22B-015 56 Meadow notes 2018-02-05 (2)City of Northampton
Massachusetts
DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING INSPECTIONS
212 Main Street ● Municipal Building
Northampton, MA 01060
February 6, 2018
Notes 56 Meadow St.
Inspected 2/1/18
Neither of the gas permits include fireplace; one of the permits needs to be amended or another permit
taken out, and the piping needs to be tested. It will likely fine. A plumber must deal with this issue.
Blocking the bulkhead with the deck is a violation of the state building code. The building code requires
a second means of egress / escape from the basement (R310.1). The basement had a second means
of egress through the bulkhead. When the bulkhead was blocked off, the building became less
conforming (AJ102.1).
This violation must be corrected by adding another bulkhead or installing an escape window.
R102.8 Maintenance of Existing Buildings and Structures. All buildings and structures and all parts thereof, both
existing and new, and all systems and equipment therein which are regulated by 780 CMR shall be maintained in
a safe, operable and sanitary condition. All service equipment, means of egress, devices and safeguards which
are required in a building or structure, or which were required by a previous statute in a building or structure,
when erected, altered or repaired, shall be maintained in good working order.
R310.1 Emergency escape and rescue required. Basements, habitable attics and every sleeping room shall have
at least one operable emergency escape and rescue opening.
AJ102.1 General. Regardless of the category of work being performed, the work shall not cause the structure
to become unsafe or adversely affect the performance of the building; shall not cause an existing mechanical or
plumbing system to become unsafe, hazardous, insanitary or overloaded; and unless expressly permitted by
these provisions, shall not make the building any less conforming to this code or to any previously approved
alternative arrangements than it was before the work was undertaken.
Louis Hasbrouck
City of Northampton
413-587-1240
lhasbrouck@northamptonma.gov