The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-12-24
BUILDING ORDINANCE.
Hearing Last Night Before
the Board Of Aldermen's
Committee.
WHAT BUILDERS MUST OBSERVE
Limit Of Height of Frame
and Brick Structures
Lively Discussion

A public hearing on the ordinance regu-
Iating the construction, alteration and re-
pairing of buildings was held last night
in the Assembly Chamber in the City Hall
by the Building Committee of the Board
of Aldermen. The ordinance was pres
ented to the Board by Alderman Muller on
the evening Of December 49, and has
been advertised for the last few days.
This new ordinance is very lengthy,
containing in all s~eyenty-four sections.
Each section was discussed separately,
ten minutes being allowed for each dis
c~ussion. 1t requires the appointment an
nuaIly of a Building Inspector, who shall
perform all duties required of such Off
cial as at present, or in any subsequent
ordinance that might be passed. 1t also
requires the inspector to be an architect,
a carpenter. a mason. or another me-
chanic. He shall exercise and make a
careful inspection Of all buildings in
course of erection or to be erected here
after. Al permit from the inspector shall
be required for every Improvement made.
The city treasury viii be materially in
creased by the fees allowed in the ordin-
ance. For moving a building the in
spector shall charge SIS per block. or any
part of a block. For alterations not ex-
ceeding $500. one dollar; and for each sue
ceeding $500, one dollar extra. For each
new building to cost not exceeding $1,000,
one dollar; and for each succeeding $1,000,
one dollar extra. All fees collected under
this ordinance shall be payable weekly 70
the City Treasurer. Every application
made to the inspector must be made in
writing, over the signature of the appll-
cam.
A clerk to the Building Inspector is
also provided by the ordinance. who shan
be appointed by the Board of Aldermen.
The salary Of the clerk is fixed at sl.Wo
a year. to be paid out of the fees coll
lected by the inspector.
It also provides that no frame or wood
en- structure shall be erected within the
fire lines, prescribed by the Board OF Fire
Commissioners, and no permit for the
erection or extension of any such build
ing shall be attempted until an ordi-
nance is passed by the Board of Alder
men. and which must be signed by the
MAYOR. The height of frame buildings is
limited to Is feet. The walls of all brick
buildings must be u inches thick and
any violation OF this ordinance the build
er viii be subject to a fine of $50 for
each and every day that the wall is al
lowed to stand. The construction OF
b~uIkheads, scuttle openings, dumb wait
ers, elevator and light shafts are also
provided for.
The ordinance covers every de-
tail in the construction of a
building, including the weight and
thickness of wallis piers. heights of
basement and seams, strength of floors,
b,acing Of vaults and Sidewalks, fire
shutters and doors. stairs IN theatres, bay
windows. schools and blasting and The
d,,tias of the insnecfpr.
A. a.so o'clock the building committee
met and proceeded to listen to changes
SUGGESTED nv the architects and masons
nrasant
Contractor John Ellington was the first
to suggest a change. He took for his ar
gumenf section 8, which reads as follows:
.sThe said Inspector of Buildings shall
he either an architect carpenter. mason
~ o+ber mechanic, Mr.. Ellington OBJ
sao+aa - aor otbar mechanic, He could
~ &c WHAT business 4 mechanic other
49, thasa enea POD +, the erection Of
tmus,aas s.a,,,5 bava with the position
1ssss4ss $50 &c cla,,se ..or other
90 - s4nfa,~anaa nj Arehitact
sesupt ~ ohonga s,,pgasted
van AL 800 a. 80 -
an sAesieh' one ai"1
make H.
section 2 Wnlch reauires -
houses, on applying lor q perniil' = 'ie',
ton the block ana mouse h1hfpsis e ~
as the street on Whlcn the proposes pui'u-