Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

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DECISION
FILE NO.: 160181
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 3070 Pawtucket Avenue (Field House), East Providence, RI
APPLICANT: Peter Costa c/o St. Mary Academy - Bay View 3070 Pawtucket Avenue Riverside, RI 02915
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Assembly
DATE OF DECISION: 2017-05-25
As indicated in the file, a hearing involving the above-captioned property was conducted on Tuesday, May 9, 2017 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, Pearson, Walker, Sylvester, Thornton and Davison.
AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION: Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshals Kenneth Botelho and James Bellamy of the East Providence Fire Marshals Office.
APPLICANT: Timothy Wensus, Peter Costa, Kevin Harrop and Barbara Haynes.
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 Peter Costa (authorized representative) of St. Mary Academy - Bay View, 3070 Pawtucket Avenue, RI dated December 21, 2016.
3.	The Application was received by the Board and File  160181 was opened on December 28, 2016.
4.	A hearing on the Application was conducted on May 9, 2017 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 Sylvester to grant the Applicant the relief as outlined herein.  The motion passed on a 7 to 0 vote.

RECORD OF THE CASE

The following documents are part of the administrative record for Appeal  160181 and are pertinent to the decision rendered:

1.	Variance Application  160181 dated December 21, 2016 and filed on December 28, 2016.
2.	East Providence Fire Marshals Office Inspection Report dated November 30, 2016.
3.	Reschedule Notice dated March 20, 2017.
4.	Email to Board from ADSFM Kenneth Botelho of the East Providence Fire Marshals Office dated February 27, 2017.
5.	Request for continuance from Barbara Haynes dated February 23, 2017.

EXHIBITS

The following documents were presented at the May 9, 2017 hearing as exhibits:

1.	Applicants Google Maps aerial site photograph.

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 November 30, 2016 inspection report compiled by the East Providence Fire Marshals Office.  The above report was utilized by the Board, the Applicant and the East Providence Fire Marshals Office during the May 9, 2017 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the November 30, 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 1-story assembly occupancy consisting of approximately twenty-eight thousand three hundred seventy-two (28,372) square feet (living area) and originally built in 2002.
3.	The building is of Type II (000) construction and has a compliant fire alarm system and is provided with an approved automatic sprinkler system.
4.	There is no objection by the East Providence Fire Marshals Office to the granting of the relief outlined herein.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW AND
DETERMINATIONS ON VARIANCE REQUESTS

1.	The Board hereby grants the Applicant seven (7) days from the date of this hearing to comply with the provisions of RIFC section 20.1.5.10.3 by providing this facility with approved occupant load posting signage, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the East Providence Fire Marshals Office.
2.	This deficiency has been corrected.
3.	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 constitutes a final order of the Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review as set forth in R.I.G.L. section 42-35-12 and 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.	In accordance with R.I.G.L 42-35-12, 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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