Posted on 06/03/2004 4:32:02 PM PDT by paulat
People who live in apartments or condos might want to grill their burgers sooner rather than later, because outdoor barbecues will be banned on the decks of many buildings across the state beginning July 1.
Beginning July 1, new building codes prohibit the use of open-flame gas or charcoal barbecues around balconies unless there is a sprinkler overhead. The rules apply to multifamily residential buildings, which are defined as three or more attached units.
The changes come from a new 600-page International Building Code, which merges the country's three regional building codes.
Washington state's Legislature approved adoption of the new rules last year after the State Building Code Council recommended it. The council provides independent analysis and advice to the Legislature and the governor on state building code issues.
(Excerpt) Read more at king5.com ...
FYI...this is NATIONAL law....
When they ban fire, people will die.
Seattle lives up to its Soviet reputation. How positively un-American!
That might have been a little hasty. When people choose to live in a commune then they get what they deserve. No yard work! They pay for someone else to do it....< sigh >
LWS
If you think this will stop with condos...building codes creep over to single-family homes....
Hey, it's a free country, isn't it...? Isn't it...? Isn't...
Apartment Deck BBQ's To Be Banned Soon (State of Washington) ^
Posted by microgood
On 06/03/2004 1:14:24 PM PDT with 65 comment
KomoTV4Seattle ^ | Jun 3, 2004 | KOMO Staff & News Services
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1147040/posts
Probably not. While I think this ordinance is stupid, as I lived in an apartment, grilled all the time, and never had any problems (and would have had to work very hard at arson type tactics to have problems), this sort of ordinance has been in place all over the country for at least a decade or more. There's been no threat of expanding the ordinances to single family homes, and it is doubtful that such property restrictions could hold up in court.
Even though there's little risk of grilling on an apartment balcony, most complexes won't allow it, since if one unit does catch fire, its likely that multiple units (meaning multiple people) will suffer damage, either smoke, fire, or water. The best thing to do is just ban it. Single family homes have no such problem.
State officials may still revisit the ban, as well as another regulation buried in the code: a ban on cut Christmas trees in apartments, meeting halls, stores, jails, schools, hospitals, day cares, and churches.
Funny thing, Pennsylvania just adopted the International Building Code state-wide in April... Wonder what's going on that states as jumping at state-wide regulations like this. Federal $$$ being dangled? Or some punitive action threatened (like ineligibility for Fed $$$)?
Why don't you use REAL keywords, so those of us who want to post can do so???? I used "government" and "barbecue."
I DID a search before I posted....
Doesn't anybody see that insurance companies have an interest here. The insurance industry is continually pushing for these restrictions. Read your policy, every year you get less and less coverage...more and more exemptions - everything they can think of - and yet the premiums keep going up. They don't want ANY risks and keep pushing to reduce your freedoms in order to save them any potential for loss.
Maybe what you mentioned is being driven by pressure from the insurance industry.
My apartment rental firm banned charcol fires, but allows gas grills. That policy came from their insurance company after a $1M dollar charcol fire at one of their units.
The city has an open flame code. No flames with 10 feet of a wood stucture. I think about 90% of the people are in violators in Champaign, Il
It said new INTERNATIONAL LAW...WHAT? Now the UN is deciding who gets to BAR-B-QUE? This is unreal.
That could be it; I'm just suspicious that it's government driven because of the kind of things our local planners day. They want total control over local land-use, and are very concerned that some areas aren't regulated, and people might go there instead. Those planners are people who are deeply involved in the American Planning Association, who lobbies federal organizations for things that would 'level the playing field' by getting all the country under the same regulatory system so it would be easier to administer.
Anyone who wishes to ignore these restrictions should be permitted to do so, but under one condition: they must first sign a waiver that essentially tells the local fire department never to respond to calls at their address. There you have it -- total freedom and liberty, and no hassle from "Big Brother."
People don't seem to understand that their freedom isn't being taken away by these fire codes. Their freedom was already taken away when they created fire departments, 911 systems, etc.
It's a code, not a law. It has also been in many codes for years.
Three More States Choose International Codes
(June 19, 2003) - Nebraska, Nevada and Oklahoma are the latest in a string of International Code adoptions that have occurred across the United States.
Nebraska adopted the 2000 International Building Code, International Residential Code and International Energy Conservation Code for its state building code. On May 30, Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns signed the bill. It goes into effect January 1. All state agencies must comply with the new state code. Nebraska cities can update their codes to the most recent edition of the state code. The state's two largest cities, Lincoln and Omaha, already have adopted the International Building Code and International Residential Code.
The Nevada State Public Works Board must adopt the seismic provisions of the International Building Code, according to an act signed on June 9 by Gov. Kenny Guinn. Nevada's new seismic provisions become effective July 1 for all public state works. Governing bodies in Nevada municipalities have until July 1, 2004 to implement the new regulations.
Oklahoma State Fire Marshal Robert Doke on June 1 adopted the 2003 International Building Code, International Fire Code, International Property Maintenance Code and International Existing Building Code. Effective November 1, the codes become the minimum standards for all Oklahoma jurisdictions that adopt model codes and are mandatory for jurisdictions that do not adopt codes locally.
Nationwide, 46 states have adopted one or more of the International Codes at the state or jurisdictional level. The District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and federal agencies also are enforcing one or more of the International Codes.
The International Code Council, a 50,000-member association dedicated to building safety, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools.
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