Need help understanding Kansas occupancy code when it comes to churches.

[chrishedges13]

Does section 303.1.4 apply to hallways and classrooms? We have a worship area that can accommodate 250 chairs. It’s a 66x66 room. City engineer is claiming that all of our hallways and classrooms are separate occupancy. Is that true for places of assembly?

 

[Sifu]

IMHO, a hallway would not be a separate occupancy, and the classrooms wouldn't be if they are accessory to the church and < 100 occupants per room. Unless the classrooms are used by some other entity, independent of and not related to the religious worship, they would be part of the religious occupancy.

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

The way it plays out around here is if the classrooms are used by the church on Sundays (which is the way the church my family attended when I was kid operated), the classrooms are part of the A-3 occupancy.

If the classrooms are used for secular education during the week, either as a parochial school operated by the church or perhaps rented out to a school not affiliated with the church, the classrooms would be classified as Use Group E. Corridors don't have occupancy classifications, they serve whatever occupancy(ies) they provide ingress to and egress from.

 

[RLGA]

The worship area would definitely be classified as a Group A-3 occupancy. The classrooms and associated corridors that support the worship area and classrooms would be considered part of the Group A-3 occupancy. If the classrooms are part of a school associated with the church, then the classrooms would be classified as Group E occupancies.

All other areas of the church (e.g., offices, storage rooms, etc.) would be classified separately.

 

[Yikes]

The worship area would definitely be classified as a Group A-3 occupancy. The classrooms and associated corridors that support the worship area and classrooms would be considered part of the Group A-3 occupancy. If the classrooms are part of a school associated with the church, then the classrooms would be classified as Group E occupancies.

All other areas of the church (e.g., offices, storage rooms, etc.) would be classified separately.

RGLA, just clarifying that when you said "school", you mean a Monday-Friday K-12 state-mandated education.
You do not mean what many people traditionally know as "Sunday School" an age-specific religious education.

Years ago someone told me (I don't know if it's true) that "Sunday School" is treated as the same occupancy because it was traditionally assumed that parents and many adults are present in the nearby sanctuary/worship area to assist kids with evacuation in event of emergency; whereas a true "E" classroom may have only one adult for 20+ kids to assist with evacuation, and thus has different life-safety needs.

 

[RLGA]

RGLA, just clarifying that when you said "school", you mean a Monday-Friday K-12 state-mandated education.
You do not mean what many people traditionally know as "Sunday School" an age-specific religious education.

Years ago someone told me (I don't know if it's true) that "Sunday School" is treated as the same occupancy because it was traditionally assumed that parents and many adults are present in the nearby sanctuary/worship area to assist kids with evacuation in event of emergency; whereas a true "E" classroom may have only one adult for 20+ kids to assist with evacuation, and thus has different life-safety needs.

Yes, it is a school regulated by the state for K-12. Classrooms for Sunday school, whether for children or adults, would be considered part of the Group A-3 occupancy.