Lisa Redmond| The Millbury-Sutton Chronicle

Owner says complaintsmiscommunication

MILLBURY Two months after the town issued a cease-and-desist order against The Care Factory, closing the cannabis-focused art studio and event venue at 175 West Main St., one selectman said she has received numerous complaints that the venue is planning a ladies' pole dancing contest.

Selectman Mary Krumsiek received numerous complaints about the business including an email, which she forwarded to the police chief, that advertises for staff for aladies' pole dancingcontest.

At the Dec. 8 meeting, selectman chairman Mary Krumsiek reported she has received numerous complaints about the business including an email, which she forwarded to the police chief, that advertises for staff for the contest.

But Joe Dion, owner and operator of The Care Factory, told the Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, this is a case of miscommunication.

The pole dancing is nothing risqu, he said. Rather, its a ladies-only event for women who want to have fun and get exercise, Dion said. Pole dancing or pole fitness is an intensive body workout.

Dion opened The Care Factory about a year ago after sinking about $100,000 into his portion of the former mill building. He plans on buying the property. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, his venue is currently closed to the public, he said.

But he is making plans, such as lining up events and hiring staff, so that when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, he can open his 5,000-square-foot space to artists and events of all kinds.

Dion, a cannabis consultant to dispensaries, said he wants to work with the town to turn his venue into something no one has seen before, a flexible studio for art and music, an art gallery and event space.

We strive to complement the creative renaissance in local and global cannabis, hip hop, fashion and tech communities, according to the business' website http://www.carefactoryma.com.

The Care Factory is about creative expression, he said.

Its not a nightclub, he said.

Dion admits there was an incident in October when a guest, who had too much of the free alcohol, hit another guest with a bottle.

The Millbury police log notes that Oct. 16 around 9p.m. the police were called to The Care Factory for a disturbance. Hours later about 2:30a.m. Oct. 17police, again, responded to the location for a disturbance for a report of an assault and battery.

It was bad publicity, sure, but it was one small thing, Dion said.

At the boards Oct. 27 meeting, Acting Town Manager Sean Kelley told the selectmen the event at The Care Factory was terminated by the police and the building inspector, who issued a cease-and-desist order due to issues related to the sprinkler system in the converted former mill building.

Kelley took a hard line stating, We were not going to allow a Station nightclub incident in Millbury, referring to the 2003 fire started by pyrotechnics set off inside the Station nightclub in Rhode Island that left 100 people dead and 230 people injured. Fire officials concluded that a sprinkler system in the club would have saved many lives.

But, Kelley acknowledged that after meeting with all the parties and town officials it appeared there was a miscommunication between the landlord, the tenant and the event organizer.

Dion said his attorney is working with town officials to resolve any issues pertaining to the certificate of occupancy and the sprinkler system. He wants to work with the town and be a good neighbor.

What people dont see are his quiet acts of altruism such as spending $3,000 to provide Thanksgiving to the homeless in the area or raising $13,000 last Christmas to make sure 10 families could celebrate the holiday.

At the Dec. 8 board meeting, new Town Manager Sean Hendricks said he was told that when there are confirmed violations (at The Care Factory), weve gone and rattled their cage a little bit and it goes quiet for a couple of weeks and then they sort of rear their heads, again.

Hendricks said he will look into this latest issue and if there are violations, I think we are down to the third strike. We are at the point where (the town) has given them as many opportunities as we can to be compliant.

The town manager said he will be taking more decisive action in the near future, using law enforcement, inspections and from an administrative standpoint.

See the original post here:
Town manager says The Care Factory facing its third strike' - Millbury-Sutton Chronicle

In marine applications, DESMIs FineFog Fixed Water-Based Firefighting systems offer a safe, low-pressure alternative. After years of success in Asian-built ships, DESMI is now bringing its efficient firefighting products to the European market.

In Asia, DESMI is known not only for its pumps but also for its firefighting systems. More than 180 such systems are supplied to ship owners around the globe though most of these are for ships built in China. There have not been so many installations in European shipyards, so DESMIs Marine and Offshore Sales Manager, Christian Mellergaard wants to reach out to European ship owners and shipyards to change this.

