Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
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FIRE SAFETY CODE - BOARD OF APPEAL AND REVIEW
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DECISION
FILE NO.: 100190
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 191 MacArthur Boulevard
APPLICANT: Town of Coventry 1670 Flat River Road Coventry, RI 02816
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Mixed
DATE OF DECISION: 2010-11-15
The above-captioned case was scheduled for hearing on August 10, 2010 at 1:00 P.M.  At that time, Chairman Coutu, Vice Chairman Newbrook and Commissioners Richard, Pearson, Jackson, Preiss, Dias and Jasparro were present.  The fire service was represented by Deputy State Fire Marshal Christopher Moore of the State Fire Marshals Office along with Captain Perra of the Coventry Fire Marshals office.  A motion was made by Vice Chairman Newbrook and seconded by Commissioners Jackson and Richard to grant the Applicant relief as outlined herein.  The motion was unanimous.

FINDINGS OF FACT
	The numbers of the Decision below correspond in sequence with those of a July 2, 2010 inspection report compiled by the State Fire Marshals Office.  The above report was utilized by the Board, the Applicant, the Coventry Fire Marshals Office and the State Fire Marshals Office during the August 10, 2010 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the July 2, 2010 inspection report as its initial findings of fact.  Any modification of the Boards findings, such as correction of a deficiency by the Applicant, shall be noted herein.
 
Any deficiency understood by the Board to have been corrected, which is not so corrected, shall be immediately corrected by the Applicant.  The term approved, as used herein, is understood to mean in accordance with the specific provisions related to the particular subject as are contained in this Code, or as approved in particular by the State Fire Marshal or his or her designee.

CONCLUSIONS AND VARIANCE REQUESTS 
	1-3.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant a time variance of thirty (30) days in which to develop and submit a plan of action and 150 days to implement that plan of action for the correction of deficiencies 1, 2 and 3 at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State Fire Marshals office.  The Board further notes that the State Fire Marshals office may extend the above timelines for good faith efforts being shown by the Applicant.
	4.  The Board hereby grants a variance in order to allow the Applicant to maintain the cited elevator (10-1335-VN) without emergency recall function.
	5.  During the August 10, 2010 hearing on this matter, the Board was advised that the subject facility is barely fifty percent above grade and primarily utilized for storage.  Accordingly, the State Fire Marshals office had no objection to granting relief from sprinkler coverage.  Specifically, the Board hereby grants a variance covering deficiency 10-1338-VN.  The Board further notes that this relief is based upon the State Fire Marshals interpretation and the intensity of use as opposed to a financial hardship.
	6-7.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time relief granted in items 1, 2 and 3 above to allow the Applicant to correct deficiencies 6 and 7 within the above schedule at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State Fire Marshals office.  Again, the State Fire Marshals office may extend the above timelines.  

STATUS OF DECISION AND APPEAL RIGHTS
	This Decision represents a comprehensive, integrated plan of fire safety for the above-captioned facility under the above-cited use or occupancy.  Accordingly, every variance granted is conditioned upon the Applicants timely and continued compliance with all of the directives of the Board. Every variance granted is further conditioned upon the continued use or occupancy of this facility under the above-cited classification reviewed by the Board.  (See: Board Rules and Regulations, section 6-2-17).
	Failure of the Applicant to initially comply with the full Decision of the Board, within the stated time frame, shall void all variances granted herein.  (See: Board Rules and Regulations, section 6-2-18.)  In the event of complete, timely and continued compliance with the full Decision of the Board, the above cited variances shall be deemed to have vested in the above-captioned facility.  As long as this facility is in continued compliance with the full Decision of the Board, the above-cited variances shall remain with this facility in the absence of any change in use or occupancy mandating review under a separate classification of the Fire Code or a revision of the above-cited classification.  (See: Board Rules and Regulations, section 6-2-19).  
Such changes in use or occupancy of this facility, or failure to continually comply with the Boards Decision shall void all variances granted under the above-cited use or occupancy.  If such change creates a new use or occupancy as outlined in R.I.G.L. 23-28.1-6, all variances granted under the original use or occupancy are void and this facility shall be reviewed under the newly created use or occupancy.  (See: Board Rules and Regulations, section 6-2-20).
	The Applicant may appeal the Boards Decision, within thirty (30) days of the mailing date of this Decision, by commencing an action against the State Fire Marshal in the Sixth division of the District Court.  Commencement of such an action does not operate as an automatic stay of this Decision [R.I.G.L. 42-35-15(c)].
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