Austin City Council approves amendment to allow buildings with single stairway

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin City Council passed an amendment allowing single stairway buildings up to five stories tall.

The backstory:

The initiative, brought forth by Council Member Chito Vela (District 4) is designed to help with housing affordability. He says these buildings are a middle ground between single-family homes and large apartment complexes, and they are used in cities like New York and Seattle.

These buildings typically have four units per floor, which allows for more windows. Buildings with four stories or more will still have an elevator.

"This is an important step in making Austin a more affordable, livable, and walkable city. Single-stair buildings have a good safety record in other cities where they are allowed, and this item includes strong safety provisions," Vela said.

Vela says there will be extra sprinkler systems. Plus, because there are only four units per floor, the staircase is just steps away in the event of an emergency. 

The other side:

In a letter to City Council, the Austin Firefighters Association says while they're not against single-stair buildings, they want the city council to consider that taller multifamily buildings require adequate fire response. 

They say the city already doesn't have enough aerial ladders in service.