They mainly know us for our pumps and might not know we offer these highly efficient firefighting systems which of course include our pumps and offer some great advantages, he says.

DESMI has the following types of firefighting systems available:

The benefits of FineFog

For machinery spaces, DESMI offers its low-pressure, water-based FineFog system. FineFog dispenses a mist like a fog. You can kill the fire much easier with mist than by just pouring water on it. These millions of small droplets absorb much more heat, and oxygen is displaced locally at fire source. As a result, an inerting effect is generated, effectively killing the fire, Christian says.

Ships will benefit from the automatic system around high-risk objects like combustion machinery, oil-fired boilers or burners, incinerators or purifiers for heated oil fuel. If there is an oil spill that catches fire, then the FineFog nozzles above that application are activated based on a signal from flame detector or smoke detector and the alarm sounds. The crew can still enter the room and continue with conventional firefighting with hoses. Or, if necessary, they can release the total flooding mechanism in engine rooms up to 5036 m3.

And that's where our system has a big advantage over gas-based firefighting systems like CO2, Christian says. While CO2 systems are effective, they come with a risk to human life. With CO2, if you have a fire on your engine room, you first need to evacuate everybody because otherwise the gas will suffocate them. And you have to make sure ventilation is shut off, and the room is completely sealed off. You must also ensure that all machinery in the engine room is stopped. This can take several minutes. In this time, a minor fire can grow quite large, he says. You only have one shot with CO2 you can only release the system once. And also, CO2 has no cooling effect. So that actually means, the fire could reignite very easily. And afterward, you cant go into the engine room or confined space for several hours. You need to be totally sure that the fire is put out first before restarting ventilation of the engine room.

DESMIs FineFog total flooding by water mist offers a great alternative. You can just start it right away. You can activate the main system, and people can be present, if needed it doesn't kill them. It's just water. And its non-toxic. And theres plenty of it. At the same time, you have the cooling effects. That's one of the big advantages. Its effective, it only uses minimal flow rates, and it's easy.Pump from a freshwater tank or sea chest. The maintenance is easy compared to the regular inspections you need to do with CO2 installations. And you dont need extra room for all these CO2 bottles.

Image: The FineFog kills the fire with millions of tiny droplets of water, absorbing heat and oxygen.

Protecting accommodation areas

For living areas, hallways, and other accommodation areas like cafeterias, DESMI offers its automatic water sprinkler system. The most common is a conventional wet-pipe system, meaning the piping is filled with pressurized water from a dependable source. It runs with low pressure.

It starts locally Only sprinklers above or adjacent to the fire are activated to avoid water damage. Its very effective. In most cases, it will kill the fire in a very short time and maybe only with two or three sprinklers active.

A similar, dry pipe system is available for areas where the water in the piping would be subject to freezing. In such a system, air or nitrogen fills the pipes until a fire activates the sprinklers. In that case, air escapes from the pipes and activates the dry pipe valve, causing water to flow from the activated sprinklers.

Image: The water sprinkler system for accommodation can in most cases kill the fire in a very short time with only a few sprinklers active.

Low expansion foam

DESMIs low expansion foam firefighting system protects oil and chemical tanker deck areas, helidecks, or other open deck areas (like loading areas) and closed, horizontal spaces like streamer reel and purifier room. Water will not kill an oil fire. Instead you can apply foam, and this will form a floating blanket. There is no vapor from the oil and the foam also cools the area.

The pressurized foam is delivered by a foam pump or from a tank to a mixing device. Then it is aerated and sprayed directly onto the areas of the fire.

Images: DESMI low-expansion foam firefighting system

Water spray system

DESMI also offers a water spray/deluge/drencher system with open nozzles. It is activated by a fire detection system, opening a deluge valve and letting water flow simultaneously from all the open sprinklers in a specific section. Deluge systems are used for protection against rapidly spreading, high-hazard fires on for example RO-RO and RO-PAX vessels.

