Fire hydrant dispute settled
Published on 5/4/2008
Written by Tommy Howard
The marina and the newspaper are both owned by Georgetown Communications (which in turn is owned by Evening Post Publishing Co. of Charleston). Work has been ongoing for several years to refurbish Harborwalk Marina, which is on the Sampit River behind the Georgetown Times plant.
One of the delays was the insistence of the city of Georgetown through Assistant City Fire Chief Bill Johnson that the marina pay for a new fire hydrant, even though there is already one diagonally across the street from the marina at the intersection of Front and Queen streets.
Harborwalk Marina had opened after Carr and others thought all permits were in place and construction was complete. Numerous boats came in to tie up at the marina and take on fuel and their passengers visited around Georgetown.
Then, Johnson told Carr on April 15 he had to shut the marina down because of the fire hydrant issue and because water lines had not yet been tested.
"We were closed because we had not demonstrated a pressure test on dry pipes on our docks themselves," operations manager Chris Carroll said. "We were closed two days."
Harborwalk Marina had paid for installation of a standpipe between the Times building and the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce building. The standpipe is only about 125 feet away from the existing fire hydrant.
This issue was part of a lengthy discussion about the size of pipes and water flow, and whether the marina should have to pay for a fire hydrant.
Extra fire hydrant
City of Georgetown officials wanted the marina to pay for a new fire hydrant at the corner of Front and Queen streets.
Also, city fire officials at first wanted Harborwalk Marina to install and pay for a 1,000 gallon-per-minute (gpm) water line and standpipes.
Eventually, the city and Harborwalk Marina agreed that the marina would have water lines with a capacity of 750 gpm. The city and marina also agreed earlier to split the cost of a fire hydrant.
What makes this upsetting to Carr is the fact that there is no state requirement for marinas to have firefighting equipment. And, the city's added requirement would not just double but could be more than triple the cost of what Harborwalk Marina needs by code.
According to Dan Burger of the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), "Our coastal regulations do not specifically require fire extinguishing equipment at marinas. Such matters are addressed through other means, including local ordinances and building codes."
A fire inspector in another jurisdiction told the Georgetown Times that with most boats using the marina falling into the 30- to 40-foot length, Harborwalk Marina would meet safety requirements with a 250 gpm line.
Upgrading from a 250 gpm to a 500 gpm or 1,000 gpm line would double or triple the cost.
Consultant Paul Carroll said the original bid for a 3-inch fire protection system was $22,896. When the city fire inspector said that Harborwalk Marina had to put in a 4-inch system, the cost went to at least $41,197 and perhaps as high as $48,885.
Paul Carroll said the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) code requires 100 gpm as a minimum.
"Initially, the fire marshal (Bill Johnson) asked for 1,000 gpm. He then came down to 750 gpm, which is where we are now," Paul Carroll said on April 17.
Also, having to bore a hole underneath Front Street for pipe for a new hydrant would be significantly more expensive than simply cutting a trench, laying the pipe and then paving over the cut. The "open cut" price for a hydrant was $12,721. The boring operation would be much more expensive than cutting a trench, though a specific price wasn't given.
Dedicated to safety
Carr said that the Georgetown Times and Harborwalk Marina have long been dedicated to safety.
"Let me assure you that Harborwalk Marina and the Times take fire prevention and fighting seriously," Carr wrote to Bill Johnson, assistant fire chief. "We are also happy to assist and host access points for fire fighting along the waterfront. We have been part of the Georgetown County and City community for 209 years -- longer than any other business by far -- and consider participating in community support, safety and prosperity part of our role. Of course," he continued, "I also think it is my responsibility, both from a newspaper standpoint and a manager of Harborwalk Marina standpoint to educate myself, and when relevant to our readers and community such things get integrated into news content."
Who pays?
Before a meeting last week where the city dropped its push for a new fire hydrant, Carr had said it appears that the city wants private business to fund the cost of a fire hydrant and standpipe system that will go well beyond what the need is for just Harborwalk Marina.
The city's own fire code states a fire hydrant is needed "... for every 500 feet of main length."
Harborwalk Marina has already paid for a "standpipe" that is about 125 feet diagonally away from the existing fire hydrant at Front and Queen streets.
That standpipe connects to the fire hydrant across the street, and in turn is connected to the standpipes on the docks at the marina.
It has also paid for installing more standpipes along the marina, each of which is 150 feet or less from the one that is next closest. Standpipes are allowed to be used to meet codes. "These standpipes move the water closer to the docks," Chris Carroll said. The increased size is the cause of the added expense."
In an e-mail to Carr, Bill Johnson wrote that the city has not applied such standards to other marinas, since they were in existence prior to the 2006 standards. Harborwalk Marina was also in existence before that time, he acknowledged, but said the standard was applied to the new portion. He added that Craven's Grant, Riverside and the Carroll Campbell boat landing would all have to adhere to the 2006 standard.
"The hydrant issue was at our request," Johnson said. "Whenever possible it is desirable to spread out fire protection resources to make them more easily available. We asked for the hydrant to be installed for this reason. Mr. [John] Burbage (former Times publisher) and Mr. [Steve] Thomas (city administrator) agreed to share equally in the cost of the hydrant."
Carr believes this statement reflects an attitude of "pass costs along to business. 'We are not going to let you proceed unless you agree to it all'," Carr took that statement to mean.
"As an organization, we don't have a problem with safety," Carr said.
"I do have a problem with private business being used in a way they are being coerced into funding city infrastructure."
If the water line was only to Harborwalk Marina, Carr said, that would be its responsibility. "But, all this fire stuff is meant to serve surrounding businesses." He believes that Harborwalk should not have to pay for the costs beyond what building codes require.
Hydrant not needed
In an e-mail sent last Wednesday, April 30, Johnson told Thomas that a contractor for Harborwalk Marina "had removed the standpipe connection to seal it for the pressure test. At the time it was not immediately visible to us.
"After returning to the property today (Wednesday) we realized the fire department connection has been installed fifty feet closer to the existing hydrant. It would be within ten feet of the proposed hydrant.
"With that in mind we withdraw our request to install a fire hydrant on the marina side of Front Street. Installation of a hydrant at that location would be a very inefficient use of anyone's money," Johnson wrote.
He said the city Fire Department wants the marina to take steps to protect the standpipe, "but it will not be necessary to install a hydrant."
Burbage, the former publisher who is working on the marina project, said the marina would install barriers to protect the standpipe and set aside a "no parking" space "so that the fire department can easily hook up if necessary."
|
I find it quite unusual to even need hydrants. The city has pumper trucks that can draft from the river. I think that has been the practice since 1956. Posted by on 5/6/2008
|
|
I''m surprised at this rate that the city just didn''t ask the Marina to pay for a Fire Boat and the cost to cover the personel on the boat. Then again, the city most likely would TELL the Marina to cover the cost of the salary of the Firefighters on the boat. The City is starting to e the playground bully! Posted by on 5/5/2008
|
