Saint Joseph parish urges code change after sprinkler retrofit costs stall school renovation

Parish leaders at the Village of Manhattan meeting on an unspecified May date asked trustees to consider a code amendment after presenting estimates showing sprinkler retrofits and water-main work would dramatically increase the cost of a planned renovation at Saint Joseph School.

Father Mike, speaking for Saint Joseph Parish, said the parish is seeking a solution that preserves life safety while avoiding an outcome that would make a modest renovation uneconomical. "Sprinklers, in order to function properly, they need a certain amount of water volume, they need a certain amount of pressure," he said, adding that connecting to the main could require a 2-, 4- or 6-inch line and excavation. Father Mike told trustees the parish’s renovation budget for the adaptive reuse of a 1,140-square-foot garage is $233,000 and that sprinkler- and main-related work could add at least $75,000 to the total project; he said, "On the very lowest end with the most optimistic of attitudes... we're talking at minimum $15,000. On the high end, it's north of $30,000."

Chris Lavoie, the parish’s contractor, said village amendments adopted after the 2007 International Fire Code removed three exceptions that formerly exempted many small or low-occupancy buildings from sprinkler requirements. Lavoie described three draft text amendments he prepared and argued for a rule targeted to small, older buildings. "I'm asking you to consider a text amendment... based on square footage and adding additional smoke detectors and strobes," he said, suggesting a 1,500-square-foot threshold coupled with added alarm features as one option.

Manhattan Fire District Chief Steve Moore told the board that the fire district does not set village codes and that his primary concern is life safety across the growing community. "If we make changes ... for every time someone makes an ask, we're setting ourselves up for failure," he said, while also offering to work with the parish and village staff on a solution.

Trustees discussed timing and process. Village staff said drafting a text amendment, holding a public hearing and voting would be required; trustees suggested aiming to bring language back at the May 6 meeting if possible. Parish representatives stressed urgency: the school has waiting lists for preschool (11 last year; seven already this year) and they said they need usable space by August for students.

The parish and its consultant described alternative technical approaches that were considered and why they are not cost‑saving: dry-pipe systems still require the same infrastructure; above-ground storage tanks would add building and footing costs; directional drilling to the main is complicated by underground electric and a sewer line requiring minimum horizontal separation. Lavoie further noted the village has assisted by waiving roughly $9,000 in permit fees for the project.

Parish leaders asked trustees to consider a narrowly drawn amendment that would not set a broad precedent. "I don't want to set precedence," Lavoie said. "I think it should be something that you look on a project-by-project basis" or limited by square footage, construction date and added detection/strobe requirements.

Why it matters: the parish says the renovation would create classroom and program space needed by school students and parish activities; trustees must balance life-safety requirements adopted into local code with the financial and practical limits of existing infrastructure on older properties.

What’s next: trustees instructed staff and the village attorney to draft amendment language for board consideration. Village staff signaled willingness to prepare text for a public hearing and potential vote at the board’s next meeting; parish representatives said they will pursue an interim approach (revising permit submittals to show a sports/assembly use that currently fits the existing code exceptions) if necessary to open the space for the upcoming school year.

Speakers quoted or referenced in this article are listed in the speaker roster below.