Image: Deluge system working on a ferry car deck

Water spray is used to cool fires, and for crew protection on for example gas carriers or chemical tankers, where you cool down the whole deck area and surfaces with water spray. Water spray is also required on vessels transporting class 1 material like containers and open hatch general cargo vessels.

Images: Water spray systems (white piping) for gas carrier and chemical tanker PO deck area.

For self-unloading vessels, water spray is used to kill or suppress fires in material and offloading equipment. Systems can also be installed for dust suppression on these self-unloading vessels.

Images: Water spray in use at a C-Loop system for self-offloading vessel dust suppression, outside and inside views.

The low-pressure advantage

Christian Mellergaard says that of all the advantages of the DESMI firefighting system, the biggest is a low-pressure (max 16-bar) system. Its easy to install and you can use galvanized piping, which is cheaper. Its high precision, the maintenance is easier. This is where DESMI has an advantage over many of the other systems.

In addition, up-to-date development ensures rule compliance and system reliability.

These include regulations from the International Maritime Organizations Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), the international convention for Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and other regulations from Classification and Flag Authorities.

Plus, he adds, the system is designed with DESMIs own pumps and controls in mind. So, we calculate the pump sizes and design the system and make the drawings for the shipyards. And as you know, there are a lot of pumps on a vessel. DESMI can supply these, too. So, we can make an attractive package offer for both pumps and fire system.

Read more here:
The benefits of DESMI onboard firefighting systems - The Motorship

As the cooler weather sets in, grass and plants require less water than during our spring and summer months. Water loss due to transpiration and evaporation decreases as does the growth of the typical Florida landscape.

Some of the common grasses in a Florida landscape are: Bahia (the only drought tolerant grass designated by University of Florida), St. Augustine, Zoysia, and Bermuda. These grasses go dormant as temperatures decrease. Temperatures averaging 82 degrees or less keep these grasses in their dormant stage. Your grass may still remain green during this time.

So what does this mean for you as you continue to want to keep a beautiful lush Florida lawn? Simple. Practice wise water use. You dont want to water inefficiently as this will matter come spring time. Overwatering stresses your lawn. First you should adjust your irrigation system to water one day a week. This will continue to keep the roots healthy receiving the needed nutrients for a nice return in the spring. A typical Florida grass needs approximately 1-inch of water per week to keep it healthy.

This is also a great time to go through your system to make sure there are no broken heads, emitters spraying sidewalks, driveways, your neighbors yard or possibly finding out that there is a hidden program on your controller that is costing you extra money and wasting water.

When spring returns you should always go back through your system and adjust the sprinklers, check for leaks, and make sure your programming is set for the change of weather. It will definitely be warmer and chances are you will need to go back to the 2 day a week schedule.

Checklist to go by for proper irrigation check:

1. Check controller for correct time, date, and day.

2. Manually turn on each zone: Check for proper pressure (low pressure could indicate a line break or a possible missing sprinkler head). Check for proper rotation for rotor sprinkler heads and adjust these to perform efficiently. You dont want to be watering impervious surfaces like the road or sidewalk. Adjust fixed sprays in the same manner.

3. Replace heads that are overgrown with grass and cannot pop up to irrigate properly. St. Augustine should have 6 inch heads and sprays. Some of you probably had your system installed with 4 inch heads or sprays, if this is the case it would be better to replace these with 6 inch ones. This will definitely help with the overall appearance of your lawn.

4. Check and clean filters for all rotors and sprays. If you have Netafim (micro-irrigation), then clean this filter also.

5. Reprogram your controller for the necessary allowance of water per zone. Typically, rotors are set on average for 30 minutes and sprays are set for 15 minutes. Many of you also have the new Netafim, which usually waters on average of 45 minutes. This can be cut back as plants become established. Some Netafim zones can be completely cut off as they are irrigating Florida Friendly Plants.

6. Keep in mind plants have grown or in some cases have died off due to weather or disease. So areas might need different irrigation times depending on the situation. Adjust these areas as necessary.

