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Tents and canopies exceeding 240 square feet in area shall require a building permit based on plans submitted to the Building Commissioner, and must be erected by a general contractor licensed by the City; provided, however, that this provision shall not apply to a tent having a surface area of 400 feet or less if the tent will be erected, occupied or used for no more than 60 consecutive days. Plans for tents and canopies exceeding 600 square feet in area shall be certified by a licensed architect or engineer. Permit applications for tents and canopies exceeding 4,000 square feet in area shall list a general contractor licensed pursuant to Chapter 4-36 of this Code and said general contractor shall be physically present on-site during the erection of the tent or canopy and shall ensure that the work is performed in compliance with all applicable requirements of this Code. All tents and canopies shall comply with rules issued by the Building Commissioner and with the following requirements:
(a) Application for permit shall be accompanied by:
(1) A certificate of fire resistance executed by an approved recognized testing laboratory filed with the Building Commissioner certifying that such tent is flameproofed in accordance with National Fire Protection Association Standard N.F.P.A. 701. If the flameproofing as indicated on the certificate is not of the permanent type, the certificate must be dated within 360 days preceding the last date of intended use. If the tent fabric is certified as having been rendered permanently fire resistant during manufacture, or is made of an inherently fire resistant fabric, then the certificate may be dated no earlier than seven years prior to the last date of intended use. The certificate shall indicate the type of fabric, compliance with N.F.P.A. 701, and each tent's unique registration number. Each tent placed in service after the effective date of this amendment shall bear permanent identification of its fabric type, compliance with N.F.P.A. 701 and its unique registration number.
(2) A plan showing the fabric type, construction of the tent or canopy and the location and width of aisles and exits, the number of rows and the maximum seating capacity in each section.
(3) Calculations demonstrating compliance with the wind resistance requirements of Chapter 13-52.
(b) Exit facilities shall comply with all applicable requirements for assembly units. Exit capacity shall be calculated at 70 persons per unit of exit width.
(c) Standard fire extinguishers, as defined in Chapter 15-16, shall be conspicuously located at each exit.
(d) Tents and canopies shall be located not less than 12 feet from any other building or structure excepting, however, where a covered passageway is desired, a tent or canopy may be connected to a permanent building by means of a canopy.
(e) Temporary toilet facilities shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 18-29 of this Code.
(f) Permits for all electrical wiring shall be secured in accordance with the electrical regulations of this Code.
(g) Exit and emergency lighting shall be provided for all tents exceeding 600 square feet in area that will be in use for 48 hours or longer or have interior partitions. Such tents shall be provided with the appropriate emergency lighting system, as described in Section 14E-7-700. Exit and emergency plans for tents and canopies exceeding 600 square feet in area shall be provided to the Department of Buildings for review, and shall be approved prior to occupancy and use of the tent or canopy structure.
(h) Liquefied petroleum gas tanks shall not be permitted in tents or canopies, or within ten feet of either.
(i) The Building Commissioner may issue a conditional permit for a structure not fully meeting the wind resistance requirements, allowing the structure to be used up to a specified maximum wind velocity.
(j) Notwithstanding any certificate of fire resistance, the Fire Commissioner may at any time submit tent or canopy fabric to the field test specified in Chapter ten of N.F.P.A. Standard 701 (1989). Fabric that fails the field test shall not be used in the construction or erection of a tent or canopy.
(Prior code § 61-14.2; Amend Coun. J. 7-9-84, p. 8218; Amend Coun. J. 9-13-89, p. 4604; Amend Coun. J. 4-12-91, p. 32351; Amend Coun. J. 3-5-03, p. 104990, § 24; Amend Coun. J. 11-13-07, p. 14999, Art. II, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 12-2-09, p. 78837, Art. 9, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24131, § 42; Amend Coun. J. 11-9-16, p. 36266, § 20; Amend Coun. J. 9-6-17, p. 55278, Art. II, § 33; Amend Coun. J. 11-21-17, p. 61755, Art. I, § 30; Amend Coun. J. 3-28-18, p. 74459, Art. V, § 9; Amend Coun. J. 11-7-18, p. 88803, § 33)