Opinion No. (1998)

DANIEL E. LUNGREN Attorney General GREGORY L. GONOT Deputy Attorney General THE HONORABLE JACK O'CONNELL, MEMBER OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE, has requested an opinion on the following question: Is the State Architect's interpretation of the "strike edge clearance" accessibility requirement of the California Building Standards Code an interpretation that may be appealed by a hotel owner to the Building Standards Commission? CONCLUSION The State Architect's interpretation of the "strike edge clearance" accessibility requirement of the California Building Standards Code is not an interpretation that may be appealed by a hotel owner to the Building Standards Commission. ANALYSIS All state building standards are contained in the California Building Standards Code (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 24; "Code") as coordinated by the California Building Standards Commission ("Commission"). One of the Code requirements is a "strike edge clearance" accessibility standard (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 24, §§ 24:1004.9.2.1a, 24:1004.9.2.2a), allowing a person in a wheelchair to have sufficient room to open an exit door and maneuver the wheelchair around the strike side edge of the door in specified…