LAKE FOREST : City Tightens Rules on Fire Sprinklers

An ordinance requiring fire sprinklers in housing complexes of three or more units was narrowly passed by the City Council this week.

The council voted 3-2 Tuesday night for the measure, which exceeds the state requirement of sprinklers in dwellings with 15 or more units.

“The bottom line for me was the safety factor,” said Mayor Ann Van Haun. “People living in (a complex with three or more units) don’t have control over what happens to the building when there’s more than one unit.”

The new city law drew opposition from council members Richard T. Dixon and Helen Wilson, who believe that the requirement will place an unfair burden on business.

“I sat on the fence on this for a while,” Wilson said. “But we’ve had a community drive to keep businesses here in town and to provide more affordable housing. I just don’t feel it’s necessary to add another $2,000 to the price of a home.”

Wilson said that other safety improvements, such as putting smoke detectors in every bedroom, should be looked into before requiring sprinklers.

“Saving human lives is good, but you can do other things to improve safety,” she said. “With economic times tough, we don’t need another financial burden on business.”

Van Haun said she “could see the other side of this issue, but I don’t think it’s a tremendous extra expense when you’re talking about safety.”

The council had previously considered requiring sprinklers in single-family homes but decided not to take that step, Wilson said.