122 Pine St letterJune 26, 2019
To:
Louis Hasbrouck
Building Commissioner
City of Northampton
212 Main Street
Northampton, MA 01060
Mr. Hasbrouck,
The Massachusetts Building Code, section R104.10, allows for a code modifications in certain
situations:
R104.10 Modifications . Wherever there are practical difficulties involved in carrying out the
provisions of 780 CMR, the building official shall have the authority to grant modifications for
individual cases, upon application of the owner or owner's representative, provided the building
official shall first find that special individual reason makes the strict letter of 780 CMR
impractical and the modification is in compliance with the intent and purpose of 780 CMR and
that such modification does not lessen health, accessibility, life and fire safety, or structural
requirements. The details of action granting modifications shall be recorded and entered in the
files of the building official.
I request that you grant a modification to waive the requirement for a 36" guard rail on my
existing porch. The porch floor is at most 22" above grade and according to IRC R312.1.1 a
guard rail is required only if surface is 30" or more above grade. As such I am not required to
install any guard rail. However I would like to install a 31" tall guard rail to provide some
screening from the street and to visually balance the porch. Additionally, I hope you will grant
this modifitation because the work is of a minor nature, will not affect structural elements,
health, accesslbHity, life or fire safety, and complies with the intent of the code. Furthermore, a
lower rail ent with historic r-ailings on porches of houses from the time period (1860s),
whereas a tall guardrail would be aesthetically out of place.
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Thank you for your consideration.
Scott Laidlaw, owner
122 Pine St.
Florence, MA 01062
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