Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

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FIRE SAFETY CODE - BOARD OF APPEAL AND REVIEW
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DECISION
FILE NO.: 170061
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 25 Bridge Street, Providence, RI
APPLICANT: Moshe Gabai 99 Walton Street Providence, RI 02908
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Assembly
DATE OF DECISION: 2017-08-24
As indicated in the file, a hearing involving the above-captioned property was conducted on Tuesday, August 8, 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 Pearson, Sylvester, Booth and Thornton.
AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION: Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshal Scott Mooney, Sr. of the Providence Fire Marshals Office.
APPLICANT: Moshe Gabai.
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 Moshe Gabai (owner) of 99 Walton Street, Providence, RI dated April 4, 2017.
3.	The Application was received by the Board and File  170061 was opened on April 18, 2017.
4.	The property was previously before the Board on August 23, 2016 at which time Decision  160117 was issued dated September 14, 2016.
5.	A hearing on the Application was conducted on August 8, 2017 at 1:00 PM before the Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review.
6.	After all evidence was presented at the hearing, a motion was made by Commissioner Thornton and seconded by Commissioner Pearson 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  170061 and are pertinent to the decision rendered:

1.	Variance Application  170061 dated April 4, 2017 and filed on April 18, 2017.
2.	Providence Fire Marshals Office Inspection Report [email] dated April 7, 2017.
3.	Decision  160117 dated September 14, 2016.

EXHIBITS

The following documents were presented at the August 8, 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 April 7, 2017 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 August 8, 2017 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the April 7, 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 2-story assembly occupancy.
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.	Within the facility is a so-called humidor room consisting of approximately sixty-four (64) square feet which lacks any fire alarm initiating device.
5.	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.	FIRE ALARM SYSTEM: The Board grants the Applicant a time variance of sixty (60) days from the date of the decision to comply with the provisions of RILSC section 9.6.2.11(2) by installing an approved fire alarm initiating device within the humidor room, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the Providence Fire Marshals 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).

Finally, the Board hereby authorizes the Providence 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.

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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