Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

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DECISION
FILE NO.: 090290
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 718 Bellevue Avenue
APPLICANT: Mr. William Connerton 52 Hammond Street Newport, RI 02840
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Apartment
DATE OF DECISION: 2011-05-11
The above-captioned case was scheduled for hearing on March 8, 2011 at 1:00 P.M.  At that time, Chairman Newbrook and Commissioners Walker, Filippi, Dias and Jasparro were present.  The fire service was represented by Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshal Ray Gomes of the Newport Fire Marshals Office.  A motion was made by Commissioner Walker 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 23, 2006 inspection report compiled by the Newport Fire Marshals Office.  The above report was utilized by the Board, the Applicant and the Newport Fire Marshals Office during the March 8, 2011 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the October 23, 2006 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 Newport Fire Marshals Office.
	6.  The Board hereby grants a variance from the provisions of sections 31.3.3.2, 31.3.6.5 and 31.3.6.7 in order to allow the Applicant to protect the cited glass window and door panels in the front hall on the third floor partition of this facility with a sprinkler head or heads off the domestically supplied system, installed at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Newport Fire Marshals Office.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant a time variance of thirty (30) days from the date of this decision in which to submit a plan of action to the Newport Fire Marshals Office for the correction of this deficiency as outlined above.  The Board further grants the Applicant an additional 120 days in order to implement the above plan of action.
	7-8.  It is the understanding of the Board that the Applicant has corrected deficiencies 7 and 8.
	9.  It is the understanding of the Board that deficiency 9 is not applicable to this building.
	10.  The Board hereby grants a variance from the provisions of section 31.3.6.2 in order to allow the Applicant to improve the fire resistance of the cited panel doors in the front hall with an approved Class A finish, installed at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Newport Fire Marshals Office.
	11.  It is the understanding of the Board that the Applicant has apparently corrected deficiency 11.
	12.  It is the understanding of the Board that the Applicant has corrected deficiency 12.
	13.  During the March 8, 2011 hearing on this matter, the Board was advised that the Applicant would correct deficiency 13 as proposed.  The Board hereby approves the proposed plan of correction.
	14.  It is the understanding of the Board that the Applicant has corrected deficiency 14.
	15.  It is the understanding of the Board that item 15 does not apply to this building.

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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