Primary/Secondary Egress in mixed use building

[Resident Artist]

Two years ago we purchased a 150 year old three story 'brownstone' in a popular tourist town. The front half of the shotgun lot (16' x 120') contains the 3-story brownstone with our retail art gallery on the main floor, and our 2-story open loft single-family primary residence above. On the back half of the lot, and attached to the 3-story building, is a 16' x 40' 1-story shop I use for making the glass art we sell in the gallery. The second story of the front building, the first level of our residence, opens to the roof of the back 1-story building (image shows door on the left), where we plan to add our future entertaining open air deck.

To preserve the two parking stalls behind the back building (off-street parking spaces are a premium in this town) and for security, the original plan was to consider the roof a secondary egress with a fire escape ladder off the back. Our contractor thought we could use the stairs from the residence into the gallery as our primary egress because we own and operate both the commercial space and the residential space, and only if we leased out the gallery/shop would we need a separate 'primary' egress from the residence off the back roof. The city inspector said to his knowledge it doesn't matter, we can't have a primary egress through a commercial space even if it's our commercial space and operationally our primary egress, saying that we have to build a primary egress staircase off the back roof. But he's been helpful and easy to work with, and he's open if anyone has any different information.

 

[classicT]

From your duplicate thread...

Looks like you double posted this. primary-secondary-egress-in-mixed-use-building.34317/

From your post, I'm not really seeing a question... so I am going to presume you are looking for confirmation on the inspectors correction item. I'd take note of the following code sections.

1016.2 Egress Through Intervening Spaces​

Egress through intervening spaces shall comply with this section.

1. Exit access through an enclosed elevator lobby is permitted. Where access to two or more exits or exit access doorways is required in Section 1006.2.1, access to not less than one of the required exits shall be provided without travel through the enclosed elevator lobbies required by Section 3006. Where the path of exit access travel passes through an enclosed elevator lobby, the level of protection required for the enclosed elevator lobby is not required to be extended to the exit unless direct access to an exit is required by other sections of this code.
2. Egress from a room or space shall not pass through adjoining or intervening rooms or areas, except where such adjoining rooms or areas and the area served are accessory to one or the other, are not a Group H occupancy and provide a discernible path of egress travel to an exit.
   Exception: Means of egress are not prohibited through adjoining or intervening rooms or spaces in a Group H, S or F occupancy where the adjoining or intervening rooms or spaces are the same or a lesser hazard occupancy group.
3. An exit access shall not pass through a room that can be locked to prevent egress.
4. Means of egress from dwelling units or sleeping areas shall not lead through other sleeping areas, toilet rooms or bathrooms.
5. Egress shall not pass through kitchens, storage rooms, closets or spaces used for similar purposes.
   Exceptions:
   
   1. Means of egress are not prohibited through a kitchen area serving adjoining rooms constituting part of the same dwelling unit or sleeping unit.
   2. Means of egress are not prohibited through stockrooms in Group M occupancies where all of the following are met:
      
      1. The stock is of the same hazard classification as that found in the main retail area.
      2. Not more than 50 percent of the exit access is through the stockroom.
      3. The stockroom is not subject to locking from the egress side.
      4. There is a demarcated, minimum 44-inch-wide (1118 mm) aisle defined by full- or partial-height fixed walls or similar construction that will maintain the required width and lead directly from the retail area to the exit without obstructions.

1016.2.1 Multiple Tenants​

Where more than one tenant occupies any one floor of a building or structure, each tenant space, dwelling unit and sleeping unit shall be provided with access to the required exits without passing through adjacent tenant spaces, dwelling units and sleeping units.

Exception: The means of egress from a smaller tenant space shall not be prohibited from passing through a larger adjoining tenant space where such rooms or spaces of the smaller tenant occupy less than 10 percent of the area of the larger tenant space through which they pass; are the same or similar occupancy group; a discernible path of egress travel to an exit is provided; and the means of egress into the adjoining space is not subject to locking from the egress side. A required means of egress serving the larger tenant space shall not pass through the smaller tenant space or spaces.​

 

[Paul Sweet]

Can you use IBC 419 Live/Work Units?

 

[classicT]

Can you use IBC 419 Live/Work Units?

Which code edition are you using? 2021 IBC, as used in Illinois, has Section 419 as Artificial Decorative Vegetation.

 

[classicT]

508.5 Live/Work Units​

A live/work unit shall comply with Sections 508.5 through 508.5.11.

Exception: Dwelling or sleeping units that include an office that is less than 10 percent of the area of the dwelling unit are permitted to be classified as dwelling units with accessory occupancies in accordance with Section 508.2.​

508.5.1 Limitations​

The following shall apply to live/work areas:

1. The live/work unit is permitted to be not greater than 3,000 square feet (279 m2) in area.
2. The nonresidential area is permitted to be not more than 50 percent of the area of each live/work unit.
3. The nonresidential area function shall be limited to the first or main floor only of the live/work unit.
4. Not more than five nonresidential workers or employees are allowed to occupy the nonresidential area at any one time.

508.5.3 Means of Egress​

Except as modified by this section, the means of egress components for a live/work unit shall be designed in accordance with Chapter 10 for the function served.

[F] 508.5.7 Fire Protection​

The live/work unit shall be provided with a monitored fire alarm system where required by Section 907.2.9 and an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.2.8.

For the OP, you may want to look into the live/work option. I don't get the sense that this is the method utilized so far. Going this direction could open a can of worms that you don't want... plus it really doesn't provide much relief from CH 10 (means of egress).