The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-18
NEW BUILDING RULES
Preparation of an Ordinance by
a Committee of Contractors.
Special Council Meeting May Be Called
Provision for Changing the Fire
Limit Specification.

A committee from the Builders EX-
change, with contractor Weaver as chair
man, is now working on a new ordinance
regulating the construction Of buildings
within the city limits. Mr.. Weaver said
yesterday:
'Our committee was appointed more es-
pecially to draft an ordinance similar 10
the one in force in Chicago, defining the
city fire limits, TO be presented 10 the
Council, but we have also taken up the
matter of revising the entire building ordi-
nance. Whatever we may do will be re-
ported TO the Builders Exchange, and then
if il sees fit such drafts of ordinances will
be presented to the Council. Our present
fire limit ordinance merely states certain
downtown districts in which only brick
stone buildings may be erected, but
does not provide for such parts Of the
city have large number of good sub
stantial brick blocks outside of the GEN.
ter of town. For instance, Washington
street east of Liberty and west of West
street is built up for several square with
such buildings as our ordinance requires
in the fire limits. Such blocks should have
protection. In Chicago the ordinance pro-
vides that when two or more corners Of
a square have had erected on them brick
or stone buildings of certain class there
shall be no more frame buildings built
within the block. That provides for a
natural extension of the fire limits, accord
ing to the necessities of the case without
any change of the ordinance.
GAS to the general ordinance you stated
its principal defects in recent issue of the
Journal. One that 1 believe you did not
state is in regard to the proportionate
thickness of party and outside walls. The
ordinance provides that where an outside
wall is thirteen inches thick a party wall
may be only nine inches thick. That is
hardly consistent with good architecture.
If the party wall only nine inches thick
can support two sets of joists t.. outside
wall. supporting only one set Of joists.
surely need not be any thicker. In London
a three-story brick building may be built
with thirteen-inch walls for the first floor
ana nine inches above, which has been
make the first story seventeen inches and
the others twelve inches l am heartily
erecting such buildings as General Wal
lace proposes to put up on North Meridian
thick walls al a. in 70 high g bWIdin Et our
Councilman Stein, in speaking of the
matter, said:
question of new building ordinance
would be brought before the Council in
some shape at our meeting last night, but
l see it was not. This is a matter of con-
siderable importance to the city just now.
When people from outside our city. come
here and want to invest money with us
we should do everything consistent
ly do to encourage them. Our present or
dinance on buildings was drafted at a
time when the city did not contemplate the
erection OF steel buildings, and is therefore
now away out of date. There are not many
men in the city who are. willing to erect
such buildings General Wallace is ar
ranging to build because they are afraid
TO try the experiment for fear 1t will not
be a good investment. If we will only
encourage the construction of this building
l think that time will show to other in
vestorS that such an outlay of capital will
prove profitable and then 1t Will only be
| large number of such structures l am in
| favor of having special meeting OF the
| Council next Monday. night for the pur-
pose of having an ordinance providing for
| the construction Of steel buildings. Then
the ordinance could be passed at the reg
ular meeting on the 9Oth of the month.
| Otherwise it could not be passed till the
| middle of May. / don't think there could
| be any serious objections to the construc-
ton Of this building a as = understand t the
| with the ordinance, the violation would be
| only technical, as il will surely be a safer
and more substantial building than is pro-
| vided for in the ordinance. Even consid-
ering those facts, the law now stands
| the building inspector could not approve
the plans. This is a matter of great inn
| some action on it the better it will be-
The building inspector is kept quite busy
/ for eight dwellings, to cost from $500 to
| 5000, lying on his desk awaiting his APP
prevail The class of buildings, to some
extent shows the feeling of men who have
money to invest on the financial question.
Several of these houses are to be double
! residences to rent. Contractors report that
| for several years, and this seems to be
stimulating building somewhat.