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The Greater Hockessin Area Development Association voted unanimously Monday, March 21 to urge New Castle County Council to delay a vote that would require new, single family residential homes to be constructed with sprinkler systems.
New Castle County Councilwoman Janet Kilpatrick (R-Hockessin) said at the meeting held at Hockessin Memorial Hall that she is torn between the two sides to the debate. There are those who advocate for fire safety that potentially saves lives. And there is the homebuilders association that cites the costly nature of such an endeavor, which could stall a recovery in the housing market.
There are several, convoluted questions around this potential mandate as well, such as the implications on well users and on insurance coverage should a family decide to turn its water off when they went away on vacation. It could also add $25 to people’s water bills per quarter, Kilpatrick said.
When asked by GHADA member Joe Amon how much support there was for this measure, Kilpatrick said council as a whole was split 50-50.
“There’s that much support?” Amon said.
The National Fire Protection Association has pushed for this requirement for almost 35 years, GHADA President Mark Blake said. Now, Delaware is feeling it.
But the National Building Association said this would kill the country’s tenuous, economic recovery in the housing market's slump, Blake said. It would add a cost of $2.68 per square foot to build a house.
Blake urged New Castle County to examine what has happened in other municipalities and states where this measure has been adopted. Particularly, he urged them to see what has happened to well users, such as those in the state of Washington.
“If you’re in a rural area and you have a well and they mandate this, it’s no longer just $6,700 to do that 2,500 square foot-home with a sprinkler [system], said Blake, a master electrician. “It’s another $12,000 for a standby, backup generator with an automatic transfer switch to provide power during an outage.”
Hockessin Planning Partnership President and GHADA member Ken Murphy said two weeks is simply not enough time to make an educated decision on a vote of this magnitude. He asked that Kilpatrick ask for a delay on this vote until June at the very least to allow this measure to be aired out completely.
His motion was seconded and voted on.
The Greater Hockessin Area Development Association voted unanimously Monday, March 21 to urge New Castle County Council to delay a vote that would require new, single family residential homes to be constructed with sprinkler systems.
New Castle County Councilwoman Janet Kilpatrick (R-Hockessin) said at the meeting held at Hockessin Memorial Hall that she is torn between the two sides to the debate. There are those who advocate for fire safety that potentially saves lives. And there is the homebuilders association that cites the costly nature of such an endeavor, which could stall a recovery in the housing market.
There are several, convoluted questions around this potential mandate as well, such as the implications on well users and on insurance coverage should a family decide to turn its water off when they went away on vacation. It could also add $25 to people’s water bills per quarter, Kilpatrick said.
When asked by GHADA member Joe Amon how much support there was for this measure, Kilpatrick said council as a whole was split 50-50.
“There’s that much support?” Amon said.
The National Fire Protection Association has pushed for this requirement for almost 35 years, GHADA President Mark Blake said. Now, Delaware is feeling it.
But the National Building Association said this would kill the country’s tenuous, economic recovery in the housing market's slump, Blake said. It would add a cost of $2.68 per square foot to build a house.
Blake urged New Castle County to examine what has happened in other municipalities and states where this measure has been adopted. Particularly, he urged them to see what has happened to well users, such as those in the state of Washington.
“If you’re in a rural area and you have a well and they mandate this, it’s no longer just $6,700 to do that 2,500 square foot-home with a sprinkler [system], said Blake, a master electrician. “It’s another $12,000 for a standby, backup generator with an automatic transfer switch to provide power during an outage.”
Hockessin Planning Partnership President and GHADA member Ken Murphy said two weeks is simply not enough time to make an educated decision on a vote of this magnitude. He asked that Kilpatrick ask for a delay on this vote until June at the very least to allow this measure to be aired out completely.
His motion was seconded and voted on.
