PCCA Bulletin Board

[Not Bob]

We have a eight story, 6,000 sf per floor building in our city. Tenants come and go fairly often. Often this entails a change in occupancy. The building was remodeled in 2002 without installing the required sprinkler system, required safe egress, fire separations, and accessibility items. (Yes I know this was in violation.) Tenants at the time included an educational occupancy, business, and mercantile. The City issued a CO for the whole building listing occupancy as N/A for 600 occupants.

More modifications were made to the building after act 45 in 2004. A penthouse dwelling was added and a day care facility moved in. Previously unfinished floors were fitted out. No new occupancy permits were issued and life safety was not brought up to UCC requirements and accessibility requirements were totally ignored..

My questions are these. Shouldn't a new occupancy permit for the entire have been issued each time a new occupancy was placed in the building since this affected sprinkler and egress requirements? Does each office and tenant space get their own occupancy permit for their unique occupancy - R2 for penthouse, E for the school, I4 for the day care. And isn't the building owner still responsible for code compliance even though the City issued a CO?