R 132
2001-H 6287
Enacted 4/11/2001


J  O  I  N  T     R  E  S  O  L  U  T  I  O  N

SUPPORTING THE COMMITTEE ON DRAFTING THE REHABILITATION BUILDING AND FIRE CODE FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES IN THEIR EFFORTS TO CONSOLIDATE RHODE ISLAND'S BUILDING AND FIRE CODES

Introduced By:  Representatives Coderre, M. Anderson, Pires, Vieira and Sullivan Date Introduced:  March 29, 2001

WHEREAS, Many property owners view Rhode Island's current codes to be too cumbersome, the process too long and too costly to rehabilitate old mill properties, especially for residential use and therefore, they choose to forego these projects altogether; and

WHEREAS, Rhode Island is one of the earliest industrial Mecca's on the east coast. The need to preserve industrial mill buildings should be unquestioned. The well known Slater Mill, located in the heart of the city of Pawtucket, is a prime example of how preserving historic mills is vital to the area. Buildings which have outlived their purpose for which they were built, such as the Pawtucket Armory, should be rehabilitated and made safe. Pawtucket is just one example of how important the rehabilitation and fire code will positively affect the entire State of Rhode Island; and

WHEREAS, In the city of Pawtucket there are more than 90 mill properties which if rehabilitated would offer living/work space in a safe environment; however, at this time there is no economically feasible way to rehabilitate these properties; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby strongly supports the efforts of the committee on Drafting the Rehabilitation Building and Fire Code for Existing Buildings and Structures to consolidate Rhode Island's building and fire codes into a single user-friendly rehabilitation code for existing industrial and commercial buildings that will ensure that these buildings are safe, while at the same time reducing the financial obstacles to property owners who find it too costly to rehabilitate old mill buildings; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the chairman of the Committee on Drafting Building and Fire Code for Existing Buildings and Structures.

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