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Sandy Springs fire chief proposes easing some sprinkler rules to reduce barriers to building improvements
Summary
The fire chief proposed amendments to local fire and multifamily inspection codes to align with state standards, raise certain sprinkler thresholds and remove duplicate requirements; the council signaled support for drafting ordinance changes for a formal vote.
The Sandy Springs Fire Chief asked council on Tuesday to approve changes to the city’s fire code and to the multifamily housing ordinance that would clarify sprinkler requirements, raise some size thresholds and remove redundant provisions.
In a work‑session presentation the chief said the proposed amendments would align local rules with Georgia standards, clarify the types of approved suppression systems, raise the light‑hazard threshold to 10,000 square feet, and preserve an existing 50% assessed‑value trigger for requiring sprinklers in multifamily housing. He said the goal is to modernize requirements and remove disincentives that discourage property owners from making improvements.
“We have the most restrictive sprinkler ordinance that I am aware of,” the Fire Chief said, noting examples where property owners faced large upgrade costs that discouraged renovation. The chief cited cases in which building owners were required to install sprinkler systems or run new water mains, adding hundreds of thousands of dollars to renovation costs.
The proposal would continue to require sprinklers in new construction and in buildings undergoing major renovation at or above certain thresholds; it would also keep the multifamily 50% assessed‑value trigger that requires sprinklers when damage or renovation reaches that level. The chief identified some specific exemptions: low‑occupancy self‑storage, small additions under 1,000 square feet where adequate fire barriers exist, and situations involving specialized water‑reactive materials that carry separate hazards.
City Attorney Danley supported the approach and asked council to consider the evolution of the fire department’s capacity and response times while weighing code changes. “You need to calculate into this discussion the evolution of the fire department… The data the chief has accumulated indicates that the recovery or the calls of the fire department are commensurate with lessening these kinds of stringent rules,” Danley said, describing the proposal as coordinated with safer, more modern enforcement.
Councilmembers raised concerns about ensuring multifamily housing remained protected; the chief confirmed the 50% assessed‑value requirement for multifamily will remain in place. Council and staff agreed to bring the formal ordinance amendments forward for codification and a future vote after additional legal drafting and stakeholder outreach.
No formal vote on code text occurred Tuesday; staff said they would refine draft language and return to council for formal adoption.
