(a) Facility location. Any proposed new facility shall be easily accessible to the community and to service vehicles such as delivery trucks, ambulances, and fire protection apparatus. No building may be converted for use as a facility which, because of its location, physical condition, state of repair, or arrangement of facilities, would be hazardous to the health and safety of the patients.(1) Hazardous locations.(A) Underground and above ground hazards. New facilities or additions to existing facilities shall not be built within 125 feet of right away/easement of hazardous locations including underground liquid butane or propane, liquid petroleum or natural gas transmission lines, high pressure lines, and not under high voltage electrical lines.(B) Fire hazards. New facilities shall not be built within 300 feet of above ground or underground storage tanks containing liquid petroleum or other flammable liquids used in connection with a bulk plant, marine terminal, aircraft refueling, bottling plant of a liquefied petroleum gas installation, or near other hazardous or hazard producing plants.(2) Undesirable locations.(A) Nuisance producing sites. New facilities shall not be located near nuisance producing industrial sites, feed lots, sanitary landfills, or manufacturing plants producing excessive noise or air pollution.(B) Cemeteries. New facilities shall not be located near a cemetery in a manner that allows direct view of the cemetery from patient windows.(C) Flood plains. Construction of new facilities shall be avoided in designated flood plains. Where such is unavoidable, access and required functional facility components shall be constructed above the designated flood plain. This requirement also applies to new additions to existing facilities or portions of facilities which have been licensed previously as facilities but which have been vacated or used for purposes other than facilities. This requirement does not apply to remodeling of existing licensed facilities.(D) Airports. Construction of new facilities shall be avoided in close proximity to airports. When facilities are proposed to be located near airports, recommendations of the Texas Aviation Authority and the Federal Aviation Authority shall apply. A facility may not be constructed within a rectangular area formed by lines perpendicular to and two miles (10,560 feet) from each end of any runway and by lines parallel to and one-half mile (2,640 feet) from each side of any runway.(b) Environmental considerations. Development of a facility site and facility construction shall be governed by state and local regulations and requirements with respect to the effect of noise and traffic on the community and the environmental impact on air and water.(c) Facility site.(1) Paved roads and walkways. Paved roads shall be provided within the lot lines to provide access from public roads to the main entrance, entrances serving community activities, and to service entrances, including loading and unloading docks for delivery trucks. Finished surface walkways shall be provided for pedestrians.(2) Parking. Off-street parking shall be available for visitors, employees, and staff. Parking structures directly accessible from a facility shall be separated with two-hour fire rated noncombustible construction. When used as required means of egress for facility occupants, parking structures shall comply with National Fire Protection Association 88A, Standard for Parking Structures, 1998 edition. This requirement does not apply to freestanding parking structures.(A) Number of parking places. In the absence of a formal parking study, one parking space shall be provided for each day shift employee plus one space for one and one-half patient beds. This ratio may be reduced in an area convenient to a public transportation system or to public parking facilities on the basis of a formal parking study. Parking shall be increased accordingly when the size of an existing facility is increased.(B) Additional parking. Additional parking shall be required to accommodate medical staff, outpatient and other services when such services are provided.(C) Delivery parking. Separate parking facilities shall be provided for delivery vehicles.(D) Accessible parking. Parking spaces for persons with disabilities shall be provided in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, Public Law 101-336, 42 United States Code, Chapter 126, and