Visitability Ordinance

The Visitability Code establishes specific design requirements that must be included in all new single-family and attached single-family homes. These requirements are aimed at improving basic accessibility for individuals with physical disabilities and include the following key provisions:

• Step-Free Entrance: At least one step-free entrance must be provided, accessible from a parking area or public way. The step-free entrance may be located at any entrance to the home. The route must have a slope no steeper than 1:12, unless topography makes it infeasible, in which case alternative solutions may be approved by the building commissioner.
• Wall Reinforcement: All bathroom walls adjacent to a toilet, shower, or tub must include wood blocking at a height of 33–36 inches to support grab bars.
• Switches and Outlets: Wall switches must be installed no higher than 48 inches, and electrical outlets no lower than 15 inches above the finished floor.
• First-Floor Washroom: Each home must include an accessible powder room or washroom on the main level including a toilet and sink, unless an accessible bathroom exists on a level with a no-step entrance.
• Bathroom and Washroom Design: A minimum 32-inch clear path must be provided to all fixtures, and the room must be designed in a manner that will allow the user to be able to shut the door when using the room. The bathroom, washroom, or powder room door may be hinged to swing out to provide more room, if the hallway design provides the proper clearances.
• Doors and Hallways: All interior and exterior doors must have a clear width of at least 32 inches. Hallways must be at least 42 inches wide to allow ease of passage for wheelchair users.
• Interior Route: The floor level served by the step-free entrance must include an accessible route throughout hallways and passageways, with minimum clearances defined in the ordinance.
• Penalties: Noncompliance can result in fines ranging from $100 to $1,000 per violation, with each day considered a separate offense.

Northlake has found that each development requires educating the homeowner or homebuilder, dispelling stereotypes of unattractive front ramps and demonstrating how a well-designed visitable home can be both functional and visually appealing. The city does not require visitability compliance on gut rehabs or remodels, but staff try to guide homeowners and builders to incorporate some accessible features whenever possible.

As a built-out community with housing prices generally ranging from $250,000 to $500,000, the city does not have the leverage on new development as that of growing suburbs with large new subdivisions or high-cost built-out communities with stronger redevelopment pressure. Given these factors and its desire to encourage infill development rather than deter it, Northlake has found that each new home requires negotiation with builders.

The biggest challenge voiced by builders is the zero-step entrance. The city has sometimes conceded on this point as long as garage space allows for a ramp to be added later. Other features, such as doorway widths, electrical device placement, wall blocking in bathrooms for grab bars, and sufficiently large first-floor bathrooms to accommodate a wheelchair, are consistently enforced. Success has been limited but tangible. For example, a six-home subdivision resulted in three homes fully complying with the ordinance, with plans for three more.

Overall, while these outcomes may be greater in high-end markets with frequent teardowns or large-scale subdivisions, at Northlake’s price point, even modest victories represent meaningful progress in generating physically accessible housing.