Shalom Baranes says the project’s current design meets national building code standards.

The Housing Board of Appeals in Clinton City voted 3–1 (three recusals) to deny the appeal challenging fire‑load findings under IBC 806 and IFC 807; the board took no final action on whether the attraction should be classified as a special amusement building.

Clinton City staff told the Housing and Board of Appeals the Sawmill Museum's Danville troll exhibit meets the IBC definition of a special amusement building and therefore triggers automatic-sprinkler requirements; museum counsel said the exhibit is an art gallery and offered occupancy limits and other mitigations.

The commission approved proposed replacement windows and doors at 562 Bellevue Avenue after expert testimony that building‑code impact‑glass requirements in coastal zones, water infiltration and framing deterioration in many openings make full replacement necessary in many cases.

Consultants told the commission that middle housing could add modest-scale affordable units but faces financing, building-code and stormwater hurdles; recommendations include legalizing middle housing in targeted districts, preapproved plan books, and state-level code reforms.

A special State Building Code Council committee met Aug. 28 to gather ideas and public testimony on possible emergency waivers or temporary flexibility for rebuilding after wildfires; the group will submit recommendations to the governor by Sept. 9.

The zoning commission recommended several revisions to Article 18 (flood damage prevention), including removing a 5‑year cumulative improvement rule per state law, adding a permit‑reinstatement option, and aligning critical facility finished‑floor elevations with the Florida Building Code.

Engineering Services Manager Daniel King reported results of the 2025–2026 third‑party plan‑review audit: while many third‑party reviews passed, audit findings included a small number of fails that missed critical life‑safety items; the department recommends retaining code changes and the 10% mandatory audit and strengthening language for revocation of reviewers.

Staff explained the state updated the wildland fire code; the council adopted a local WUI overlay required to keep eligibility for state wildfire-reimbursement funding and to allow state certification that can lower insurance rates for qualifying properties.

In Hadez v. City of Springfield, Illinois ,  (CD IL, Aug. 28, 2026), a state trial court had ordered plaintiff to cease residing in structur...

City engineering proposed a near‑complete rewrite of municipal code 17.61.30 to close safety gaps: gravity (decorative) walls under 4 feet remain exempt if no surcharge; any wall over 4 feet or with surcharge must be engineered and permitted; staff also proposed raising nonresidential maximum engineered wall height to 10 feet and adding clearer inspection and submittal standards. The commission voted 5–0 to recommend the changes to council.

A public commenter argued Iowa House File 2800 removes arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) requirements and creates a safety gap; the city's chief building official and legal staff told council the state law preempts local codes and that delaying the ordinance would not change that preemption.

Ten M7.0+ quakes have struck in 2026, killing thousands from Venezuela to Indonesia. Here's what seismologists say is — and isn't — driving

In Anash, Inc. v. Borough of Kingston ,  (3rd Cir., July 30, 2026), the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 decision ordered a Penns...

Members of the BFRW committee discussed an opinion request from the City of Bellingham about whether a level 2 alteration work area must be expanded to include adjacent level 1 ceiling work for fire‑resistance purposes under the International Existing Building Code. The group generally accepted the reasoning that the work areas should be combined, but lacking a quorum they postponed formal action.

Engineers and standards representatives told the council a proposed Washington amendment would undercut corrected 2024 IBC requirements for CLT heavy‑timber thickness and requested the state adopt the 2024 model code language and PRD320 updates rather than a relaxation of MSR requirements.

In the first installment, we looked at the ICC’s revenue sources to understand its incentives.