"In late September, Culver City became the first municipality in California to legalize the construction of mid-rise apartment buildings with a single staircase. Unless you're a member of the niche, but fervent subculture of architects, urbanists and pro-housing advocates who clamor for "single stair reform," this might not sound like big news. But supporters say it could be the key to unleashing the kind of urban apartment building boom that years of pro-development legislation in Sacramento have tried, and so far failed, to deliver."
"Culver City apartments up to six stories tall can now be built around a single stairwell. Conditions apply: These buildings have to be on the small side - each floor maxes out at 4,000 square feet with no more than four units. They'll also have to abide by an array of added fire-prevention measures. That's a break from the standard minimum of two staircases - connected by a corridor - required of buildings taller than three stories in nearly every other city in the country. For champions of more housing development, ditching the extra staircase has become a surprisingly buzzy and enduring cause."
Culver City legalized construction of mid-rise apartment buildings up to six stories using a single staircase under specific limits and safety requirements. Each floor is capped at 4,000 square feet and may contain no more than four units, and buildings must implement added fire-prevention measures. The local rule departs from the common requirement of two staircases for buildings taller than three stories. Pro-housing advocates argue that allowing a single stair can spur modest, more affordable urban apartment development while producing larger, airier, and better-lit units. The ordinance serves as an early California test of building-code reform.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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