A hearing involving the above-captioned property was conducted on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 before the Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review [hereinafter the Board], pursuant to Rhode Island General Laws [RIGL] sections 23-28.3-5, 42-35-9 and 42-46-3. 
 
In attendance at the hearing were the following: 
COMMISSIONERS: Vice-Chairperson Thornton and Commissioners ODonnell, Muto, Spaziani, Walsh & Horan. 
AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION [AHJ]: Deputy State Fire Marshal Robbie Lopez of the State Fire Marshals Office. 
APPELLANT: Julie Conant and Timothy Cotter. 
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: W. Keith Burlingame, Esq. 
 
TRAVEL OF THE CASE 
 
1.	This is an Application for Appeal submitted 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 submitted by Ross Draper (authorized representative) of 333 High Street, Block Island, RI dated July 7, 2025. 
3.	The Application was processed by the Board and Appeal  2025099 was filed on July 11, 2025. 
4.	A hearing on the Application was conducted on September 30, 2025 at 1:00 PM before the Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review. 
5.	After consideration of the application, the testimony of the witnesses and of the entire record presented to the Board, and after carefully reviewing such information, a motion was made by Commissioner Horan and seconded by Commissioner Walsh to grant the Appellant 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  2025099 and are pertinent to the decision rendered: 
 
1.	Appeal Application  FVA-25-99 submitted on July 7, 2025 and filed on July 11, 2025. 
a.	Letter of authorization [Lease Agreement] for Garden Lot, LLC (Rita Draper) from The Paul F. Cotter Revocable Trust (Julie Conant) dated May 1, 2024. 
2.	State Fire Marshals Office Inspection Report dated June 12, 2025. 
3.	Appellants request [email] for continuance dated August 22, 2025. 
4.	Reschedule Notice dated August 25, 2025. 
 
EXHIBITS 
 
The following documents were presented at the September 30, 2025 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 Findings of Fact: 
 
1.	The numbers of the determinations below correspond with those of the June 12, 2025 inspection report compiled by the State Fire Marshals Office.  The above report was utilized by the Board, the Appellant and the State Fire Marshals Office during the September 30, 2025 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the June 12, 2025 inspection report as its initial findings of fact.  Any modification of the Boards findings relating to this report, such as correction of a deficiency by the Appellant, shall be noted herein. 
2.	The building is 3-story above grade building with a basement level, classified as a hotel occupancy, consisting of approximately six thousand one hundred eighteen (6,118) square feet (gross area) and originally built in 1900. 
3.	The building is of Type V (000) construction, a compliant fire alarm system with emergency forces notification and not provided with an approved automatic sprinkler system. 
4.	The Board finds through the testimony of the Appellant that the facility is primarily seasonal in operation [May 1st through October 1st] however there are also a varying number of residents year-round, typically staff of this and other facilities. 
5.	The Board finds through the testimony of the parties that the following deficiencies/violations have been corrected:  1-4 & 7. 
6.	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, (2018 edition) as incorporated by reference and amended by 450-RICR-00-00-7; and, references to the Rhode Island Life Safety Code [RILSC] shall mean NFPA 101, (2018 edition) as incorporated by reference and amended by 450-RICR-00-00-8. 
 
5.	EGRESS: The Board hereby grants the Appellant a time variance of thirty (30) days from the date of to comply with the provisions of RILSC section 29.7.4 by developing and providing emergency instructions for guests, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State Fire Marshals Office. 
6.	EGRESS: The Board hereby grants the Appellant a time variance until May 1, 2026 to comply with the provisions of RILSC sections 29.2.1.2 & 24.2 by providing this facility with a secondary means of escape for each guest room, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State Fire Marshals Office.  In consideration of the relief granted herein, the Board directs the Appellant to limit the occupancy of any year-round residents to the guest rooms on the first floor; to utilize the rooms with two (2) existing means of escape first; and, that there shall be no occupancy of guest rooms on the second floor until they are brought into compliance. 
 
Any deficiency understood by the Board to have been corrected, which is not so corrected, shall be immediately corrected by the Appellant.  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 Appellants 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(W)]. 
2.	Failure of the Appellant 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(Y)].  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(Z)]. 
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(AA)]. 
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 Appellant 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: RIGL section 23-28.3-6 and FSC section 450-RICR-00-00-1.7.2(S)].  Commencement of such an action does not operate as an automatic stay of this Decision [See: RIGL section 42-35-15(c)].