09-28-1998 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Plumbing in Accessory Structures June 6,1997 Page 3 relatively mobile items of personal property rather than real property, i.e. a bed, perhaps a space heater, table/chairs, a microwave oven or even an electric or gas stove and a refrigerator. These 'portable' items can be brought into and removed from a building 'at will' and, significantly, without the requirement of a building permit, hence using them to define whether a building is or isn't potentially functional as a dwelling, is not practical. However, the function of sanitation generally requires permanent fixtures which are readily distinguishable from personal property, and which technically require that a building pemit be issued. Toilets, showers, tubs and lavatories fall into this category. And, most heating equipment falls into this category. Presence or Absence of a ’Kitchen* For some time staff has considered that the presence or absence of a 'kitchen' is a key determinant of dw elling status. Also, staff has generally considered that a secondary kitchen within a dwelling is one of the key factors that can create an apartment unit, and has usually noted to the builder/owner via the plan review that use of the second kitchen for a separate dwelling unit requires City approval (guest apartment CUP). The problem here is that the only permanent fixture in a kitchen may be a kitchen sink, and a lavatory in a bathroom might scr\'e the same function. Typical Acccsssory Building Utility Amenities It is not uncommon for accessory' buildings to be provided with electricity, not only for lighting but for many other purposes (lawn maintenance, workshop, etc.). A telephone jack might also be placed in an accessory building for convenience. Less common would be natural gas, except for heating purposes. Water piping might be common in an accessory building for someone who is a gardener, witli a washtub or sink. A home workshop in an accessory building might include a toilet and lavatory' for convenience. Less common in an accessory building are a shower or bathtub, both of which also would presumably be ser\'ed by a water heater. Such a fixtures teclinically would require a permit from the City, and arc perhaps the primary 'built-in' features most likely to make a building suitably functional as a stand-alone dwelling. In our society, where the majority of individuals tend to bathe on a regular basis, the absence of a show er or tub sugge sts a space that, even if Provided wUh mOSt other amenities, is not intended for anything more th gn short term use. Without a tub or shower, it is not livable. By the same token, w ithout a toilet, it is not livable. Yet the presence of a shower stall in an unheated garage for seasonal or occasional use by the homeowner to remove the grime from a hard day 'in the coal mines', hardly would constitute a separate dwelling umt in itself. This suggests