Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

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DECISION
FILE NO.: 110005
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 2-4 South Main Street
APPLICANT: Vintage Restaurant 2 South Main Street Woonsocket, RI 02895
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Assembly
DATE OF DECISION: 2011-04-21
The above-captioned case was scheduled for hearing on February 8, 2011 at 1:00 P.M.  At that time, Chairman Newbrook and Commissioners Pearson, Preiss, Blackburn, Dias and Jasparro were present.  The fire service was represented by Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshal Francis Dunton of the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office.  A motion was made by Commissioner Jasparro and seconded by Commissioner Dias to grant the Applicant relief as outlined herein.  The motion was unanimous.

FINDINGS OF FACT
	The numbers of the Decision below correspond with those of an October 12, 2010 inspection report compiled by the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office.  The above report was utilized by the Board, the Applicant and the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office during the February 8, 2011 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the October 12, 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 
	1-5.  It is the understanding of the Board that the Applicant has corrected deficiencies 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office.
	6.  During the February 8, 2011 hearing on this matter, the Board was advised that this is a fully sprinklered building and that the Applicant has requested relief to be allowed to provide a rated door which would open into a stair enclosure to maintain certain equipment.  The Board was further advised that the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office had no objection to this plan of action.  Accordingly, the Board hereby grants a variance from the provisions of section 7.1.3.2 and its referenced standards in order to allow the Applicant to provide a rated door to open into the stair enclosure in order to allow the Applicant to maintain certain equipment within the enclosure, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office.  In granting this relief, it is the understanding of the Board that the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office had no objection.
	7-14.  It is the understanding of the Board that the Applicant has corrected deficiencies 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Woonsocket Fire Marshals Office.

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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