(A) (1) Fire lanes shall be provided for all commercial and industrial buildings or that are set back more than 150 feet from a public road or exceed 30 feet in height and are set back more than 50 feet from a public road. However, nothing shall prevent modification to this requirement by the Fire Chief or his or her designee to impose fire lane requirements for special use facilities such as care homes, multi-family dwellings, hazardous operation or any area that does not provide for immediate or adequate emergency access for emergency apparatus for purposes of rescue and extinguishment.
(2) Exception: existing buildings or structures with less than 20,000 square feet gross floor area between properly rated tenant separation walls and adequate emergency vehicle access may be continued in use without designated fire lanes.
(B) (1) Fire lanes shall not be less than 20 feet of unobstructed width, able to withstand live loads of fire apparatus and have a minimum of 13 feet six inches of vertical clearance. An approved turnaround for fire apparatus shall be provided where the access road is a dead-end and is in excess of 150 feet in length. The turnaround shall have a minimum centerline radius of 40 feet of pavement (50 feet of right-of-way).
(2) Exception: turnarounds shall be permitted for "T" or "Y" arrangements and turnaround arrangements other than a cul-de-sac, when acceptable to the Fire Chief or the Fire Marshal.
(C) Fire lanes shall be designated in the following manner:
(1) Fire lanes shall be properly marked with approved reflective type signs;
(2) Signs shall be a minimum of one foot wide and one and one-half foot tall and shall contain the words "Fire Lane - No Parking;"
(3) Letters shall be red in color against a white background and shall be not less than two inches in height;
(4) Signs shall be mounted on both sides of a pole or supporting structure, set back from the curb or roadway a minimum of one foot but not more than four feet. Unless conditions warrant otherwise, signs are to be positioned perpendicular to the roadway so as to be visible from both directions of the driving surface;
(5) The bottom of the signs shall be a minimum of five feet above the finished grade, at the base of the sign support and shall not exceed seven feet above the finished grade from the bottom of the sign;
(6) Signs are to be posted within 20 feet of each end of the fire lane with intermediate signs posted so as not to exceed 75 feet between signs;
(7) Curbs along the fire lane shall be painted either red or yellow;
(8) Where fire lane lengths exceed 100 feet, the wording "Fire Lane" shall be posted on the driving surface, no further than 50 feet from either end, and along the lane so as not to exceed 100 feet between such postings. The lettering shall be either red or yellow letters that are a minimum of 12 inches in height, orientated parallel to the curb with the principal strokes of the letter not less than three inches.
(D) All fire lanes shall be approved by the Fire Chief or the Fire Marshal, pursuant to these regulations, and thereafter shall be maintained by the property owner. Designated fire lanes, or roads deemed necessary for Fire Department access, shall be maintained free from unnecessary obstructions at all times and are subject to frequent inspections and enforcement by the Collierville Police and Fire Departments. Any removal of obstructing material shall be at the owner's expense.
(E) The disregard or disobedience of the instruction of signs placed in accordance with the provisions of this section by the driver of a vehicle shall be deemed prima facie evidence of violation of the law. The parking of an unattended vehicle in a fire lane, other than authorized emergency vehicles or commercial couriers involved in the immediate pick-up or delivery of parcels, shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed $20.
(`83 Code, § 7-208) (Ord. 99-12, passed 5-24-99; Am. Ord. 2007-13, passed 11-26-07; Am. Ord. 2012-01, passed 2-13-12; Am. Ord. 2020-07, passed 9-14-20)