SUBJECT:
Title
Update to Building Code - Sprinkler Requirement for Residential
Body
DEPARTMENT: Planning & Development
Department
PRESENTER(S): Joel Champagne, Deputy Building Official
Morgan Cullen, HBA of Metro Denver
Doug Saba & Michelle Kelly, Mountain View Fire Protection District
First Name Last Name, Title
TIME ESTIMATE: 45 minutes
only required for non-consent items
POLICY ISSUES:
The policy under consideration is whether to retain the requirement for fire sprinklers for all residential units. Town Council will weigh the benefits and impacts of retaining this requirement within the context of housing costs, effectiveness, and safety.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff requests Council direction.
End
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
The Town of Erie held a roundtable on Dec. 3, 2024 to discuss multiple development-related topics with the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Metro Denver, development community, and neighborhood HOAs. Additional details on the roundtable purpose and resulting action items are outlined on the Town’s website: www.erieco.gov/2475/Fees-Rates-Roundtable <http://www.erieco.gov/2475/Fees-Rates-Roundtable>.
One of the action items identified at the roundtable was a suggestion to remove the prescriptive residential automatic fire sprinkler system provision for single family detached and attached homes from the adopted 2021 International Residential Code (IRC). The prescriptive provision requiring an automatic fire sprinkler system within one and two-family dwellings and townhomes was introduced in the 2009 edition of the IRC after evaluation, deliberation, and consensus voting during a 3-year building code development process by the International Code Council (ICC), publishers of the IRC. The sprinkler provision remains in the IRC up to and including the 2024 edition.
The Town has both removed and included the provision with past building code updates. On Dec. 10, 2019, the Board of Trustees passed Ordinance No. 46-2019 adopting the 2015 edition of the IRC with direction to remove, by amendment, the prescriptive provision requiring an automatic fire sprinkler system within one and two-family dwellings and townhomes. However, on the most recent update to the code on Dec. 13, 2022, the Board of Trustees passed Ordinance No. 20-2022 adopting the 2021 edition of the IRC with direction to retain the prescriptive provision as written requiring an automatic fire sprinkler system within one and two-family dwellings and townhomes.
As presented to the Board of Trustees in 2022, and which will be discussed in conjunction with the HBA and Mountainview Fire District, there are both benefits and drawbacks to the inclusion of fire sprinklers for single family detached and attached homes.
Potential Benefits of Requiring Sprinkler Systems
• Reduced fire separation distance of rated and non-rated exterior walls - 2021 IRC Table R302.1(2), which reduces building separation requirement and allows for more efficient use of land.
• Reduced fire rated wall separation between two-family dwelling units - 2021 IRC R302.3 Exception 1, which may reduce cost of construction for attached units.
• Elimination of fire protection of floors - 2021 IRC R302.13 Exception 1, which may reduce the cost of construction.
• Possible improvement of Town’s Insurance Services Office (ISO) Building Code Effectiveness Grade (BCEGS).
Potential Drawbacks of Requiring Sprinkler Systems
• Possible reduction of Town’s ISO BCEGS.
• Potential increase in cost of construction in relation to fire rated wall systems.
• Added cost of fire sprinkler systems
Representatives from the HBA and MVFD will join Town staff at the study session to provide perspective and answer questions from Council.
COUNCIL PRIORITY(S) ADDRESSED:
ü Safe and Healthy Community
ATTACHMENT(S):
1. Presentation