7. Replace the battery backup on your controller. The battery backup does not operate the controller but keeps run times and start times in the controller in the event of a power outage. This will stop the system reverting back to a default setting.

Need help?

Your Water Conservation Team at Toho Water Authority can assist and advise on your irrigation needs. We conduct Irrigation Evaluations in our service area. Please call us at 407-944-5121.

See the original post:
Water less in the winter - Skip a week - Osceola News-Gazette

Eric Ratts, of DLZ (top left), and Jake Williams, of CPM (second left) talking to the Board of Works earlier Monday evening.

Greensburg, IN The City of Greensburg awarded the City Hall renovation contract on Monday to Construction Planning Management (CPM) during the City Council meeting. Project manager Eric Ratts, with DLZ presented 8 bids to the City. The CPM bid came in at 3.855 million dollars. This was less than the original estimate for the renovation project. The bid acceptance included additional alternatives to add a fire sprinkler system, extend the roof replacement warranty, refinish the oak doors throughout the building to match the new upgrades, and additional stucco refinishing throughout the building. The project is also estimated to be complete in 175 days, which is well under the original determination of 365 days.

The Council voted 4-1 in favor of the renovation project. Councilman Kevin Fleetwood expressed concern for the overall cost of the project in the current economic climate and made suggestions towards a less costly partial renovation or the items that needed attention sooner, such as updating the HVAC system.

Read the original:
City moving forward with $3.855 million renovation WRBI Radio - Country 103.9 WRBI

Illusion Theater announced late last week it will be moving from its current downtown Minneapolis theater and office space in the Cowles Center at 528 Hennepin Ave. to become an anchor partner with the Center for the Performing Arts new multi-use neighborhood arts development project at 3754 Pleasant Ave. near 38th and Lyndale in South Minneapolis.

According to an Illusion news release, the Center for Performing Arts is an arts center in the Kingfield Neighborhood. Once a former convent connected to the Incarnation Catholic Church, it was renovated in 1995 to house artist studios, classes and dance and performance spaces. The expansion will be a new four-story performing arts building adjacent to the current building. Included in the new building will be two flexible 100-seat performance spaces.

In 1977, Illusion was the first theater to open studio space in Minneapolis Warehouse District. As the area grew in popularity, so did the rent, so Illusion moved to a building on Washington Avenue and stayed there until a lightning strike set of the sprinkler system and damaged the space in 1985. Illusion moved to Hennepin Center for the Arts and raised money in 1999 to renovate the 7th and 8th floors. The building was moved to Hennepin Avenue in 2011 and is part of the Cowles Center.

Illusion will continue to do virtual production, as it has since the start of the pandemic. The move is expected to take place in spring of 2021.

Excerpt from:
Illusion Theater moving to a new home in Minneapolis - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press

This report defining Global Intelligent Sprinkler Irrigation System Market scenario is a systematic compilation of crucial information defining various elements of market inclusive of competition data and manufacturer activities, besides also tracking down information about segment assessment and management that collectively steer a healthy growth trajectory for Intelligent Sprinkler Irrigation System market.

The global Intelligent Sprinkler Irrigation System market is anticipated to have a potential to witness a flourishing growth of xx billion USD through the forecast period 2020-2025. This in-depth research report is a systematic in-depth analytical review. Crucial detailing of micro and macro-economic factors also followed by micro environmental factors has also been closely monitored in this report on global Intelligent Sprinkler Irrigation System market.

Key Manufacturers Analysis:

Hunter IndustriesRain Bird CorpToro CompanyScotts CompanyOrbit Irrigation ProductsGalconHydroPoint Data SystemsGreen ElectronicsAvidzSkydropNxEcoSprinkl.ioPlaid SystemsWeathermaticRachioK-Rain

Request a sample of Intelligent Sprinkler Irrigation System Market report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/3116199?utm_source=KrishnaQY

The segmentation section of the market is diversified primarily it product and service based segmentation followed by application. Emphasis on other associated segment analysis has also been roped in the Intelligent Sprinkler Irrigation System market report.

