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.: 160070
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 100 Glasgow Street, Providence, RI
APPLICANT: Donna Shammas c/o Phoenix Property Management, Inc. 250 Centerville Road - E11 Warwick, RI 02886
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Apartment
DATE OF DECISION: 2016-07-14
As indicated in the file, a hearing involving the above-captioned property was conducted on June 28, 2016 before the Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review, pursuant to RI General Laws Section 23-28.3-5.
	In attendance at the hearing were the following:
COMMISSIONERS: Chairman Newbrook and Commissioners Walker, Booth, Thornton and Davison.
AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION: Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshal Keith Maine of the Providence Fire Marshals Office.
APPLICANT: Richard Hitt and Timothy Wensus.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: W. Keith Burlingame, Esq.

TRAVEL OF THE CASE

1.	This is an Application for Variance filed under R.I.G.L. Chapter 23-28.3, entitled Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review, and the Administrative Regulations promulgated thereunder.
2.	The Application was filed by Donna Shammas (authorized representative) of Phoenix Property Management, Inc., 250 Centerville Road -- E11, Warwick, RI dated April 21, 2016.
3.	The Application was received by the Board and File  160070 opened on May 5, 2016.
4.	A hearing on the Application was conducted on June 28, 2016 at 1:00 PM before the Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review.
5.	After all evidence was presented at the hearing, a motion was made by Commissioner Thornton and seconded by Commissioner Walker to grant the Applicant the relief as outlined herein.  The motion passed on a 5 to 0 vote.

RECORD OF THE CASE

The following documents are part of the administrative record for Appeal  160070 and are pertinent to the decision rendered:

1.	Variance Application  160070 dated April 21, 2016 and filed on May 5, 2016.
2.	Providence Fire Marshals Office Inspection Report dated March 24, 2016.
3.	Letter of authorization for Phoenix Property Management, Inc. from John J. Padien III of Independent Living of RI dated April 28, 2016.

EXHIBITS

The following documents were presented at the June 28, 2016 hearing as exhibits:

1.	Applicants [Jensen Hughes] plan of action dated June 28, 2016.

FINDINGS OF FACT

	Based on the testimony and evidence introduced at the hearing and a review of the administrative file, the Board makes the following Finding of Fact:

1.	The numbers of the Decision below correspond with those of the March 24, 2016 inspection report compiled by the Providence Fire Marshals Office.  The above report was utilized by the Board, the Applicant and the Providence Fire Marshals Office during the June 28, 2016 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the March 24, 2016 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.
2.	The building is an existing 2-story apartment occupancy consisting of approximately twenty-four thousand eight hundred thirty-eight (24,838) square feet and originally built in 1994.
3.	The building is of Type III (000) construction and does not have a compliant fire alarm system and is provided with an approved automatic sprinkler system.
4.	There is no objection by the Providence Fire Marshals Office to the granting of the relief outlined herein.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW AND
DETERMINATIONS ON VARIANCE REQUESTS

1.	The Board grants the Applicant a time variance of thirty (30) days from the date of the decision to comply with the provisions of RILSC section 9.6.11.5 by developing and submitting a plan of action for the installation of an approved fire alarm system throughout the facility.  The Board further grants the Applicant an additional eleven (11) months in order to implement the above plan of action, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Providence Fire Marshals Office.
2.	The Board hereby grants the Applicant thirty (30) days from the date of this hearing to comply with the provisions of RILSC section 9.6.7.2.1 by providing this facility with an approved fire alarm directory or zone map, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Providence Fire Marshals Office.
3.	This deficiency has been corrected.
4.	The Board grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above to comply with the provisions of NFPA 72 (2010 edition) section 18.4.5.1 by installing approved fire alarm system notification throughout the facility, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Providence Fire Marshals Office.
5.	The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above to comply with the provisions of NFPA 72 (2010 edition) section 18.4.2.1 by providing this facility with approved fire alarm system notification, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Providence Fire Marshal's Office.
6.	This deficiency has been corrected.
7.	This deficiency has been corrected.

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 Authority Having Jurisdiction (State Fire Marshal, his or her designated Deputy State Fire Marshals and/or Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshals).

STATUS OF DECISION AND APPEAL RIGHTS

1.	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: Fire Safety Code, section 6-2-22).
2.	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: Fire Safety Code, section 6-2-23.)  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: Fire Safety Code, section 6-2-24).
3.	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:  Fire Safety Code, section 6-2-25).
4.	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.  (See: Fire Safety Code, section 6-2-18).  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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