Chartell Arms Fire Repair Appeal
At a glance
- What: Appeal of a code official's decision (case number heard as 2026-00001) requiring a fire-damaged five-unit apartment building in Mesta Park, apparently named Chartell Arms (spelling per captions), to meet new-construction fire protection rules under 2018 International Existing Building Code section 302.7 once a building permit is pulled.
- Outcome (2026-10-14): granted unanimously. The board found the work to be "of a minor nature", so the building permit proceeds without fire suppression or alarm upgrades.
- Next: none for the board; the building permit itself continues through city review.
Background
- A fire on October 31, 2025 damaged the attic and roof framing over one vacant third-floor unit. Repairs were done before the current owner closed in late December 2025.
- A city inspector visiting for a gas meter reset noticed the repairs and required a building permit. Under section 302.7 the affected fire area must then meet chapter 9 of the 2018 International Building Code (suppression, alarms).
- Staff gave no recommendation because the code's exception lets the board decide whether work is of a minor nature.
Main arguments
- Owner side: loss about 1.8% of value, repair area about 4-5% of floor area, about 1.1% of roof decking replaced, layout unchanged, and sealed engineer reports finding no substantial structural damage. Alternative requests: rule no permit was needed, or grant relief under city code section 12-1331 because tenants occupy four of five units.
- Robert Crisp: gable bracing and ceiling joist repairs are structural, not cosmetic, and the packet did not show the city's own amendments.
- Staff: inspectors are not engineers; the engineer's three reports address the substantial-damage tests.
Sources
- 2026-10-14 - Building and Fire Code Board of Appeals (auto-generated captions)
Discussion time
About 42 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-14 - Building and Fire Code Board of Appeals | 42 |
Log
- 2026-10-14 - Building and Fire Code Board of Appeals - Heard as the only new case; Tommy Willis moved and Patrice Zimmerman seconded approval as work of a minor nature; unanimous roll call (one member absent). Appeal granted.