HomeMy WebLinkAbout18 - CorrespondenceImprovement Association
2916 Clay Street
Newport Beach, CA. 92663
Tel 949 - 355 -3280
donAnewoortheichts.ora
www.newportheights.org
SENT Via electronic mean
Tom Allen, Hearing Officer
3300 Newport Blvd.
City of Newport Beach, Ca. 92663
Dear Mr. Allen:
"rECEND AFTER AGENDA
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Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Please consider this additional supplemental to the record information in regard to a
request by Newport Coast Recovery for a reasonable accommodation application.
In regard to observations and the determination of Fire Authorities facts that might
effect the reasonable fire protections afforded the appellant and those protections
afforded the community please review and consider the following:
Determinations by the Fire Marshal, and in regard to the application of the Uniform
Fire Code, are dependent as to occupancy type, building classification(s) and a large
body of other information defined in the Uniform Building Code. For the Fire officials
to complete a thorough analysis, the following general and particular issues must be
considered:
1. If the building is a multi or 4 story structure, fire protections of a particular
variety must be in place in very particular places in the building. The
openings and certain fire resistive structure must be determined and applied.
2. The building's location on the site in regard to its property lines has a very
particular and detailed affect on the type of structure. A determination that
property lines must be considered to be running between buildings may affect
the building and thus the fire requirements.
3. Where buildings have been considered 'one', where joined, such buildings
shall have a particular limit to their area or have alternative means of fire
protections.
4. Separations of buildings (separated with fire walls) to limit their areas shall
have such separation walls made of particular fire resistive construction.
5. Occupancy differences from one type to another require occupancy
separation walls.
6. A wide ranging variety of fire protections are incumbent and required for the
building to continue to occupied safely.
Improvement Association
2916 Clay Street
Newport Beach, CA. 92663
Tel 949- 355 -3280
donCalnewoortheichts.orc
www.newoortheichts.or
7. The application of Residential Fire Sprinklers is not to be applied as a waiver
or substitution for any code short coming without the application and hearing,
as defined in the Fire Code, as part as a separate process.
8. The application of disabled access to this facility is required and governed by
the same code. Those patrons' health safety, exiting and access must be
analyzed.
In so much as that the current analysis by the Fire Authority is important to this
application and that certain State applications seem to consider a local Fire approval
as part of their governance, we believe that the City's research must be through and
complete in order to be considered reasonable, customary and adequate. If the
existing occupancy of the facility could have been, in part, forgiven as to certain
aspects of the application of code because of pre- existing non - conforming status or
an 'existing building' or other use, we know that does not give the facility a 'free
pass' in regard to it's ongoing basic and reasonable safety or any effect or damage
that the denial of that reasonable safety may have on the adjacent community.
Now is the time to go through a thoughtful and thorough analysis for the applicant
and the Community and not merely have the Fire Department visit the structure,
measure the width of doors and select a number between 9 and 13. The opinion of
the Fire Department in their work, in this or any application, must rely on a
reasonably thorough analysis of the building and can not be abbreviated or limited
because of the applications legislative focus. None of us would have the law of the
land make our buildings less safe or place our communities at risk.
The professionals within our Community have all lived their lives with these
regulations and we are advising our community that having this very important
undertaking done correctly and adequately is the only means of avoiding damage to
the community. We look forward to your analysis.
Sincerely,
Donald Krotee, Architect
President Newport Heights Improvement Association
Electronic copy., Mayor,PC, Council, Board of Directors