6a Temporary Family Health Care Dwellings

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Temporary Family HealthCare Dwellings June 9, 2016 Page 5 • Must provide access to water and electrical utilities(by connecting to principal dwelling or by other comparable means9); • Must have compatible standard residential construction exterior materials; • Must have minimum insulation of R-15; • Must be portable(as defined by statute); • Must comply with Minnesota Rules chapter 1360 (prefabricated buildings)or 1361 (industrialized/modular buildings),"and contain an Industrialized Buildings Commission seal and data plate or to American National Standards Institute Code 119.2"10; and • Must contain a backflow check valve." Does the State Building Code apply to the construction of a temporary family health care dwelling? Mostly,no.These structures must meet accessibility standards(which are in the State Building Code). The primary types of dwellings proposed fall within the classification of recreational vehicles,to which the State Building Code does not apply. Two other options exist, however, for these types of dwellings. If these structures represent a pre-fabricated home,the federal building code requirements for manufactured homes apply (as stated in Minnesota Rules, Chapter 1360). If these structures are modular homes, on the other hand,they must be constructed consistent with the State Building Code(as stated in Minnesota Rules,Chapter 1361). What health, safety and welfare requirements does this new law include? Aside from the construction requirements of the unit,the temporary family health care dwelling must be located in an area on the property where"septic services and emergency vehicles can gain access to the temporary family health care dwelling in a safe and timely manner." What local ordinances and zoning apply to a temporary health care dwelling? The new law states that ordinances related to accessory uses and recreational vehicle storage and parking do not apply to these temporary family health care dwellings. However, unless otherwise provided, setbacks and other local ordinances, charter provisions, and applicable state laws still apply. Because conflicts may arise between the statute and one or more of the city's other local ordinances, cities should confer with their city attorneys to analyze their current ordinances in light of the new law. What permit process should cities follow for these permits? The law creates a new type of expedited permit process. The permit approval process found in Minn. Stat. § 15.99 generally applies;however,the new law shortens the time frame for which the local governmental unit has to make a decision on granting the permit. Due to the time sensitive 9 The Legislature did not provide guidance on what represents"other comparable means". 1°ANSI Code 119.2 has been superseded by NFPA 1192. For more information,the American National Standards Institute website is located at ILLM3s://www.ansi.orgZ. "New Minn.Stat. §462.3593,subd.2 sets forth all the structure criteria.