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Excellent point Seeb. HotinHawaii, the roof and walls handle wind just great. The entire structure with the wind kit upgrade handles up to 120 mph winds. It's the debris could be problematic. Not large debris, but small debris. I think we'd have to put the room below or outside...? But even with a post and pier stick built, the assumption is that entire structure would be destroyed, but the safe room would remain. Wouldn't that destruction include the post and pier foundation? The language says something about having an independent roof, assuming the roof would be gone, but the floor?
Melissa Fletcher
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Hi Folks
There is a section on the county website under public works twords the bottom of the page that says it is a pdf of proposed code changes. I have been unable to download it and the building dept. is also not possible to visit. This may be my connection however. I would like to see the draft of these changes if anyone can come up with it. Later Dave
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I skimed thru it qwick most of it is pretty standard except 5-16 did anyone tell the "chief of police" about that one.
dont see a requirement for safe rooms, just a standard if you build one. ( may have missed it )
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I know the language is dry for most people, but don't skim through it quickly and you'll find several areas that are cause for concern. And yes, they absolutely, definitely ARE trying to make the safe room mandatory. There's a separate amendment that says we "Shall also" have a safe room in any new construction, which would include remodels that are valued at 50% or more of the value of an already permitted structure. Shall Also. That's mandatory speak. Check the BIC comments and call Noelani to get the full set of proposed changes.
Melissa Fletcher
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I looked through it and couldn't find the safe room section. Can you state the section number, YurtGirl?
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It appears that everyone is concerned about how difficult it will be to comply with the Safe Room requirements. I think the primary point against the Safe Room is being overlooked. Has the Big Island ever had a hurricane pass through the Island? Has the big Island ever had 3 second gusts of 160 mph winds from any hurricane passing by or from a tropical storm? Has the Big Island ever lost a whole structure due to winds? I believe the answer would be NO. So, why even require a Safe Room here on the Big Island? Code requirements must address actual problems and the Big Island does not have the problem. So why even require the Safe Room except that the State is probably cramming it down our throats and the Building Dept. does not have the guts or savvy to go counter to the State recommended code requirements.
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In the last 100 or so years, no, there hasn't been a major hurricane to hit the Big Island. Will there be in the future? Most likely.
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What is interesting to me about the code changes is that houses built prior to the codes being in effect many many years ago have withstood the test of time pretty well and have been "energy efficient" with their passive cooling in the design.
Although I dont advocate going back to the 1940's - many of these houses except for termite issues are still standing yet during the earthquakes many of the houses built in the 60/70/80's were severly damaged on the West side and Oahu.
What does that tell us? IMHO some of the code requirements are only self serving for the material suppliers and maybe a HI tel lobbyist. How exactly does a safe room increase our safety and how does a phone line do it? If the land lines are knocked down, and power is out for the towers? This one doesnt make sense as do many of the other requirements. Is HI tel going to run underground as well as Helco doing the same? Until they are required to do so what is the point? Last week with only light winds Kapoho was out of power, no cell service, and it took out the landlines (tree collapsed on lines).
Like it or not, we are on a tropical island not the deserts of the southwest or tornado alley, or some snow packed mountain area. And a tropical island that rarely in recorded history maybe even never has seen 160 MPH winds. But okay lets add more strapping for hurricanes. Lets get the codes to meet the needs we have not a completely different climate.
The energy efficiency part of the codes except for the dual glaze windows probably is okay I guess. It is still kinda lame though. The codes do not adequately address the more realistic issues of ventilation much and circulation much. Honestly how many people on the East side have A/C?
Maybe the County should do a study on what was important in the old houses that has made them keep standing instead of just lock stepping with Honolulu? We are not the Jones and never will be so lets look at the realistic needs here.
Oh and while I'm here, all these code changes, and not one change to the wastewater systems like eliminating cesspools altogether!
Catherine Dumond
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Nobody will admit it, but it's really about money and control.
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