This research report on Intelligent Sprinkler Irrigation System market is aimed at influencing highly profitable business discretion amongst end-users, thereby closely monitoring massive alterations in elements such as consumer preferences, spending capabilities, gross margin assessment and commercial potential of the business ecosystem.

Intelligent Sprinkler Irrigation System Market Analysis by Types:

Weather-based ControllersSensor-based Controllers

Intelligent Sprinkler Irrigation System Market Analysis by Applications:

AgricultureCommercial LawnsPublic ParksPrivate GardensOther

Application based assessment of the Intelligent Sprinkler Irrigation System market is highly integral to gauge into core assessment factors such as manufacturer initiatives across specific geographical locales in tandem with revelation of end-user preferences and subsequent investments towards refurbishments.

This segment assessment clearly focuses on the array of novel changes and new investments made by market forerunners towards improving product qualities to align with end-use needs.

Browse the complete report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/reports/index/global-intelligent-sprinkler-irrigation-system-market-size-status-and-forecast-2019-2025?utm_source=KrishnaQY

The Intelligent Sprinkler Irrigation System market report also gauges into market performance and profitability ratio across a vast array of geographical domains to understand most dominant trends, manufacturer investments and end-user preferences across five different regions, besides also including prominent development leads across several countries.

Report Offerings in Brief:

1. An in-depth impression of crucial technological milestones and a value-based and volume-based output of the same have also been pinned in the Intelligent Sprinkler Irrigation System market report.

2. Directed to influence massive and steady revenue generation, the Intelligent Sprinkler Irrigation System market report clearly makes accurate deductions of market dimensions in terms of market size as well as market valuation and voluminous milestones that direct future growth possibilities.

3. Rife predictions on segment performance and opportunity analysis have also been minutely addressed in the Intelligent Sprinkler Irrigation System market report to decipher growth process and futuristic possibilities.

4. Assessment of market vendors on essential parameters such as SWOT analysis has been closely pinned in the Intelligent Sprinkler Irrigation System market report.

5. These minute report details allow market participants and stakeholders to optimally understand the growth potential of the market, thus encouraging future ready investment decisions.

6. The Intelligent Sprinkler Irrigation System market report is designed to allow market players to identify rampant threats, barriers as well as favorable drivers that allow growth possibilities inclining with industry specificities.

Make an enquiry of this report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/enquiry-before-buying/3116199?utm_source=KrishnaQY

ABOUT US:

Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.

CONTACT US:

Hector CostelloSenior Manager Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas 75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (972)-362-8199; +91 895 659 5155

Continue reading here:
Intelligent Sprinkler Irrigation System Market 2020-2025 Growth Analysis, Key Insights and Future Development By Hunter Industries, Rain Bird Corp,...

A school destroyed in a blaze will cost 5.5 million to replace, dwarfing the price of a sprinkler system experts say would have saved it.

A sprinkler system would have saved taxpayers millions of pounds which will now have to spent on a full school rebuild to replace the destroyed Harrington Junior School, in Long Eaton.

Derbyshire County Council received 1.28 million in an insurance payout linked to the fire-hit school, which was valued at 2.7 million.

The school was destroyed in a blaze which was accidentally started by authority maintenance staff carrying out refurbishment works on May 28.

This week, the council is set to start a search for a contractor to build a replacement school.

Research by other English councils and fire departments estimates the cost of a sprinkler system for a school the size of Harrington catering for 235 pupils is between 65,000 and 83,500.

The council says the new build, on the same site as the former school, which has been bulldozed and cleared, will cost 5.5 million.

This is 65 times the estimated cost of installing sprinklers in the former building.

Of the total 5.5 million cost of the rebuild, 1.28 million will come from the insurance payout, 1 million will come from the councils own finances this figure representing the excess on the insurance and it is hoped that the remaining 3.22 million will come from a proposed bid for capital funding which will start in April 2021.

To help make sure you can continue to stay up-to-date with all your local news during the coronavirus outbreak, weve got a special offer to help you get your Derby Telegraph delivered straight to the door - and save 40% off the cost.

