Fire chief has issues regarding AvalonBay fire safety plan
By Ken Powers Contributing Writer

Northborough - At what was supposed to be an informal meeting to explain some minimal changes and approve the final site plans for "The Loop" retail and the AvalonBay residential projects, Northborough Fire Chief David Durgin refused to approve the fire safety plan for part of the Avalon- Bay housing development.

AvalonBay is a residential development that will consist of 350 housing units, including both townhouses and apartments. The Loop is a 575,000-square-foot area of retail space. The developments are to be located at the intersection of routes 9 and 20, where Northborough and Shrewsbury meet.

Durgin said he signed off on the part of the site plan that involves the construction of the townhouses, but not the eight larger, multistory apartment buildings.

After the Aug. 14 Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) meeting, Durgin explained his decision to not approve the site plan regarding the apartment buildings included in the AvalonBay plan.

"It's really just one issue, but there are two options that can be considered to solve it," Durgin said. "There are issues regarding access to the larger buildings for us to be able to get our trucks in there. The way the complex is designed, we can't get in there as close as we need to get in there - especially around the back of some of these buildings which are abutted by rock ledges - to make me comfortable about our ability to fight the fire in the best possible manner.

"One option," Durgin explained, "is to improve access. But that's not really an option because of the landscape issues. The second option, and only real option, is to install what is called a National Fire Protection Association Full 13 Fire Suppression Sprinkler System."

Durgin said the Full 13 system not only provides for timely detection to safely and quickly get the buildings evacuated, but begins to fight the fire with sprinklers located throughout the buildings, including in attics, closets and hallways.

"What the developers have countered with is what's called a 13R System," Durgin said, "which only provides for timely detection for evacuation and some sprinklers, but not a full system. With the access issues that exist, I can't, in good conscience for the people who are going to live in these buildings or my men who I may have to ask to go into these buildings when they are engulfed in flames, sign off on this project without these buildings having Full 13 systems."

Kevin Giblin, the major developer of both projects, said the other AvalonBay developments, as well as other projects he's worked on were approved with the 13R systems.

"I can't speak for the fire chiefs that may have signed off on those projects," Durgin said, "but I'm going to guess the access to the building was better. Again, that's the issue here - access."

ZBA Chair Dick Rand asked both sides to work on a solution to the issue, noting that no building permits would be issued until the situation was solved to the satisfaction of the fire chief and he signed off on the project.