Council approves first reading of sprinkler requirement for stacked duplexes after safety–cost debate

Clarksville — The City Council on April 29 passed first reading of Ordinance 64, an amendment to the city code that would require automatic fire sprinklers in certain stacked duplex (vertical duplex) residential configurations that the fire department says function like multiunit apartments.

Assistant Chief Mike Reid, the city’s fire code official, told the council that sprinklers dramatically reduce deaths and property losses, saying roughly "75 to 80 percent of U.S. civilian fire deaths occur in homes" and that sprinklers "activate in over 90 percent of large fires" and control or extinguish fires in most cases. Reid showed a video comparing a sprinkled room and an unsprinkled room to demonstrate how quickly fire and smoke can spread and how a single sprinkler head can limit spread and occupant exposure.

Council debate followed technical questions over standards and costs. Chief Reid explained distinctions between NFPA 13 (commercial-grade) and NFPA 13R (residential), telling council members the high invoice figures cited in local media were tied to a mixed-use, partly commercial building that required commercial systems (standpipes, larger piping and exterior valves) that do not apply to a simple residential stacked duplex under NFPA 13R. "There are 13 items in that invoice that have absolutely nothing to do with traditional stacked duplex configuration," he said, arguing the commercial elements inflated the cost.

Council members split on the policy tradeoff. Councilman Klotz and others pointed to builder invoices and urged care about cost implications for affordable housing, with Klotz saying the added price could amount to roughly $10,000 on a sample house and noting affordability pressures for local builders. Councilman Zacharias and a representative of the home-builders association warned that last-minute material could disrupt local builders and push projects outward.

Supporters emphasized life safety. Councilman Peters said he could not justify debating a measure that can save lives: "We—re talking about something to get extinguished so a small child would have an opportunity to get out," he said. Chairman Lovato and Councilman Streetman also emphasized they would not place price above life and noted the council has the authority to retain stricter local standards even after a recent state change.

Chief Reid clarified the effective-date question: properties that had already completed regional planning commission approvals would not be retroactively altered, but any property not yet approved by RPC at codification would be affected.

The clerk reported a 9–3 vote in favor (0 abstain); Ordinance 64 passed its first reading. The ordinance now moves toward second reading and codification; council members and stakeholders asked staff to provide clearer cost comparisons and implementation details for builders and developers before final adoption.

During the council’s regular public-comment period after formal business, builders and residents reiterated concerns about process and communication: Jonathan Blick and Steve Griffey (president of the Home Builders Association) said the building community had little opportunity to engage with fire staff before the special session and asked for more outreach and time to analyze cost impacts.