To sign up just follow this link and enter your details.

The council says the new school must be completed by June 2022, in time for the start of the new school year in September 2022.

It has formally committed to installing sprinklers in the new school.

The build contract itself is valued at 4.34 million, with the rest of the cost to the council coming from contracting and design fees, fixtures and fittings for the new school along with risk and contingency funding.

A 500,000 temporary replacement for the school, built without planning permission, was constructed in August and will remain in place for two years to house students until the new-build is ready.

This, too, was funded by an insurance claim on the destroyed school.

It does not have sprinklers.

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service revealed in a Freedom of Information request from the Local Democracy Reporting Service that its efforts to combat the Harrington fire cost an estimated 41,790 around half the price of a would-be sprinkler system for the school.

Two firefighters also suffered minor injuries fighting the Harrington blaze.

A report from the county council shows the authority will select a construction company from a shortlist of eight firms.

These are:

Ashe Construction Ltd

Engie Regeneration Ltd

GF Tomlinson Building Ltd

Interserve Construction Ltd

Morgan Sindall Construction

Seddon Construction

Speller Metcalf

Vinci Construction UK Ltd

Gavin Tomlinson, Derbyshire chief fire officer, had told the LDRS that sprinklers would have saved the Long Eaton school and was frustrated at the lack of investment and foresight to avoid such a tragedy.

He is part of a national campaign calling for it to be mandatory for all new schools and major school refurbishments to include a sprinkler system.

Cllr Barry Lewis, county council leader, along with Cllr Chris Poulter, leader of Derby City Council have both signed a pledge to have sprinklers in all new build schools and primary and secondary schools undergoing significant renovation, refurbishment or extension.

This came after Harrington was destroyed by a fire and two Derby schools Ravensdale Infant and Nursery School and St Marys Catholic Voluntary Academy were destroyed by arson in October.

The two Derby schools also did not have sprinklers and Mr Tomlinson says they, too, could have been saved if the buildings had had them.

The LDRS Freedom of Information request shows that combating those two blazes cost the fire service an estimated 29,400 and 78,760 respectively.

Both the city and county councils have refused to name which schools they oversee do not have sprinklers, claiming a perceived risk of arson attacks if the names were revealed.

This claim has been discredited by Mr Tomlinson.

See the rest here:
Fire-ravaged Derbyshire school will cost 5.5 million to rebuild - Derbyshire Live

A faulty sprinkler system at an apartment building on Harmony Hill Road set off an alarm that brought firefighters to the complex. However, no fire or smoke was detected at the scene.

Bourne Acting Assistant Fire Chief David S. Pelonzi said firefighters were dispatched at 4:45 PM to Clay Pond Cove at 101 Harmony Hill Road last Saturday afternoon, November 14. Asst. Chief Pelonzi said when firefighters arrived at the scene, people were evacuating the building.

Someone must have told one of the firefighters they saw smoke, the assistant chief said, but we didnt find anything.

Asst. Chief Pelonzi said the complex uses two types of sprinkler systems: one wet, one dry. The problem, he said, occurred with a faulty compressor in the buildings dry sprinkler system.

A dry system uses pressurized air or nitrogen to hold the water supply back at a main dry-pipe valve. When a fire occurs and the sprinkler activates, the air pressure drops and the main dry-pipe valve opens to release the water into the piping system to discharge from the sprinklers.

We were initially called for sprinkler activation, Asst. Chief Pelonzi said. Thats what set off the fire alarm.

No one was hurt or had to be transported to a hospital, he said.

Firefighters at the scene investigated, going from room to room, he said, but never detected any smoke or fire.

See the original post:
Faulty Sprinkler System The Cause Of Firefighter Response In Bourne - CapeNews.net

On Friday, November 13, 2020, at approximately 2:00 p.m., firefighters from Bay District, Hollywood, Valley Lee and NAS Patuxent River responded to 21684 Eric Road in Lexington Park, for the reported apartment fire.

