Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

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DECISION
FILE NO.: 090093
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 325 West Shore Road (Bldg C), Warwick
APPLICANT: Mr. Todd David DeFelice Management 3970 Post Road Warwick, RI 02886
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Apartment
DATE OF DECISION: 2010-03-19
The above-captioned cases were scheduled for hearing before a subcommittee of the Board on October 15, 2009 at 9:30 A.M.  At that time, Acting Chairman Jasparro and Commissioners Dias and Filippi were present.  The fire service was represented by Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshal Peter Marietti of the Warwick Fire Marshals Office.  A motion was made by Commissioner Filippi and seconded by Commissioner Dias to recommend to the full Board that it grant the Applicant the relief outlined herein.  The motion was unanimous.  
The above subcommittee recommendations were thereupon presented to the full Board on October 20, 2009 at 1:00 P.M.  At that time, Chairman Coutu, Vice Chairman Newbrook and Commissioners Preiss, Blackburn, Richard, Walker, Jasparro, Dias and Filippi were present.  A motion to approve the subcommittee recommendations was made by Vice Chairman Newbrook and seconded by Commissioner Walker.  The motion was unanimous.  Accordingly, the subcommittee determination has the status of a full Board decision.
FINDINGS OF FACT
	The numbers of the Decision below correspond with those of a March 9, 2006 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 October 15, 2009 subcommittee hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the March 9, 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 
	1-4.  It is the understanding of the Board that the Applicant has corrected deficiencies 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the March 9, 2006 inspection report.
	5.  The Board hereby grants a variance from the provisions of section 31.2.4.4 for those units within Buildings A and B that maintain a single means of egress.  This variance is based upon existing conditions and structural hardship and the fact that the Applicant has provided these facilities with a municipally connected fire alarm system.  In light of the above, the Warwick Fire Marshal's office has no objection based on structural hardship and in light of the municipal fire alarm connection.
	6.  The Board hereby directs the Applicant to correct deficiency 6 by sealing the cited gaps and penetrations at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Warwick Fire Marshal's office, and further by providing the furnace room of Building B with an approved domestically supplied sprinkler head installed at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Warwick Fire Marshal's office.  The Board hereby grants the Applicant a time variance of thirty (30) days from the date of this decision in which to make the above corrections.
	7.  The Board hereby directs the Applicant to correct deficiency 7 by sealing off the cited penetrations in Building C at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Warwick Fire Marshal's office within thirty (30) days of the date of this decision.
	8.  It is the understanding of the Board that the Applicant has corrected deficiency 8 at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Warwick Fire Marshal's 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 submitting a written appeal of the above subcommittee recommendations to the entire Fire Board for review, pursuant to Board Rule 6-2-9.  The Applicant shall thereupon be scheduled for hearing before the full Board of Appeal & Review.  Commencement of such an action does not operate as an automatic stay of this decision (RIGL 42-35-15(c)).
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