County delays vote on building regs because of sprinkler worry

(July 23, 2010) Concerns about sprinklers in residential buildings led the Worcester County Commissioners to postpone a vote to update its building code.

The vote to adopt the construction standards would have little effect because its codes are already being followed in the county. An affirmative vote would bring the county code into compliance with the international building code.

“It’s already in effect,” county attorney Sonny Bloxom. “Nothing’s going to change if you pass it today.”

Basically, Bloxom said, “[The bill] just says the international building code is the code we’re enforcing.”

Any amendments, including the requirement of sprinkler systems, could be discussed later.

Bloxom recommended that the commissioners pass the bill adopting the construction standards first, but added they did not have to do that if they did not want to do so.

Ed Tudor, the director of the Department of Development Review and Permitting, said he considered the bill to be a housekeeping measure because it eliminated references to building codes that no longer exist.

During the public hearing, Pocomoke resident Larry Ward asked the commissioners not to vote on the construction standards that day.

“Country people,” Ward, a sprinkler filter mechanic foreman, said, “are dead set against sprinkler systems.”

The commissioners, he said, should determine what kind of sprinkler systems would be required.

Joan Strang of the Coastal Association of Realtors, said that organization is opposed to requiring sprinklers in new construction of single-family houses.

“We think it will have an adverse impact on real estate,” Strang said. “We don’t want the market slipping back because of fear of costs.”

Builder Marty Groff also spoke against the possible requirement of sprinklers, which he said could add $10,000 to $15,000 to the cost of a new house.

“The construction industry is on its knees in the county and you have the dagger in your hand,” Groff said.

Groff called the building code “a dangerous mess” and said he could come up with a long list of items that he thinks should be edited out of the legislation.

“It would benefit the county to edit this stuff out,” he said.

Speaking in favor of sprinkler systems in houses was Fire Marshal Jeff McMahon, who called himself a “strong supporter of residential sprinklers.” Such sprinklers, he said can prevent death and injury and protect property. A residential sprinkler would start within 90 seconds, whereas it takes firefighters 18 to 20 minutes to get to a fire and prepare to extinguish it.

Because of the public concern about sprinklers, the commissioners decided to postpone their vote on the building code. Groff will devise his list of items he hopes to see deleted from the code and multiple public hearings will be held.