be gender specific, it violates the civil rights of some, separate is not equal:

OAKLAND -- To make transgender students and employees feel more welcome on campus, the University of California will add preferred names to student records and convert single-stall restrooms into gender-neutral facilities, UC's president announced Monday.UC President Janet Napolitano said she will adopt those changes and others made at the first meeting of a systemwide LGBT advisory council she established in June, as recommended by a task force.¹

¹ http://www.contracostatimes.com/News/ci_26629715/University-of-California-to-make-changes-for-LGBT-students-employees

 

[mtlogcabin]

Delete Section 419.2 from the IPC

Substitution for water closets.In each bathroom or toilet room, urinals shall not be substituted for more than 67 percent of the required water closets in assembly and educational occupancies . Urinals shall not be substituted for more than 50 percent of the required water closets in all other occupancies

Or in CA case the requirement for urinals in Table 422.1 of the UPC

Forrest Gump: Stupid is as stupid does.