Title
Proposed Changes to the Multifamily Cluster Housing Ordinance - Proposed Ordinance Change
Body
SUMMARY: Since the adoption of the Multifamily Cluster Housing Ordinance, one of the major changes has been the requirement for the installation of fire hydrants within 500 feet of all new residential structures. The way that this has mostly been addressed is to install a 6-inch fire line with a fire hydrant or hydrants. Typically, these are dead end lines with no services attached. Due to the required size of a line for a fire hydrant and the small amount of flow that would be generated by most multifamily cluster housing developments, the water in the line can become stagnant and not suitable for use for water services. A few of the developments that have been approved, have installed private fire lines. Some of those water plans have been approved by TDEC. However, TDEC has changed their requirements dealing with private fire lines. Large scale commercial developments do not have an issue in installing the very expensive backflow prevention devices that are now being required by TDEC. That is a cost most housing developers would rather not be burdened with. The solution City Staff has come up with is to accept the fire lines as public lines, which does not require the backflow prevention devices. However, that would potentially incur a cost to the City that is not typical for public lines. The maintenance and upkeep of the fire lines should they ever have a leak or the hydrant become damaged.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends changing the existing Ordinance for Multifamily Cluster Housing to include a maintenance agreement that would be signed by the property owner. It would provide the City with an easement to enter private property and conduct any maintenance or repairs to the line. Any cost that is associated with the maintenance or repair of the fire line would then be billed to the property owner. This would allow the City to address any concerns to the fire line in a timely manner and ensure the fire line or hydrant was repaired or replaced to City specifications.
Attached is a marked-up PDF of the existing Ordinance and a rough draft of the maintenance agreement. If the Planning Commission recommends to move forward with the changes, then the final wording in the ordinance and the maintenance agreement would be submitted to the City Attorney for their review and approval before going to City Council for adoption.
Recommended Action
NECESSARY PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: Recommend to move forward with the proposed ordinance change to allow maintenance agreements on fire lines for multifamily/cluster housing developments.