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Oxbow Inn sprinkler plan delayed over water‑supply concerns; owner seeks deferment or modification
Summary
The applicant for the Oxbow Inn told the planning board state and local reviewers raised life‑safety concerns that could require sprinklering; the owner says the existing well is inadequate, that a sprinkler system would cost about $150,000, and asked the board to consider options such as holding tanks or modified requirements.
At the April 16 meeting, Travis DeCere updated the Charlemont Planning Board on the sprinkler plan for the Oxbow Inn, saying the project’s engineered plans have been filed and reviewed at the state level but remain unresolved locally while authorities assess whether a change of use triggers full sprinkler requirements.
DeCere said the State Bureau of Construction characterized the situation as a “gray area” and that, out of caution for life‑safety and occupancy, state reviewers supported the need for sprinklers. He said local reviewer Jim Hawkins had received the plans but raised concerns about whether the site has an adequate water supply.
DeCere told the board he had already identified the existing well as inadequate and proposed holding tanks as a mitigation measure; he estimated a full sprinkler retrofit would cost about $150,000. He also said the hotel has spent roughly $60,000 on fire‑alarm and Americans with Disabilities Act improvements. DeCere asked the board and local officials to consider deferring or modifying sprinkler requirements where renovations are not substantial enough to trigger full compliance.
Board members and staff did not make a formal decision at the meeting; the discussion noted that the building official has discretion to require, modify or defer sprinklering in some cases and that the board was watching outcomes in related local cases (including the Charlemont Inn) for guidance.
No formal vote or waiver was granted at the April 16 meeting.
