Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
(401) 889-5551 phone
(401) 889-5279 fax
711 TTY
FIRE SAFETY CODE - BOARD OF APPEAL AND REVIEW
560 Jefferson Boulevard
Suite 202
Warwick, RI 02886
DECISION
FILE NO.: 160111
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 9-11 Sherman Street, Newport, RI
APPLICANT: James L. Paradise 35 Peckham Lane Middletown, RI 02842
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Apartment
DATE OF DECISION: 2016-10-05
As indicated in the file, a hearing involving the above-captioned property was conducted on September 27, 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 Filippi, Jackson, Booth, Thornton and Davison.
AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION: Assistant Deputy  State Fire Marshal Chris Mahoney of the Newport Fire Marshals Office.
APPLICANT: James Paradise.
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 James L. Paradise (owner) of 35 Peckham Lane, Middletown, RI dated July 22, 2016.
3.	The Application was received by the Board and File  160111 opened on July 27, 2016.
4.	A hearing on the Application was conducted on September 27, 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 Jackson to grant the Applicant the relief as outlined herein.  The motion passed on a 6 to 0 vote.

RECORD OF THE CASE

The following documents are part of the administrative record for Appeal  160111 and are pertinent to the decision rendered:

1.	Variance Application  160111 dated July 22, 2016 and filed on July 27, 2016.
2.	Newport Fire Marshals Office Inspection Report dated May 23, 2016.

EXHIBITS

The following documents were presented at the September 27, 2016 hearing as exhibits:

1.	None.

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 May 23, 2016 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 September 27, 2016 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the May 23, 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 3-story with basement apartment (5 unit) occupancy consisting of approximately six thousand seventy-nine (6,079) square feet and originally built in 1870.
3.	The building is of Type V (000) construction and does not have a compliant fire alarm system and is not provided with an approved automatic sprinkler system.
4.	There is no objection by the Newport 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 ninety (90) days from the date of the decision to comply with the provisions of RILSC section 31.1.1.1.1 by installing an approved fire alarm system throughout the facility, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Newport Fire Marshals Office.
2.	The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above to comply with the provisions of RILSC section 31.3.4.5.1 by providing this facility with approved smoke alarms, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Newport Fire Marshal's Office.
3.	The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above to comply with the provisions of RILSC section 31.3.4.6.1 by providing this facility with approved carbon monoxide (CO) alarms, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Newport Fire Marshal's Office.
4.	The Board hereby grants the Applicant seven (7) days from the date of this hearing to comply with the provisions of RILSC section 31.3.5.12 by providing this facility with approved portable fire extinguishers, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Newport Fire Marshals Office.
5.	The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above to comply with the provisions of RILSC section 31.3.2.1.1 by protecting any furnace or boiler with a domestically-supplied sprinkler head(s) installed in accordance with RILSC section 9.7.1.2, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Newport Fire Marshals Office.
6.	The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above to comply with the provisions of RILSC sections 31.3.6.2.1 and 31.3.6.2.3 by providing doors with not less than a 20-minute fire protection rating that are self-closing and self-latching in the egress system of this facility, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Newport Fire Marshal's Office.

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)].
rhode island coat of arms A Rhode Island Government Web site