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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Warwick, RI 02886
DECISION
FILE NO.: 110027
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 800 West Shore Road
APPLICANT: Mr. Abdel Elidrissi P.O. Box 6716 Warwick, RI 02887
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Mercantile
DATE OF DECISION: 2011-05-20
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 Matthew ODonnell of the Warwick Fire Marshals Office.  A motion was made by Commissioner Walker and seconded by Commissioner Jasparro 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 a December 21, 2010 inspection report compiled by the Warwick Fire Marshals Office.  The above report was utilized by the Board, the Applicant and the Warwick Fire Marshals Office during the March 8, 2011 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the December 21, 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 
	1-4.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant a time variance of thirty (30) days from the date of this decision in which to develop and submit plans for the correction of deficiencies 1, 2, 3 and 4 to the Warwick Fire Marshals Office.  The Board further grants the Applicant an additional 150 days to implement the above plans at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Warwick Fire Marshals Office.  Finally, the Board hereby authorizes the Warwick Fire Marshals Office to extend either or both of the above timelines for good faith efforts being shown by the Applicant.
	5.  During the March 8, 2011 hearing on this matter, the Board was advised that the inspection report needed to be corrected in order to reflect the fact that the building has four (4) unprotected vertical openings from the basement.  The Board hereby directs the Applicant to protect the cited vertical openings at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Warwick Fire Marshals Office.  Specifically, once the Warwick Fire Marshal is satisfied that the Applicant has provided reasonable protection of the vertical openings, they shall be deemed to be in compliance.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in items 1-4 above in order to make these corrections.
	6.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant the option of correcting deficiency 6 by either separating the fuel-fired heating units of this facility or by providing one or more domestic sprinkler heads in this area, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Warwick Fire Marshals Office.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in items 1-4 above in order to make this correction at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Warwick 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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