Chapter 15.28
BUSINESS AND RESIDENTIAL SECURITY*
Sections:
15.28.010 Purpose.
15.28.020 Scope.
15.28.030 Alternate materials and method of construction.
15.28.040 Tests.
15.28.050 Enforcement.
15.28.060 Responsibility for security.
15.28.070 Violations and penalties.
15.28.080 Exceptions.
15.28.090 Definitions.
15.28.100 Business and residential security—Minimum standards.
15.28.110 Business and residential lighting standards.
15.28.120 Business and residential signage.
*Prior ordinance history: Ord. 137.
15.28.010 Purpose.
The purpose of this chapter is to provide minimum standards to safeguard property and public welfare by regulation and controlling the design, construction, quality of materials, use of occupancy, location and maintenance of all buildings and structures within the city and certain equipment specifically regulated in this chapter. (Ord. 481 § 2 (part), 2000: Ord. 364 § 2 (part), 1989)
15.28.020 Scope.
The provisions of this chapter shall be applicable to all new buildings for which permit applications are filed subsequent to the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter, and further, these provisions shall apply to all Group A through U-1 occupancies as defined in the Uniform Building Code (Table 3A) for all residential additions, and commercial additions, alterations and repairs exceeding twenty-five percent of the value of an existing building or structure. (Ord. 481 § 2 (part), 2000: Ord. 364 § 2 (part), 1989)
15.28.030 Alternate materials and method of construction.
The provisions of this chapter are not intended to prevent the use of any material or method of construction not specifically prescribed in this chapter, provided any such alternate has been approved, nor is it the intention of this chapter to exclude any such method of structural design or analysis not specifically provided for in this chapter. (Ord. 481 § 2 (part), 2000: Ord. 364 § 2 (part), 1989)
15.28.040 Tests.
Whenever there is insufficient evidence of compliance with the provisions of this chapter or evidence that any material or any construction does not conform to the requirements of this chapter, or in order to substantiate claims for alternate materials or methods of construction, the enforcing authority may require tests as proof of compliance to be made at the expense of the owner or his agent by an approved agency. All tests will be made as set forth in the Department of Justice Building Security Standards Manual, researched and complied by the Attorney General’s Building Security Commission. (Ord. 481 § 2 (part), 2000: Ord. 364 § 2 (part), 1989)
15.28.050 Enforcement.
The enforcement officer shall be the chief building official. (Ord. 481 § 2 (part), 2000: Ord. 364 § 2 (part), 1989)
15.28.060 Responsibility for security.
The owner or owner’s designated agent shall be responsible for compliance with the specifications set forth in this chapter. (Ord. 481 § 2 (part), 2000: Ord. 364 § 2 (part), 1989)
15.28.070 Violations and penalties.
It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert, equip, use, occupy or maintain any building or structure in the city, or cause the same to be done contrary to or in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter. Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this chapter is guilty of an infraction. (Ord. 481 § 2 (part), 2000: Ord. 364 § 2 (part), 1989)
15.28.080 Exceptions.
No provision of this chapter shall supersede or overrule any local, state or federal laws, regulations or codes dealing with life-safety factors. (Ord. 481 § 2 (part), 2000: Ord. 364 § 2 (part), 1989)
15.28.090 Definitions.
For the purpose of this chapter, certain terms are defined as follows:
A. “Burglar bars” means a series of crossed metal bars used to restrict access to the inside of a building through skylights or roof vents. The metal used must be at least one-half inch thick and allow an opening no greater than eight inches square.
B. “Cylinder guard” means a free-turning solid metal collar which surrounds the exposed portion of the lock within a minimum taper of eleven degrees.
C. “Deadbolt” means a metal bolt which cannot be moved when the door is locked, and must be key operable on the exterior and lever or thumbturnable from the interior. The bolt must project a minimum of one inch from the edge of the door and must contain a hardened insert. Dead bolts must be equipped with a cylinder guard on the exterior side when the cylinder is exposed.
D. “Deadbolt-double cylinder” means a deadbolt which is key operable from both the exterior and interior side of the door per Uniform Building Code Section 1003.3.1.8. The Deadbolt-double cylinder is not allowed in residential occupancies.
E. “Door” means a hinged, sliding, or other mechanically operated barrier which may be opened and closed to allow or prevent entrance or egress to a building or structure.
F. “Latch-deadlocking” means a self-operating metal bolt which holds a door closed, with the added feature of a metal plunger which does not permit movement of the bolt when the door is closed.
G. “Padlock” means a locking device with a hardened steel shackle, locking heel and toe, with minimum five-pin tumbler operation with nonremovable key when in an unlocked position.
H. “Safe, Class TL-15” means the burglary classification, signifying combination locked steel chest or safe designed to offer a limited degree of protection against expert burglary by common hand tools.
Safes shall weigh at least seven hundred fifty pounds or shall be equipped with suitable anchors and instructions for anchoring in larger safes, in concrete blocks, or to the premises in which located. When practicable, the safe shall be encased at the factory and shipped as a complete unit.
