Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

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DECISION
FILE NO.: 090270
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 304 Hooper Street
APPLICANT: Director Lee D. Grossi 2B Tamarac Drive Greenville, RI 02828
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Residential Board and Care
DATE OF DECISION: 2011-12-01
The above-captioned case was scheduled for hearing on October 4, 2011 at 1:00 P.M.  At that time, Chairman Newbrook, Vice Chairperson Filippi and Commissioners Dias, Pearson, Jasparro, Jackson, Sylvester, Burlingame, Blackburn and Richard were present.  The fire service was represented by Deputy State Fire Marshal Paul Manning of the State Fire Marshals Office.  A motion was made by Commissioner Pearson and seconded by Commissioner Sylvester to grant the Applicant relief as outlined herein.  The motion passed over the opposition vote of Commissioner Jackson.

FINDINGS OF FACT
	The numbers of the Decision below correspond in sequence with those of an October 28, 2010 inspection report compiled by the State Fire Marshals Office.  The above report was utilized by the Board, the Applicant and the State Fire Marshals Office during the October 4, 2011 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the October 28, 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.  (10-2877-VN).  During the October 4, 2011 hearing on this matter, the Board was advised that deficiency 1 would be moot with the installation of a sprinkler system as outlined in item 2 below.  Accordingly, 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 for the correction of deficiency 1 and an additional 150 days in order to implement the above plan of action at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State Fire Marshals Office.
	2.  (10-2876-VN).  The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above in order to correct deficiency 2 by providing this facility with an approved sprinkler system.
	3.  (10-2878-VN).  The Board hereby grants the Applicant a variance from the provisions of section 33.2.2.6.1 and its referenced standards in order to allow the Applicant to maintain the existing internal spiral staircase within this facility.  The Board notes that this variance is based upon the current nature and concentration of occupancy within this facility and that any change of these factors may potentially void this variance.
	4.  (10-2875-VN).  The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above in order to correct deficiency 4 by providing this facility with a local fire alarm system.

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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