HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Ordinance 2002-30CITY OF PLYMOUTH
HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA
ORDINANCE NO. 2002-30
AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENDING CHAPTER IX OF THE PLYMOUTH
CITY CODE CONCERNING FIRE PREVENTION
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PLYMOUTH ORDAINS:
SECTION 1. Subsection 905.01 of the Plymouth City Code is hereby amended as
follows:
905.01. Uniform Fire Code. Subdivision 1. Minnesota Uniform
Fire Code Adopted. The Minnesota Uniform Fire Code (1991-1997 Edition of the
Uniform Fire Code), one copy of which is on file in the office of the City Clerk, is
hereby adopted as the fire code for the City, for the purpose of prescribing regulations
governing conditions hazardous to life and property from fire or explosion, except such
portions as are modified or amended by Subdivisions 5 and 6 of this Section. Every
provision contained in the Minnesota Uniform Fire Code, except as modified or
amended by this Section, is hereby adopted and made a part of this Section as if fully
set forth herein. (Ord. 94-18, 10/17/94)
Subd. 2. Enforcement. The Building Official serving the City, or the
representative authorized by the Building Official, shall enforce the provisions of this
Section.
Subd. 3. Minnesota Uniform Fire Code Definitions Applied to this Section.
(a) Wherever the word "jurisdiction" is used in the Minnesota Uniform Fire
Code, it shall be held to mean the City of Plymouth.
(b) Wherever the term "Corporation Counsel" is used in the Minnesota
Uniform Fire Code, it shall be held to mean the City Attorney.
(c) Wherever the title "Chief' is used in the Minnesota Uniform Fire Code,
it shall be held to mean the Building Official for the City of Plymouth or
the Building Official's his or her authorized designee. (Ord. 94-18,
10/17/94)
Subd. 4. Creation of Limits in Which Storage of Flammable or Combustible
Liquids in Outside Above Ground Tanks is Prohibited. The limits referred to in Section
79.501 of the Minnesota Uniform Fire Code concerning prohibition of above ground
outdoor storage are declared to be all areas of the City except those which comply with
the requirements of this Section.
Subd. 5. Amendments Made in the Uniform Fire Code. The following sections
of the Uniform Fire Code are amended as follows:
(a) In Section 9.115, the following definition is added: Municipality shall
mean the City of Plymouth. (Ord. 94-18, 10/17/94)
(b) In addition to the appendices to the Uniform Fire Code adopted in the
Minnesota Uniform Fire Code, the following appendices of the Uniform
Fire Code are adopted as part of the fire code for the City:
1-A, Sec. 4, I -B, II -D, II -E, III -A, III -C, and V-A. (Ord. 94-18,
10/17/94)
SECTION 2. Subsection 905.03 of the Plymouth City Code is hereby amended as
follows:
905.03. Placement, Use and Maintenance of Fire Hydrants on Industrial,
Commercial or Multi -Family Residential Property. Installation of Fire hydrants shall be
required on all properties containing non-residential ,
eemrnemial-and multiple -family residential uses. The number and location of fire
hydrants shall be determined in accordance with the Uniform Fire Code, and with
related sections of the National Fire Code published by the National Fire Protection
Association referenced therein, subject to the following:
(a) There shall be fire hydrants placed at 300 -foot intervals along the street
right-of-way;
(b) Additional hydrants shall be located in such a manner that the maximum
length of hoseline from any hydrant shall be 300 -feet; provided,
however, that upon approval of fire protection plans and certified fire
flow data, the Fire Chief may authorize a maximum hose line length of
up to 500 feet.
Duly authorized officers of the City may enter upon private property for the purpose of
operating and maintaining fire hydrants. Fire hydrants shall be inspected annually by
the City, and an annual inspection fee established by the City Council shall be charged
for this service. There shall be no charge for multi -residential property. (Ord. 99-26,
11/02/99)
SECTION 3. Subsection 905.05 of the Plymouth City Code is hereby amended as
follows:
905.05. Fire Lanes and Emergency Access. Subdivision 1. Establishment. The
Building Official or the Building Official's designated representative is hereby
authorized to establish fire lanes and emergency access on all private and public
property, exceptas-detached single-family housing, in order that
the travel of firefighting apparatus may not be interfered with, and that access to fire
hydrants or buildings may not be obstructed. (Ord. 94-18, 10/17/94
Subd. 2. Location and Design Specifications for Fire Lanes. Fire lanes shall be
installed and maintained to provide direct unobstructed access to all fire hydrants and
within 50 feet of all sides of structures. All fire lanes shall be a minimum of fifteen feet
in width, paved and shall have a 7 -ton capacity.
