HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 58
(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss, and Delegates Cann, Kominar,
Angotti and Varner)
[Introduced April 4, 2001; referred to the
Committee on Rules.]
Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to
establish a task force to study the need for a
rehabilitation subcode to the state building code.
Whereas, Professionals in the building codes and development
fields have repeatedly raised concerns that the application of
the state's current construction codes can present significant
barriers to the improvement or redevelopment of existing
buildings and older structures; and
Whereas, West Virginia regulates building construction with
a complex patchwork of several codes that vary from local
jurisdiction to jurisdiction; and
Whereas,
These codes covering fire safety, plumbing,
electrical wiring and accessibility, among others, pose distinct
barriers to redevelopment including lack of uniformity, inflexibility and the need for training state and local
officials, design professionals and the construction industry as
a whole;
and
Whereas,
A West Virginia Building Rehabilitation Code program
will encourage investment in existing neighborhoods through a
uniform method of rehabilitation and reuse of existing
buildings; and
Whereas, A rehabilitation code will establish uniform
construction code requirements for work on existing buildings
and will facilitate their development in a number of ways
including, the integration of codes governing construction work
on existing buildings into one document, and the separation of
rehabilitation requirements from those for new construction; and
Whereas,
Other states, such as neighboring Maryland, have
adopted a building rehabilitation code and have experienced an
increase in rehabilitation work and investment in an efficient
and cost effective manner while still providing a high degree of
public safety and health
;
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is
hereby requested to
establish a task force to study the need for a rehabilitation subcode to the state building code and to
examine the current requirements for compliance with the code
for rehabilitation projects, the impact of State Building Code
requirements on the costs of rehabilitation structures,
alternatives to compliance with the code that are currently
available and review studies at the national level affecting the
adoption of rehabilitation subcodes
; and to make recommendations
to the Legislature regarding the same; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct
this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary
legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint
Committee on Government and Finance.