Directs the state fire prevention and building code council to develop standards permitting single stairway residential buildings up to six stories or seventy-five feet in height in a city having a population of one million or more.
S10501 would amend the New York Executive Law to require the State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council to create standards allowing single-stairway residential buildings in cities with populations of one million or more, which in practice means New York City. The bill authorizes these buildings up to six stories or 75 feet in height, whichever is less, in any zoning district that already permits multifamily residential use, and bars municipalities from requiring an additional discretionary approval solely because a building has one staircase.
The bill is framed as a housing-supply measure responding to New York’s shortage of small and moderately sized multifamily housing. It states that single-stair buildings can be safe when paired with modern fire protections and that they can make development feasible on small or irregular lots, support family-sized apartments, and enable more mid-rise infill housing. The bill also directs the council to issue implementing rules within 12 months and to incorporate international building code standards and best practices from other U.S. states and European countries.
If enacted, the bill would create a new statewide framework for single-stair residential buildings in large cities, overriding local rules that would otherwise prohibit such buildings or impose extra egress requirements. It would affect the Executive Law provisions governing the state building code and would constrain municipal authority, including New York City’s ability to adopt more restrictive stairway and egress rules for qualifying buildings. Developers, architects, fire-safety regulators, and local zoning/building officials would be directly affected, especially in multifamily projects in dense urban areas.
The bill text reflects a strongly supportive posture toward reform, emphasizing housing production, affordability, and modern fire-safety design. No committee transcript or recorded vote information is provided, so there is no documented opposition or support from legislators in the supplied materials. Based on the bill’s findings and structure, the overall sentiment appears pro-housing and pro-regulatory modernization.
The main point of contention is likely to be the balance between housing production and fire/life-safety concerns. Supporters argue that sprinklers, fire-resistant construction, smoke control, and limited units per floor can make single-stair buildings safe while unlocking more housing; critics may question whether one stairway provides adequate emergency egress and firefighter access, especially in taller residential buildings. Another likely issue is local control, since the bill would limit municipalities from imposing additional restrictions or discretionary approvals solely because a building has one staircase.