Subd. 3. Exceptions. Installation of a fire lane shall not be required where:
(a) no interior or exterior point of a multi -residential structure is
more than 150 feet from a fire hydrant as a fire hose would be
laid; or
(b) the Building Official or the Building Official's designated
representative determines that the public safety objectives can be
satisfied by installation of an automatic fire sprinkling system in
lieu of a fire lane. The fire sprinkling system must be designed,
installed and maintained in accordance with Plymouth Inspection
Division policy. This exception applies only to multi -residential
structures that are otherwise outside the scope of Section 905.07,
Subd. 2; or (Ord. 94-18, 10/17/94)
(c) the Building Official or the Building Official's designated
representative determines that direct unobstructed access meeting
the requirements of a fire lane can otherwise be provided on the
site, or from an adjacent public street, or from a contiguous site.
(Ord. 94-18, 10/17/94)
Subd. 4. Location and Design Specifications for Emergency Access.
Emergency access shall be installed and maintained to provide direct, unobstructed
access to all fire hydrants, fire department connections, and building entrances.
Emergency access shall be a minimum of nine feet in width.
Subd. 5. Variance. When site design conditions such as topography, public
easements and natural vegetation are present and constrain the installation of fire lanes
or emergency access in the above manner, the Building Official or the Building
Official's designated representative may recommend, and the City Council may approve
variances to the above standards; appropriate building design features and fire
protection systems may be required to compensate for the allowed access restrictions.
(Ord. 94-18, 10/17/94)
Subd. 6. Signing. When a fire lane or emergency access has been ordered to be
established, it shall be marked by a sign bearing the words "No Parking - Fire Lane" or
a similar message. When a fire lane or emergency access is on public property or a
public right-of-way, the sign or signs shall be erected by the City, and when on private
property, they shall be erected by the owner at his own expense within 30 days after he
has been notified of the order. Thereafter, no person shall park a vehicle or otherwise
occupy or obstruct the fire lane or emergency access lane.
SECTION 4. Subsection 905.07 of the Plymouth City Code is hereby amended as
follows:
905.07. Fire Sprinkler Systems. Subdivision 1. Fire Prevention
Policy Statement. It is declared to be the policy of the City of Plymouth to vigorously
promote the safety and welfare of its citizens. In this context, the traditional approach
to fire service -- suppressing fires once ignited, rescuing survivors, and too frequently
exposing firefighters to physical danger and death, all at a disproportionately high
community investment of resources in manpower and equipment -- is declared
unacceptable for the City of Plymouth. Rather, it is the fire safety policy of the City of
Plymouth to efficiently utilize its resources and maximize life, safety, and citizen
welfare by requiring that fire prevention and extinguishing systems be built into certain
new structures. Thus, the effectiveness of the Plymouth Fire Department is enhanced
and extended at a lower cost to the citizenry, life safety is allocated a priority at least as
great as property protection, and the owner cost of built-in fire protection is partially or
wholly repaid in savings on initial construction costs and annual fire insurance
premiums.
Subd. 2. Fire Extinguishing Systems Required. Every story, basement, or cellar
in every non-residential ,
(O ffiee Limited Business), B 2 (Shopping Center Business), and B 3 (SeFviee
shall have installed and be equipped with an automatic fire
extinguishing system, which system shall comply with provisions of the Sprinkler
Standard, N.F.P.A. No. 13. Every story, basement, or cellar in every multi -family
residential building three or more stories in height hereafter erected in any owiti
distiiet shall have installed and be equipped with an automatic fire
extinguishing system which system shall comply with provisions of the Sprinkler
Standard, N.F.P.A. No. 13. The Fire extinguishing system shall be connected to a
central station system approved and listed by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. and shall
remain so connected and maintained during the life of the building. (Ord. 94-18,
10/17/94)
Exception: Buildings having a gross floor area less than 2,000 sq. ft. shall not
be required to install a fire extinguishing system, provided each story of the
building has at least 20 sq. ft. of opening above grade in each segment of the 50
lineal ft. of exterior wall on at least one side of the building.
