Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024
(a)
Plan review shall be performed by the Department of Community Affairs. A
Department of Education approval shall be submitted prior to the release of
plans for projects subject to the Department of Education review pursuant to
N.J.A.C. 6A:26-3.
1. Plan review for the
construction of a new school shall always be the responsibility of the
Department. For projects other than the construction of a new school, the local
enforcing agency may review the plans in accordance with (b) below.
(b)In lieu of obtaining
construction code plan review and release from the Department of Community
Affairs, a school district may secure construction code plan review and release
from a municipal code enforcing agency, pursuant to P.L. 1990, c.23.
1. The municipal code enforcing agency
providing construction code plan approval must agree to perform the review and
must be appropriately classified for the proposed project in accordance with
this chapter.
i. The municipal code enforcing
agency in the municipality where the proposed project is to take place shall be
given the right of first refusal to review the plans provided that the agency
is appropriately classified for the proposed project in accordance with this
chapter.
2. The
municipal code enforcing agency performing the construction code plan review
may require the payment of any municipal plan review fees.
3. No construction permit shall be issued for
a public school facility unless and until the final plans and specifications
have been released by the Department or an appropriately classified municipal
code enforcing agency.
4. The
municipal code enforcing agency within the jurisdiction in which the facility
is located shall be responsible for construction permit issuance, construction
inspection and certificate of occupancy issuance.
5. Amendments to released plans and
specifications for reasons other than educational adequacy shall be submitted
for review and release to the Department or the municipal code enforcing
agency, whichever originally released the plans.
6. Release of the plans by the Department or
the municipal code enforcing agency, as the case may be, shall not preclude the
enforcing agency doing the inspection from issuing a stop work order in the
event of a violation of the code. The enforcing agency doing the inspection
shall not, however, issue a stop work order based on its disagreement with the
released plans unless the agency that released the plans, be it the Department
or another local enforcing agency, agrees that the issuance of such an order is
appropriate. In the event that the enforcing agency doing the inspection
believes there to be an error in the plans, that enforcing agency shall give
prompt notice of the error that is believed to exist to the Department or the
municipal agency that reviewed the plans, as the case may be.
(c) The Department or the
municipal code enforcing agency providing construction code plan release or
inspection shall be responsible for enforcing the following Uniform
Construction Code enhancements in public school facilities:
1. Each instructional space and room of
assembly which is illuminated with the use of high intensity discharge (HID)
sources, such as mercury vapor, high pressure sodium and metal halide lamps,
shall also be provided with a second source of illumination to provide
illumination instantly upon activation of the circuit. All high intensity
discharge (HID) lamps shall be of the fail-safe type which will permanently
extinguish within 15 minutes after the outer glass of the bulb is broken. All
lamps shall be provided with a glass or plastic lens to protect the
bulb.
2. All school buildings shall
be equipped with a mechanical air supply and exhaust ventilation system which
will provide, during periods of occupancy, standard tempered outdoor air supply
and mechanical exhaust at the minimum rates set forth in the mechanical
subcode.
(d) Pursuant to
Reorganization Plan No. 114-1996, the Department or the municipal code
enforcing agency shall have authority to enforce and cite violations of
6A:26-6.3, 6.4, and 8.1.
