By Betty Reid | The Arizona Republic
Phoenix officials want to update the city’s building code to accommodate for such issues as installing solar-shade structures on grocery-store parking lots and relaxing requirements for historic buildings.
City officials told the Neighborhoods, Housing and Development Subcommittee last week that they have completed changes to the Phoenix Building Construction Code. The city upgrades its code about every three years to stay current with new construction methods and practices.
The subcommittee approved the changes and sent them to the City Council, which will likely vote in early May.
Officials said the code provides a safeguard for public health and safety through building-construction standards. The city’s Planning and Development Department handles about 30,000 permits per year, city officials said.
“A building code saves lives,” said Cindy Stotler, assistant planning and development director. “Everything in the building code is there because of experience with failures, tragic or non-tragic. Building failures are construction failures. … We learn based on experience.”
Work on the building code started a year ago.
Related: City of Eloy to update permit process
