3935695 Zoning Commission Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Case No. 12-13 (Definition of Clear Height, Floor to Ceiling)
-
ZONING COMMISSION FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING
Z.C. Case No. 12-13
(Text Amendment – 11 DCMR)
(Definition of Clear Height, Floor to Ceiling)
The Zoning Commission for the District of Columbia, pursuant to its authority under § 1 of the Zoning Act of 1938, approved June 20, 1938 (52 Stat. 797; D.C. Official Code § 6-641.01 (2008 Repl.)), hereby gives notice of its intent to amend § 199.1 of the Zoning Regulations (Title 11 DCMR).
The proposed amendments amend the definition of “Clear Height, Floor to Ceiling” to clarify that when measuring the clear height of a building’s ground floor, the measurement is to be taken from grade level, rather than from the level of the ground floor’s finished floor.
Final rulemaking action shall be taken in not less than thirty (30) days from the date of publication of this notice in the D.C. Register.
The following amendment to the Zoning Regulations is proposed.
Chapter 1, THE ZONING REGULATIONS, § 199, DEFINITIONS, § 199.1, definition of “Clear Height, Floor to Ceiling” is amended by deleting the phrases, “floor to ceiling height” and “measured from the finished floor to” from the first sentence, and inserting instead the phrase “measurement within a building story. The upper point of the measurement is”, and by adding a new paragraph at the end of the definition, to read as follows:
Clear Height, Floor to Ceiling - a vertical distance measurement within a building story. The upper point of the measurement is the finished ceiling that is unobstructed by any of the following:
(a) Elements of the building structure, other than columns and walls;
(b) Components of mechanical, plumbing, or fire suppression systems; or
(c) Components of electrical systems, except lighting fixtures.
If the ceiling is not finished, the distance shall be measured to the lowest point of any of the structural elements of systems referenced in (a), (b), or (c) above.
For all stories above the ground level and for a ground story for which there is no clear height requirement, the bottom point of the measurement shall be the level of the finished floor. For a ground story subject to minimum clear height requirements, the bottom measuring point for clear height shall be the level of the curb opposite the middle of the building’s frontage on the street from which the building draws its clear height requirement.
All persons desiring to comment on the subject matter of this proposed rulemaking action should file comments in writing no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice in the D.C. Register. Comments should be filed with Sharon Schellin, Secretary to the Zoning Commission, Office of Zoning, 441 4th Street, N.W., Suite 210-S, Washington, D.C. 20001. Ms. Schellin may also be contacted by telephone at 202-727-6311 or by email at Sharon.Schellin@dc.gov. Copies of this proposed rulemaking action may be obtained at cost by writing to the above address.