All safes of this class shall be equipped with a relocking device. They are to be constructed of open hearth steel, either cast or welded plates, combined with special materials to resist carbide drills.
I. “Strike” means a metal plate with a minimum measurement of three and one-half inches by one and one-fourth inch affixed by at least four offset screws measuring two or more inches in length, which shall be secured to the frame and not to the trim or molding or equivalent as approved by the enforcement authority. (Ord. 481 § 2 (part), 2000: Ord. 364 § 2 (part), 1989)
15.28.100 Business and residential security—Minimum standards.
A. Exterior doors shall meet the following standards:
1. Exterior doors and doors between a garage and a building shall be of solid core according to the specifications set forth in the Uniform Building Code Sections 713.6.1 and 302.4.
2. Vision panels in exterior doors or within reach of the inside activation device must be of burglary-resistant material or equivalent as approved by the chief building official.
3. All exterior exit doors not containing vision panels shall be equipped with one-way, wide-angle viewers.
4. Openings for mail delivery of mail will be allowed, and those openings shall be no larger than twenty-four square inches. These openings located within three feet of any locking device shall be so constructed to prohibit access to the interior doorknob.
5. Exterior doors swinging out shall have nonremovable hinge pins or hinges with studs.
6. Commercial buildings containing open vents or skylights shall be equipped with burglar bars or a burglar alarm system with a central alarm answering service.
7. Exterior doors swinging in shall have rabbeted jambs.
8. Door frames shall be installed or protected so as to prevent violation of the function of the strike.
9. On pairs of doors, the active door shall be secured with the type of lock required for single doors in subdivision 2 of this subsection. The inactive door shall be equipped with lever flush extension bolts and protected by hardened material with a throw of three-fourths inch at head and foot of door. Multiple-point locks, cylinder activated from the active door and satisfying these regulations may be used in lieu of flush bolts.
B. Sliding patio type doors opening onto patio or balconies which are otherwise accessible from the outside shall meet the following standards:
1. Single sliding patio doors may have the movable section on the outside or the inside of the fixed section.
2. Dead locks shall be provided on all sliding patio doors. Mounting screws for the dead locks case shall be inaccessible from the outside. Dead locks shall be hardened steel or have hardened steel inserts and shall be capable of withstanding a force of eight pounds applied in any direction. The dead locks shall engage the strike sufficiently to prevent its being disengaged by any possible movement of the door with the space or clearances provided for installation and operation. The strike area shall be reinforced to maintain effectiveness of bolt strength.
3. Double sliding patio doors must be locked at the meeting rails and meet the requirements of subdivision 2 of this subsection.
4. Louvered glass windows shall not be used.
C. One-piece overhead garage doors shall not have bottom vents except when they are double louvered or shielded vents or have an approved alternate device to protect the locking mechanisms.
D. Exterior window bars (if installed) shall comply with the Uniform Fire Code, Article 12, Section 1206. (Ord. 481 § 2 (part), 2000: Ord. 364 § 2 (part), 1989)
15.28.110 Business and residential lighting standards.
A. On-site business and residential lighting shall meet the following standards:
1. Prior to issuance of a building permit, an exterior lighting plan shall be submitted to the building inspection division, including fixture and standard design, coverage and intensity. This shall be approved by the community development department and the police department.
2. Lighting shall be provided in all parking lots, walkways and over every doorway—including roll-up or garage type doors.
3. The minimum maintained illumination lighting levels (footcandles on tasks) shall meet or exceed the IES (Illuminated Engineering Society of North America) standards. In all cases, the lighting level which is best for a given situation will be determined by the police department based on the needs of the facility involved.
B. Each operator of an automated teller machine shall comply with Section 13041 of the financial code commencing on the date the automated teller machine is installed. (Ord. 481 § 2 (part), 2000)
15.28.120 Business and residential signage.
A. On-site signage shall meet the following standards:
1. Prior to installation, all on-site signage must be approved by the planning/code enforcement division of the community development department and the police and fire departments. Details of address signs shall be provided, prior to final inspection, to the satisfaction of staff. All street addresses shall be clearly visible (i.e., internally illuminated) from the adjacent street. Numerals shall be of a size satisfactory to the fire and police departments. Buildings not fronting on a roadway shall be required to have their locations identified along the vehicle roadway nearest the building or at other locations as determined by the fire and police departments.
2. Additionally, prior to occupancy, all commercial buildings shall display a street number in a prominent location on the street side of the building in such a position that the number is clearly visible to approaching emergency vehicles. The numerals shall be no less than six inches in height and shall be of a contrasting color to the background surface to which they are attached. Rear building entrance doors shall also be clearly marked with building number identification so that they can be found quickly in emergencies. All building identification numbers shall be provided with a light source during the hours of darkness.
3. Prior to building occupancy, all loading zones, fire lanes and restricted parking zones shall be marked in accordance with the California Vehicle Code and the Foster City Municipal Code. All areas not designated as parking stalls shall be marked as “FIRE LANE - NO PARKING” per Section 22500.1 of the California Vehicle Code. (Ord. 481 § 2 (part), 2000)