OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENE 

AUSTIN 

:RAL OF TEXAS 

flcnorable Harvih Hall, Cormaisslonei"'. ~' 

3%?trd of nA8urano4 comlrslonsr8 

Allotin. Texar 

Gear Sir; . . 

Leglalature tohouses.. :, 

uoaps 18 marlsen a8 to 

in the cade. 

ot the4 tern2 'lot area' in 

this caee OF similar one3. 

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"8inoe arrangements are be 

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made to 

commence oonatructlon owthla pro sot about~, 

Decsmber~l, the Architects have requested 

that 574 84cux-4 thla ruling ,83 300~ a3 poasible. ” 
Xonorable Marvin Hiall, Fag8 2 

It is obssrved from pur stat8lssnttpatth8 gr8und 

floor of the bull.ding has a lot are8 oi over 14.700 6 ua* 

feet and that the seaond floor has an mea of over 7, boo: 

square feet. Although you use the term "over" with reswot 

to the dQs8nsions giv8n, v8 plrssusmthat such dirsnslons will 

not exceed 15,000 and 10,000 squan f$8t respeatlvely. 

%aaoh btilding VU@ is OF mix b8 eon- . 

BtPUCb4d Vithitt this atate, Of thl'8e Of IDOF 

stories In height, oc In~oase~of a schoolhouse two or mora storl8s In height, vhlch 

is ovn+I w th$t Stete,,or by amPcIty, coun-, 

tr, or s&ho01 diatrlot, and in uhloh building 

pub110 assembltes are ~permltted or Intended ., 

to be permitted, or in which soh6ols of any 

k%nd are conduoted, or in whioh,sleeping 

apartments are psrmlttsd:or intended to be 

permItted on any floor above ths first; ,&all 

bo.provIded anb aqulpped vlth at leaat 0x18 

adequate flr8:escape if the lot area of euoh 

building shall not exoeed five thousand (5,- 

003). square feet, and an8 a&lithnal adequate 

fire esaape'for each five thourrand~~(5,OOO) 

rquara feet, or rbotf0n thereof if~such 

fraction exceeda tvo'thouaand (2,000) squam 

feet ill exceaa of the first five~thoussnd 

(-5,OOO)~square faet'of lot area." 

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Article 3959 of th8,Revimd airi1 Statutes as amend8d 

by the 47tk L&slstum rsadst 

ft will be observed that the Lsglslature did not deiat8 tha' tern "lot aria of the bulldlng." Certafxily; with ret 

epect 'to the first or’growd floor it mean6 the nuab&,of squar8 

feet covered by the bulldl.n& crsleulated bs its outsid ,denrinsions. If the-second floop-imocmqmased th& ease number of 

feet, no statutory @onstruorlon would be, neaesskrf,,but in 

lnstant.eaao the second floor 1s'conside~abl.s anrallar than 

ground floor. 

The purpose at the Firs Escape Law, as sxpr6sBed 

the caption of,the Bill, was to afford adequate proteotion~ 

human life for those assembled In certain public bulldIngs. 

The Legislature then determined that adequate protection could 

be afforded by o&e fire escape ,for eeoh five thousand (5,003) 

feet of lot area. Obviously, the iatentlon of the Legislature 
iOnOrabl8 Xbxvln Rail, P&p 3 

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uas to protect %h@ae ocdupfi.ug %a seoond'alad oth8r floors above 

the first as no fire eicape $9 required tor~aas story bti~ldlngs. 

We belisve that fh8 prcteation t@tlclpr~ed 

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tiu Lagislatur(l~ 

can be afforded those ocaup~ing the second oh of tbebuildm by calculating the numb8r o? firs ehcaper pequlred upon tb 

basis of the square feet 8ncompassed.b~ the Osgood Sloor. We 

believe ths bulldlng under~consideration to require tvo adequate 

fire escapes. 

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'=ovm DAC 18, ~941 ATmill= 

.n. 

Lloyd AFmBtmng 

hsI3istallt 

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COMMll-fEL