As indicated in the file, a hearing involving the above-captioned property was conducted on Tuesday, May 16, 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, Booth, Thornton and Davison.
AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION: Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshals Michael DeMello and Robert Ferguson of the Bristol Fire Marshals Office.
APPLICANT: Lloyd Adams 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 Lloyd Adams (owner) of 474 Hope Street, Bristol, RI dated May 10, 2017.
3.	The Application was received by the Board and File  170065 was opened on May 11, 2017.
4.	A hearing on the Application was conducted on May 16, 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 Pearson and seconded by Commissioner Booth 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  170065 and are pertinent to the decision rendered:

1.	Variance Application  170065 dated May 10, 2017 and filed on May 11, 2017.
2.	Bristol Fire Marshals Office Inspection Report dated May 2, 2017.
3.	Applicants [Jensen Hughes] plan of action dated May 12, 2017.

EXHIBITS

The following documents were presented at the May 16, 2017 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 2, 2017 inspection report compiled by the Bristol Fire Marshals Office.  The above report was utilized by the Board, the Applicant and the Bristol Fire Marshals Office during the May 16, 2017 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the May 2, 2017 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 rooming house (bed & breakfast) occupancy consisting of approximately seven thousand four hundred nine (7,409) square feet (gross area) and originally built in 1792 and converted to a rooming house in 1995.
3.	The building is of Type V (000) construction and does not have a compliant fire alarm system and is provided with an approved automatic [13R] sprinkler system.
4.	A combination of hard-wired & battery operated smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms are provided in the buildings dwelling units.
5.	There is no objection by the Bristol Fire Marshals Office to the granting of the relief outlined herein.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW AND
DETERMINATIONS ON VARIANCE REQUESTS

1.	FIRE ALARM SYSTEM: 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 26.1.1.1.6 by developing and submitting a plan of action for the installation of an approved fire alarm system in accordance with section 9.6 throughout the facility.  The Board further grants the Applicant an additional one hundred fifty (150) days in order to implement the above plan of action, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Bristol Fire Marshals Office.
2.	SMOKE/CO ALARMS: The Board hereby grants the Applicant the time variance outlined in item 1 above to comply with the provisions of RILSC section 26.1.1.1.6 and 26.1.1.1.4 by providing this facility with approved smoke alarms in accordance with section 9.6.2.10, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Bristol Fire Marshal's Office.
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).

Finally, the Board hereby authorizes the Bristol Fire Marshals Office to extend the above timeline(s) for good faith compliance efforts being demonstrated by the Applicant in accordance with the provisions of Fire Safety Code, section 6-2-22.1.

The Board directs that this file may be reopened if necessary in order to allow the Applicant to return in the future should additional relief be required for the completion of this project.

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)].