The State Building Code Council on Sept. 26 authorized formation of an ad hoc council committee to study side‑yard setback provisions raised by a petition from the Washington State Association of Fire Marshals and related stakeholders.

The BFRW committee had considered the petition and requested that the council create a focused forum to examine how side‑yard setback rules interact with fire‑department access, ladder placement, and local development codes. The committee recommended a special council committee that would include council members and invite subject‑matter experts and local jurisdiction representatives for technical discussion.

Council members agreed that the purpose of the committee is information gathering and technical coordination rather than immediate rulemaking; the council had previously denied an emergency finding but sought more analysis before any code action. Dan Young moved to create the ad hoc committee and Tom Young seconded the motion; the council approved the request and directed staff to return with proposed membership, scope and timelines.

Members said the committee should seek input from building and fire officials, planners and local jurisdictions so any state‑level changes do not unintentionally preempt or conflict with local development and zoning authority. “The intent was to include additional stakeholders outside of the council, specifically trying to bring building officials, fire officials, and planning representatives together so that this harmonizes development codes and life‑safety codes,” Dan Young said.

Why it matters: The petition raised operational and design tensions between residential setback rules and firefighter access; the ad hoc committee will examine those tradeoffs and recommend whether any state code action is appropriate.

What’s next: Staff will return with a proposal for committee composition, charge and a timeline for review; the ad hoc committee will report back to the full council with findings and any recommended next steps.