Backyard Access from Apartment?

I looked at a lovely apartment for sale in Boerum Hill yesterday. The apartment comes with access to the backyard/patio, but the only way to get to the backyard currently is by a side door in the public hall. I was wondering if it would be legal to perhaps convert one of the windows overlooking the backyard into a glass door and continue with stairs going down to the level of the backyard (probably 9-10 feet below the current window)? One of the possible issues is that the rear fire escape for the building terminates just above the ceiling height of the apartment so this door and stair case would be under the fire escape. The stairs wouldn’t interfere with the dropping of the fire escape ladder, but who knows, perhaps you’re not allowed to construct anything below a fire escape even if it doesn’t really interfere with it. Assuming it is legal to put the door in (there are also windows on the side of the apartment, further away from the backyard, but no issue with the fire escape), what materials would one be permitted to use for the stairs? Could they be wood or would they have to be metal? Many thanks in advance…

huesos

in Building Code 12 years and 3 months ago

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brokelin | 12 years and 2 months ago

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So, it is your patio – so first find out if the board is amenable to seeing plans from you to carry out your plan.  Depending on how much work was done to your unit by previous owners, it may have been raised before and rejected.   If your place was largely unrenovated from when it became condo or coop, then it wouldn’t necessarily come up.  If somebody spent a lot of money renovating your place, they may have thought of this – find out the history in the building, and if there is opposition to it.  Not saying that you shouldn’t try if it was previously suggested and rejected, but at least you will know what you are up against.  And you’ll want really good plans if it has been rejected in the past – by an architect who will figure out all the legalities for you.  As this is something that affects the exterior of the building, it won’t likely be able to be done on the cheap…and you don’t want it to be – you want all your legal stuff right, or it could pose a problem when you go to sell the unit to someone else.  Good luck!

annep | 12 years and 2 months ago

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I’m not sure — but within 3′ (I’ve seen some people say 4′ on the forum) it has to be non-combustible for sure.

annep | 12 years and 2 months ago

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My parlor floor condo has a door out the back room (a hole was cut into the brick to make room for the door) onto a metal deck with metal stairs down to my private half of the yard.  Non-combustible materials are necessary for everyone within 3′ of the property line.

http://cdn.brownstoner.com/517d21febf793-processed-photo-35.JPG

 The stairs are on the opposite side from the fire escape, since the ladder from the fire escape can’t be blocked.  If this configuration is possible for you you’ll need to get permits for everything including the stairs (which were a big problem for the sponsor of the building — so much so that they almost scrapped the idea of splitting the yard and considered giving the whole yard to the garden floor unit).

brokelin | 12 years and 3 months ago

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You are asking the wrong question of the wrong people…you need to find out if the coop or condo would allow it, that’s the first level of legal authority over you that you have to get through. And yes, if they are not opposed, then they will want to know if your plans pass all legal requirements. But I’d be very surprised if the building board would NOT be opposed to your creating access to a common bacckyard/patio from your unit. Unless your question is poorly worded, and you meant to say you have exclusive use of the patio with ownership of your unit…that would be a different case entirely, in which case they likely would not be opposed if your plans were vetted carefully (expect this to cost you some bucks) and found to be in compliance will all laws and requirements.