10-13-04 Special Called Meeting of the La Porte Fire Review Board Minutes

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and Class C, are defined by the 1985 Life Safety Code (which is the only known source of definition for these categories and there is no specific definition of such categories in the City of La Porte Amendments), then the proposed Family Life Center would fall into the Class C category, i.e., "occupant load greater than 50 but not greater than 300 persons". However, the requirement that a Class C category building have a fire sprinkler system only applies when the building's assembly area is located "two stories or more above the level of exit discharge", i.e., on the third floor or higher. Consequently, since the Family Life Center's assembly area is on the ground floor, a fire sprinkler system would not be required in the building under the City of La Porte Amendments if the specified classification system is applicable to this situation. However, the classification system for assemblies was abolished under the Life Safety Code 1997 so such should not be applicable in the current instance. Likewise, SLI believes it to be clear that an "A-2 small assembly with no stage requiring proscenium opening protection" under the 1994 Standard Building Code does not in any way classify the building as a Class A assembly under the City of La Porte Amendments. 3. The NFP A 10 I, Life Safety Code 1997 provides that buildings with occupant loads above 300 persons shall be equipped with a fire sprinkler system. However, the Code also provides certain exceptions to this requirement. Specifically, Exception No.2 to this Code provision specifies that a fire sprinkler system will not be required in buildings which have "Assembly occupancies consisting of a single multipurpose room ofless than 12,000 sq. ft...." In the current situation the Family Life Center assembly area and the building itself is less than the stipulated 12,000 s.f. Consequently the Church is not required under this Code provision to install a fire sprinkler system in the building. -I,,) UJI~ ) I 'i.' ,.-( For the foregoing reasons, on behalf of the First United Methodist Church of La Porte SLI respectfully requests that the City of La Porte Fire Review Board determine that the Church is not required to install a fire sprinkler system in its new Family Life Center. Thank you for your time in regard to this matter and we look forward to further discussing this issue with you at the upcoming hearing. Sincerely, The S.L.I. Group, Inc. Melissa Centanni Vice President