Board of Code Appeals

BOARD OF CODE APPEALS REGULAR MEETING July 13, 2017 SUBJECT: The minutes of the Board of Code Appeals meeting of July 13, 2017 . The meeting was called to order by Chairman Johnson at 6:01 pm MEMBERS PRESENT: Douglas Harvey, Laurel Johnson, Terry Measel, Thaddeus Stanek, Thomas Szatkowski Michael Viazanko, Building Official RECORDING SECRETARY: Dana Vietto APPROVAL OF AGENDA Motion by Stanek, supported by Measel, to approve the agenda as presented. Yes: All Absent: None. Motion: Carried. CONSIDERATIONS PG17-0102 – City of Sterling Heights 40620 Dodge Park Road Requesting Board approval for elimination of a fire suppression system for the open air pavilion to be occupied as Farmers Market and skating rink. Due to the open air design on the side walls and roof copula a fire suppression system would be impractical, as required in Section 903.2.1.3 A-3 Use group. An automatic fire suppression system is required for fire areas exceeding 12,000 square feet or 300 occupants. The occupant load is less than 300 but the roof structure is over 12,000 square feet Denice Gerstenberg, City Development Director for the City of Sterling Heights, was present. Ms. Gerstenberg gave the Board an overview of the project. The City voters approved a recreation bond. The City is going to use the bond to implement various place making initiatives throughout the City. They will be improving 26 of our neighborhood parks, putting a skate park in by the Court and at Dodge Park there are many changes proposed. There will be a new band shell built by the senior center, Farmers Market pavilion with an ice skating rink, splash park, new parking lot, bathroom will be remodeled and adding picnic pavilions some with bathrooms. The park will have an activities area with a volleyball court, basketball court and a miniature soccer field. Ms. Gerstenberg stated that they have been working closely with the building department to make sure they are in compliance with all of the codes. The farmers market is a large open aired pavilion and it doesn’t have garage doors on it. There is a small area that will be enclosed. That is where they will house the Zamboni, sell snacks and rent ice skates. The floor will be able to have water added in to be frozen for ice skating. Mr. Measel asked how they are producing the ice. Mr. Viazanko stated a refrigeration system in ground. Mr. Viazanko stated that this is an open aired pavilion with a Farmers Market theme. It exceeds the 12,000 square foot of the roof structure. The cupola on the roof design has been designed to have windows on the opposing ends but the continuous long run is open louvers. Fire suppression system can’t be activated without temperature. With it being open it will never accumulate enough temperature to activate the fire suppression system. We don’t want it closed off we want air flowing through. Mr. Viazanko stated that with the structure not being enclosed the fire suppression is impractical. The code doesn’t give an exception to the design it only gives us and exception to the occupancy load. This occupancy load is under 300 people. The roof area itself is over 12,000. We can’t administratively say that it meets the exception. This is a unique design. There will be an accessory use building off to the side that will house the Zamboni, the compressor room, restrooms, snack bar and skate rental. That will be separated with a fire separation. They are looking at block not drywall. The accessory use building will be 1700 square feet. Mr. Stanek stated that in the exception paragraph in section 903.2 it says an automatic smoke detection system can be used. He wanted to know if they could put that up in the louvers area to give the fire department an advanced warning Board of Code Appeals Page 2 July 13, 2017 Regular Meeting that something was wrong. Mr. Viazanko stated that if they installed an automatic smoke detector in the louvers system there is so much movement of air through it and would cause many false alarms. Mr. Viazanko stated that during farmers market there will not be any cooking demonstrations allowed under the pavilion. The food trucks will be away from this area and in the parking area. Mr. Harvey stated that a lot of people will be in this area and what protections will be in place for the area. Mr. Viazanko stated that there are fire hydrants in the park that they are upgrading and putting in more. If there is a fire people will go opposite of it because it is such an open area. The roof structure is steel with standing seams. Ms. Gerstenberg stated that there is concrete all the way around the pavilion and landscaping and grass next to the concrete. Ms. Johnson asked what puts the building at an A-3 instead of an A-5. Mr. Viazanko stated the assembly area because of the skating rink. There will be fire extinguishers close in the accessory building so they don’t get stolen. The exit signs will be handled after the construction of the pavilion. Motion by Measel, supported by Stanek, to approve PG17-0102 at 40620 Dodge Park Road, Board approval to not require an automatic fire suppression system even though the building is over 12,000 square feet because it is open on all sides. Yes: All Absent: None. Motion: Carried OLD BUSINESS None NEW BUSINESS None PARTICIPATION None APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion by Measel, supported by Szatkowski, to approve the minutes of March 9, 2017. Minutes were approved with the typing errors corrected. Yes: All Absent: None. Motion carried. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Stanek, supported by Harvey, to adjourn. Yes: All Absent: None. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 6:28 pm. Respectfully submitted, Laurel Johnson Chairman