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Fire chief presents draft sprinkler ordinance; Select Board sends it to Planning Board
Summary
Fire Chief Courtney Knapp presented a draft ordinance requiring sprinkler systems in new residential construction served by municipal water; the Select Board agreed to send the proposal to the Planning Board with a possible public hearing in January and inclusion on the March Town Meeting warrant.
Fire Chief Courtney Knapp presented a draft fire-suppression ordinance on Oct. 28 proposing required sprinkler (suppression) systems for new residential construction primarily served by the municipal water system.
Board members raised concerns about how the ordinance would affect older camps undergoing alterations and about sprinkler performance at properties on private wells that rely on electric pumps, which could fail during power outages. Knapp emphasized the draft applies only to new residential subdivision construction after Dec. 1, 2022. Resident Mark Leathers noted sprinklers would often operate and suppress fires before power is lost. The board agreed Knapp will bring the draft before the Planning Board (Knapp is on the PB agenda Nov. 21) to begin the review process; the timeline anticipates a public hearing in January and possible inclusion on the March Town Meeting warrant.
Why it matters: The ordinance, if adopted after Planning Board review and voter consideration, would change building requirements for new residential subdivisions and could affect design and costs for new homes in town.
No vote to adopt the ordinance occurred at the meeting; the Select Board referred the draft to the Planning Board for the next steps.