Subd. 3. Variances (Adjustments). Variances or adjustments from the
requirements of this Section shall be considered by an Appeals Board, as established by
the Council. The Council shall make the final determination in all variance and
adjustment cases. The Board of Appeals may recommend and the Council may grant
variances from the literal provisions of this Section in circumstances where their strict
enforcement would cause undue hardship because of circumstances unique and
distinctive to the specific property or use under consideration. The provisions of this
Section, considered in conjunction with the unique and distinctive circumstances related
to the property or uses thereof must be the proximate cause of the hardship;
circumstances caused by the property owner or the applicant or a predecessor in title
shall not constitute sufficient justification to grant a variance. A variance may be
granted by the Council after demonstration by evidence that all of the following
qualifications are met:
(a) A particular hardship to the owner would result if the strict letter of the
regulations were carried out;
(b) The conditions upon which the application for a variance is based are
unique to the parcel of land or the use thereof for which the variance is
sought and are not common, generally, to other property or uses thereof
within the same zoning classification;
(c) The granting of the variance will not be detrimental to the public welfare
or injurious to other property or improvements in the neighborhood.
Subd. 4. Fees. The Building Official is hereby authorized to charge a fee for all
plan checks and inspection work relating to fire extinguishing systems in accordance
with Chapter X of this Code.
905.09. Interference with Department. It is unlawful to give or make or cause to
be given or made, an alarm of a fire without probable cause or to neglect or refuse to
obey any reasonable order of the Fire Chief at a fire, or to interfere with the fire
department in the discharge of its duties.
905.11. Tanks Containing Flammable or Combustible Liquid or Gas. The
Building Official is hereby authorized to charge a fee for all plan checks and inspections
of work relating to the installation, modification, removal or abandonment of all tanks
containing flammable or combustible liquids or gas in accordance with Chapter X of
this Code. (Ord. 94-18, 10/17/94)
905.13. Board of Appeals. In order to determine the suitability of alternate
materials and type of construction and to provide for reasonable interpretations of the
provisions of this Code, there shall be and hereby is created a Board of Appeals. The
Council shall serve as such Board of Appeals. The Building Official or his or her
designee shall be an ex officio member of such Board. The Board shall hear and
determine all appeals from decisions of the City Manager or his/her designee with
respect to any of the provisions of this Code and shall render all of its decisions in
writing to the Building Official and to the appellant. (Ord. 94-18, 10/17/94; Ord. 2001-
08, 02/27/2001)
SECTION 5. Subsection 905.15 of the Plymouth City Code is hereby amended as
follows:
905.15. Fire Protection Plan Required. A reproducible and legible 8-1/2 inch x
11 inch "as built" Fire Protection Plan shall be submitted to and approved by the
Building Official or the Building Official's designated representative prior to the
issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy for all developments, other than one and two
family dwellings for which site plan approval is required by the Plymouth Zoning -Fede
Ordinance. (Ord. 94-18, 10/17/94)
905.17. Fires or Cooking Devices on Balconies or Patios. Subdivision 1.
Prohibition. No person may kindle, maintain or cause any fire or Open Flame Fire or
store or use any Cooking Device, fuel, torch, or other heating or lighting equipment or
flammable chemicals on any balcony above ground level or on any ground floor patio
immediately adjacent to or within 15 feet of any unit in any structure containing two or
more vertically stacked residential units.
Subd. 2. Exception: Permitted Cooking Devices in Certain Structures.
Subdivision 1 does not apply to the storage or use of Permitted Cooking Devices on
balconies or ground floor patios that are constructed of noncombustible material on five
or six sides. Fuel for a Permitted Cooking Device must be stored in compliance with
Subdivision 1 of this Section.
Subd. 3. Exception, Permanent Natural Gas and Electrical Cooking Devices.
Natural gas fired or electrically heated Cooking Devices that are permanently mounted,
plumbed to the building's natural gas supply or electrically connected to the building's
electrical service, not merely plug -ins, and which maintain a minimum clearance of 16
inches on the sides and back of the device may be installed on balconies and patios.
Subd. 4. Definitions. For the purpose of this Subsection, the following terms
shall have these meanings:
(a) "Cooking device" means any barbecue, rotisserie, roaster, oven or
similar equipment used in food preparation.
(b) "Open flame fire" means any burning of fuel, and includes any torch,
flare, decorative light, fondue or other heating, burning, or lighting
equipment or device having an open flame.
(c) "Permitted cooking device" means a cooking device fueled by briquettes
or electricity or a permanently mounted natural gas cooking device as
described in subdivision 3 of this subsection.
SECTION 6. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect upon its
passage.
ADOPTED by the City Council this 12th day of November, 2002.
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ATTEST
%Sandra R. Paulson, City Clerk