Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

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DECISION
FILE NO.: 180095A
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 294 Great Island Road, Narragansett, RI
APPLICANT: William Tetlow 294 Great Island Road Narragansett, RI 02882
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Mixed
DATE OF DECISION: 2019-12-13
As indicated in the file, a hearing involving the above-captioned property was conducted on Tuesday, December 3, 2019 before the Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review [hereinafter the Board], pursuant to Rhode Island General Laws [RIGL] section 23-28.3-5.
	In attendance at the hearing were the following:
COMMISSIONERS: Chairman Newbrook and Commissioners Pearson, Walker, Thornton and Muto.
AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION: Deputy State Fire Marshal Christopher Moore of the State Fire Marshals Office.
APPLICANT: William Tetlow.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: W. Keith Burlingame, Esq.

TRAVEL OF THE CASE

1.	This is an Application for Variance filed under RIGL 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 William Tetlow (owner) of 294 Great Island Road, Narragansett, RI dated November 26, 2019.
3.	The Application was received by the Board and File  180095A was opened on November 26, 2019.
4.	The matter was previously before the Board on September 18, 2108 at which time Decision  180095 was issued dated September 27, 2018.
5.	A subsequent hearing on the Application was conducted on December 3, 2019 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 Pearson 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  180095 and are pertinent to the decision rendered:

1.	Variance Application  180095A dated November 26, 2019 and filed on November 26, 2019.
2.	Decision  180095 dated September 27, 2018.

EXHIBITS

The following documents were presented at the December 3, 2019 hearing as exhibits:

1.	Applicants  A: Sprinkler quote from Total Fire Services dated November 27, 2019.

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 Decision  180095 issued September 25, 2018. The above Decision was utilized by the Board, the Applicant and the State Fire Marshals Office during the December 3, 2019 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the September 25, 2018 Decision 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 multiple/mixed use (assembly and mercantile) occupancy consisting of approximately nine thousand seven hundred seventy-six (9,776) square feet (gross area) and originally built in 1956.
3.	The building is of Type V (000) construction, has a compliant fire alarm system and is provided with an approved (with deficiencies) automatic sprinkler system.
4.	The maximum occupant load of the facility has been calculated at one hundred seventy (170) persons.
5.	There is no objection by the State Fire Marshals Office to the granting of the relief outlined herein.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW AND
DETERMINATIONS ON VARIANCE REQUESTS

References to NFPA shall mean the National Fire Protection Association; references to the Rhode Island Fire Code [RIFC] shall mean NFPA 1, (2012 edition) as reserved and amended by 450-RICR-00-00-7; and, references to the Rhode Island Life Safety Code [RILSC] shall mean NFPA 101, (2012 edition) as reserved and amended by 450-RICR-00-00-8.

The below item, originally set forth in Decision  180095, is hereby amended as follows:

11: The Board hereby grants the Applicant an additional time variance of thirty (30) days from the date of this decision to submit a plan of action for the installation of exterior second floor deck sprinklers to the State Fire Marshal's Office for approval.  The Board further grants the Applicant a time variance until June 1, 2020 to implement this plan and have the sprinklers operation prior to the full-time seasonal use of the facility.  In consideration of the relief granted herein, the Board directs the Applicant to limit use of the second floor assembly space during this period to no more than eight (8) single special functions or events and that a uniformed firefighter detail be provided for at each event in accordance with RILSC section 13.7.6.10, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State 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 constitutes a final order of the Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review as set forth in RIGL 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 [FSC] section 450-RICR-00-00-1.7.2(V)].
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: FSC section 450-RICR-00-00-1.7.2(W)].  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 FSC or a revision of the above-cited classification.  [See: FSC section 450-RICR-00-00-1.7.2(X)].
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 RIGL section 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:  FSC section 450-RICR-00-00-1.7.2(Y)].
4.	In accordance with RIGL section 23-28.3-5(e), any person who violates a final order of the Board may be subject to prosecution in the District Court with possible imprisonment for a term not exceeding one (1) year, or fined not more than one thousand dollars (1000) for each offense.
5.	In accordance with RIGL section 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: FSC section 450-RICR-00-00-1.7.2(R)].  Commencement of such an action does not operate as an automatic stay of this Decision [See: RIGL section 42-35-15(c)].
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