Restrooms/ 50 occupancy coffee shop

[ktatman@jonesgroupin]

WE ARE IN THE PRELIMINARY SPACE PLANNING PHASE FOR A COFFEE SHOP/ CAFE IN OHIO. OCCUPANCY WILL NOT EXCEED 50 AND THE BUILDING IS 1410 sf. CAN WE PASS CODE BY HAVING (1) UNISEX / ADA RESTROOM?

 

[steveray]

probably

 

[Joe.B]

What We Talk About WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CAPS LOCK

Happy International Caps Lock Day, everyone! NO, SERIOUSLY.

www.theatlantic.com

 

[JPohling]

No, as an A2 occupancy you will be required to provide two accessible restrooms. One for each sex. Review the Ohio plumbing code section 403. Mercantile less than 100 occupants or a Business Occupancy less than 25 Occupants would allow a single unisex, but not an A2. As a restaurant giving out water you do not need to provide a Hi/Lo drinking fountain. Restrooms cannot be accessed thru the kitchen

 

[JPohling]

If your occupant load is less than 50 you would be considered a "B" occupancy. That will still require separate restrooms as you are over 25 occupants.

 

[ktatman@jonesgroupin]

Thank you all for your quick response. After preliminary space planning, we're passing the project on to an architect, but space is critical and I wanted to be as accurate as I could for a starting point. BTW- I was in a hurry and used all caps. Sorry if I offended anyone.

 

[Joe.B]

Thank you all for your quick response. After preliminary space planning, we're passing the project on to an architect, but space is critical and I wanted to be as accurate as I could for a starting point. BTW- I was in a hurry and used all caps. Sorry if I offended anyone.

Hahaha, I don't know about anybody else, but I wasn't offended. It just happened that I saw that article shortly before seeing your post. It was sent as a link through an email that I was cc'd on, and it was in response to an all caps email. Only with light hearted humor will I post such things. It's no surprise to me that the "humor" is is usually lost, but that's okay.

 

[SCBO1]

Was there any outside seating calculated for these bathrooms? A lot of coffe shops have outdoor seating, just saying.

 

[steveray]

If your occupant load is less than 50 you would be considered a "B" occupancy. That will still require separate restrooms as you are over 25 occupants.

As we go more gender neutral really it is more flexible to stay A2 and with the <75 OL I believe you can get away with 1 WC....Unintended consequence of political correctness? This does clash a bit with 2902.2 #5 maybe but anyway..."You have to provide separate, but can't identify as such"...Bad code....

3. Distribution of the sexes is not required where
single-user water closets and bathing room
fixtures are provided in accordance with
Section 2902.1.2.

[P] 2902.1.2 Single-user toilet and bathing room
fixtures. The plumbing fixtures located in single-user
toilet and bathing rooms, including family or assisted-use
toilet and bathing rooms that are required by Section
1110.2.1, shall contribute toward the total number of
required plumbing fixtures for a building or tenant space.
Single-user toilet and bathing rooms, and family or
assisted-use toilet rooms and bathing rooms shall be identified
as being available for use by all persons regardless
of their sex.
The total number of fixtures shall be permitted to be
based on the required number of separate facilities or
based on the aggregate of any combination of single-user
or separate facilities.

 

[tmurray]

Thank you all for your quick response. After preliminary space planning, we're passing the project on to an architect, but space is critical and I wanted to be as accurate as I could for a starting point. BTW- I was in a hurry and used all caps. Sorry if I offended anyone.

I think all of us who have worked on the design side have all been working in AutoCAD and then had to send an email before realizing halfway through writing it we left caps lock on.

 

[mark handler]

Ohio Plumbing Code 2017
403.2 Separate Facilities
Where plumbing fixtures are required, separate facilities shall be provided for each sex.
Exceptions:

1. Separate facilities shall not be required for dwelling units and sleeping units.
2. Separate facilities shall not be required in structures or tenant spaces with a total occupant load, including both employees and customers, of 15 or fewer.
3. Separate facilities shall not be required in mercantile occupancies in which the maximum occupant load is 100 or fewer.
4. Separate facilities shall not be required in business occupancies in which the maximum occupant load is 25 or fewer.

Ohio Building Code 2017
303.1.1 Small Buildings and Tenant Spaces
A building or tenant space used for assembly purposes with an occupant load of less than 50 persons shall be classified as a Group B occupancy.

 

[JPohling]

As we go more gender neutral really it is more flexible to stay A2 and with the <75 OL I believe you can get away with 1 WC....Unintended consequence of political correctness? This does clash a bit with 2902.2 #5 maybe but anyway..."You have to provide separate, but can't identify as such"...Bad code....

3. Distribution of the sexes is not required where
single-user water closets and bathing room
fixtures are provided in accordance with
Section 2902.1.2.

[P] 2902.1.2 Single-user toilet and bathing room
fixtures. The plumbing fixtures located in single-user
toilet and bathing rooms, including family or assisted-use
toilet and bathing rooms that are required by Section
1110.2.1, shall contribute toward the total number of
required plumbing fixtures for a building or tenant space.
Single-user toilet and bathing rooms, and family or
assisted-use toilet rooms and bathing rooms shall be identified
as being available for use by all persons regardless
of their sex.
The total number of fixtures shall be permitted to be
based on the required number of separate facilities or
based on the aggregate of any combination of single-user
or separate facilities.

Not sure how your getting to the possibility of compliance with a single unisex RR in this situation. A2 requires separate men's and women's WC's for 0-75 persons of each sex. two single occupancy rooms would be compliant, not one.

 

[steveray]

One restroom for 75 people....We don't get to care what gender they are anymore..<75 OL one restroom....I know its messy, but how do you get to separate facilities when we can't assign as gender..?

 

[JPohling]

A2 minimum fixtures would be 1 WC per up to 75 Male and 1 WC for up to 75 Female.

 

[steveray]

A2 minimum fixtures would be 1 WC per up to 75 Male and 1 WC for up to 75 Female.

View attachment 10053

Correct....So if we are 1 per 75 "people" and we can't assign a gender...per 2902.1.1 #3 which then sends us to 2902.1.2......

[P] 2902.1.2 Single-user toilet and bathing room
fixtures. The plumbing fixtures located in single-user
toilet and bathing rooms, including family or assisted-use
toilet and bathing rooms that are required by Section
1110.2.1, shall contribute toward the total number of
required plumbing fixtures for a building or tenant space.
Single-user toilet and bathing rooms, and family or
assisted-use toilet rooms and bathing rooms shall be identified
as being available for use by all persons regardless
of their sex.

 

[JPohling]

Correct....So if we are 1 per 75 "people" and we can't assign a gender...per 2902.1.1 #3 which then sends us to 2902.1.2......

[P] 2902.1.2 Single-user toilet and bathing room
fixtures. The plumbing fixtures located in single-user
toilet and bathing rooms, including family or assisted-use
toilet and bathing rooms that are required by Section
1110.2.1, shall contribute toward the total number of
required plumbing fixtures for a building or tenant space.
Single-user toilet and bathing rooms, and family or
assisted-use toilet rooms and bathing rooms shall be identified
as being available for use by all persons regardless
of their sex.

Couple problems. Ohio building Code does not have that language. In any case the 2021 IBC would then allow you to use unisex restrooms but you would need to maintain the minimum fixture units so your going to have 2 unisex rooms in any case. There would be no compliance with minimum plumbing fixtures with just a single unisex

 

[steveray]

My apologies if I lead anyone astray by not using Ohio code....We also didn't address new building or existing, change of occupancy or not.....That may play a bigger part in the correct answer than what the Ohio new construction code is....