Fire and Construction Codes Advisory and Appeals Board Meeting - February 10, 2026

This meeting of the San Antonio Fire and Construction Codes Advisory and Appeals Board began at 9:09 AM on February 10, 2026, with a quorum present. The primary agenda item was an appeal by Octavio Viramontes regarding a denial of an exception to the fire sprinkler requirement for a nightclub/bar at 9518 Consol, ultimately resulting in a board vote to deny the appeal.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes from the meeting of July 2, 2025, by unanimous voice vote.

Discussion Items

• Appeal – Octavio Viramontes (nightclub/bar at 9518 Consol): The appellant requested a reduction in calculated occupant load from 468 to 299 to avoid installing a fire sprinkler system. City staff from Development Services and the Fire Department presented the case. Staff argued that the applicant's calculations improperly excluded circulation areas (corridors, standing zones) from the occupant load, violating Section 1004.6. The applicant's alternate proposal to divide the space with a fire barrier was considered but rejected due to impact on business operations. The appellant noted the $225,000 cost of sprinkler installation and claimed actual occupancy never exceeds 250. The board discussed options: redesign to meet code without sprinklers (requiring professional design) or install sprinklers. The appellant expressed a preference for the occupancy cap.

Key Outcomes

• Denial of Appeal: The board voted to deny the appeal, requiring the business to either comply with the sprinkler requirement or redesign to meet the 299 occupant load without subtracting non-eligible areas. Motion by Brian Smith, seconded by John Martin, passed unanimously (voice vote: all in favor, none opposed).
• Code Adoption Update: Staff noted that the next ICC code cycle will begin internal discussions in 2026, with formal adoption in 2027. The board requested a timeline and cost analysis for providing online code access. A separate discussion item on permit process improvements was proposed for a future meeting.
• Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 10:02 AM.