Dispatchers advised they received multiple 911 calls reporting a fire inside an apartment, and one call from the alarm company with multiple smoke and fire alarms going off.

Crews arrived on the scene to find a nothing evident with active alarms sounding along with the sprinkler systems activated.

Upon entry, firefighters found the fire was on the stove and extinguished by the sprinkler systems before arrival of First Responders. Crews ventilated the apartment and returned to service in under 30 minutes.

The incident was scaled back to just one engine from Bay District and one engine from NAS Patuxent River.

Emergency medical personnel obtained multiple care refusal forms.

No injuries were reported.

This entry was posted on November 15, 2020 at 2:30 pm and is filed under All News, County, Fire & Rescue, More News, St. Mary's News, z 600X120 Top Ad Bottom, z 600X120 Top Ad Top. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Here is the original post:
Sprinkler System Saves Apartment from Kitchen Fire in Lexington Park | Southern Maryland News Net - Southern Maryland News Net

On Monday the Cathlamet Town Council was joined by representatives from Port District 1, the countys building and planning department, Chamber of Commerce, fire department and River Mile 38 to deliberate whether a current fire sprinkler ordinance is restricting economic growth.

Other items on the agenda included a cost update to the Columbia Street waterline project which required the replacement of malfunctioning couplings; the project engineer is expected to investigate whether costs can be covered by the installers and/or manufacturers. The council passed a motion to send 2% of their state liquor profits and excess tax revenue to fund county substance use disorder programs as a part of a state mandate. A motion was passed to enter into an agreement with Ecological Land Services (ELS) to repair the town dock despite worry about the scope and bottom line costs of the project; the town attorney will follow up with ELS to gain clarity.

The council passed separate motions to (1) increase in-town and out-of-town sewer rates by 1.6% effective this December and (2) increase the regular property tax levy by 1%. Property owners tax would not increase by 1% because their rates are based on assessed values.

Fire sprinkler ordinance

River Mile 38 Brewery Co. owner Rex Czuba appeared at the town council meeting to present his case for repealing a fire sprinkler ordinance which requires the construction of new commercial buildings of 1,500 square feet or more to install automatic sprinkler systems. Estimates for installing a sprinkler system range between $20 - $90,000.

Washington state requires commercial spaces used for serving food and beverages to install automatic sprinkler systems if they exceed 5,000 square feet.

According to a letter from Czuba to the councilmembers, the River Mile 38 team is planning to construct a 2,400 square foot taproom and restaurant located in the southwest corner of the Elochoman Marina. The new facility would build upon the existing operation through additional employment opportunities, incentivising local tourism, and providing one of the only waterfront restaurants between Kalama and the coast.

Oh, and more beer.

Given that we have outgrown our current capacity for both brewing and serving our customers, we have joined forces with the port to drive more economic development," he said. "We want to build something that the town can be proud of, to invest in the people and products that make Cathlamet a great place to work and live in.

Despite River Mile 38s effort to bring more beer and tourism into town, the fire sprinkler ordinance and other potential fire hazards are barriers to even applying for a building permit. Fire Chief Vernon Barton agreed that the ordinance was on the restrictive side but said a complete overhaul wouldnt be necessary.

No matter what size the structure, you need fire protection. To just drop the ordinance would be a mistake, Barton cautioned.

The fire chief was asked to review Czubas plans for the new facility and produce an assessment which would be presented at the next council meeting. The presentation will help inform the towns decision to accommodate the development.

Among the large number of virtual attendees were representatives who advised on River Mile 38s new facility including Wahkiakum County Building Inspector Dave Hicks. He expressed a more real concern for downtowns tightly packed buildings without sprinkler systems. He continued to highlight the many fire and safety conscious features of the proposed facility which he believed would supersede the need for an expensive sprinkler system.

What we have is a metal container building that is isolated next to the river, Hicks illustrated. Why is Cathlamet restricting all new construction at 3,500 feet less than the rest of the world?

Continued here:
Council: Is sprinkler ordinance too restrictive? - The Wahkiakum County Eagle