Petition Regarding BBQ on Balconieson balconies
INTER- OFFICE MEMO
CITY OF HOPKINS
1010 FIRST STREET SOUTH PHONE: 935- 474
HOPKINS, MINNESOTA 55343
TO William Craig, City Manager DATE September 2 19 82
FROM George Magdal, Fire Marshal
SUBJ ECT Knollwood Towers West Letter and Petition regarding Barbecues
The Hopkins Fire Department supports ordinance number 82 -507, Section 8, prohibiting
fires or barbecues on balconies of any structure.
The history of fires caused by barbecues on combustible balconies is endless.
There is no question that this is a fire hazard. In fact, Hopkins itself has
had two fires caused by hot ashes dropping out of the bottom of the barbecue
on to a combustible deck.
We also have had three cases where the Fire Department has responded to call
caused by a barbecue on a non- combustible balcony. (1) A false alarm because
of a barbecue smoking on a upper floor balcony. Someone thought that the smoke
was coming from inside an apartment. (2) A kitchen fire due to hot ashes from
a barbecue being placed in a paper bag and brought into the apartment. (3)
Spot fires due to a resident purposely dumping hot ashes off his balcony to clean
out his barbecue.
Other hazards present in barbecues on non combustible balconies that we have
not yet encountered include (1) Hot ashes dropping down to ignite combustibles
placed on the balcony. Bloomington recently had over a one hundred thousand
dollar fire loss due to this. The fuel that the ashes ignited was carpeting
placed on top of a combustible balcony. (2) Wind blowing hot ashes back into
the apartment or into a neighbor's apartment. (3) Dumpster fires due to hot
ashes being placed in the garbage. (4) Spontaneous combustion due to charcoal
being stored in apartments.
Although all these hazards do exist, I was unable to find any records of life
loss or substantial dollar loss caused by a barbecue on a non combustible
balcony. This may be due to a limited number of apartments that fall into
this category.
Fire fighting in a high -rise fire is much more difficult than in a single family
dwelling or in a commercial building. On a warm day the manpower requirements
would easily overtax the fire department resources. Also the evacuation procedures
could prove inadequate with the number of residents involved and the presence of
handicapped persons requiring additional help.
Although we cannot protect everyone from themselves, we must protect their
neighbors from unnecessary life safety hazards.
0
August 27, 1982
City of Hopkins
Attn: City Manager
1010 First Street South
Hopkins, Minnesota 55343
Re: Barbecuing on Balconies
Mr. Craig:
I am writing this letter on behalf of the residents of three of
our apartment complexes in Hopkins. Knollwood Towers West, Knoll
wood Towers East, and Cambridge Towers are all buildings built
of concrete construction. The issue here is whether or not to
allow barbecuing on balconies of buildings made of non- combust-
ible materials. I am writing this letter also on behalf of the
management and owners, because they too have strong feelings
about this issue. I found out from the Fire Marshall, George
Magdal, earlier this summer that the City of Hopkins had changed
its fire code in April of 1982 from disallowing barbecuing on
balconies of buildings built of combustible materials to disal-
lowing barbecuing in any building regardless of the building ma-
terial. In our conversation he advised me that it was his inten-
tion to begin enforcing this fire code in conjunction with the
adoption of a similar change to the State of Minnesota code.
Mr. Magdal has just informed me that the State has in fact drop-
ped this proposal change so that the State does yet allow such
barbecuing on concrete buildings. I would like to suggest that
the present State standards and those ordinances in the City fire
code prior to April 1982 are acceptable and proper. Laws to
include concrete buildings in this barbecuing ban are unfair and
ones that have no logical reason for existence. I'm quite sure
that historically no property damage or loss of life has re-
sulted from barbecuing in such a structure. If there has been
no such problem, why adopt a law that regulates enjoyable activ-
ities that are not causing concerns or more importantly fires?
Attached is a list of residents to date that have expressed their
dislike of Hopkins' ordinance change. The language in the pet-
ition that indicates a fall effective date of this ordinance change
is what I had informed them in a recent newsletter. Over 100
signatures represent an overwhelming majority of the residents
of Knollwood Towers West.
O
0
Bad laws should be changed and can be changed. The answer to
this situation is not non enforcement of the new fire code or
certain aspects of it. I think the ordinance should be changed
back to include buildings of combustible materials only. That
reversal to the old ordinance is logical and fair and also
brings local code in compliance with State code. The end re-
sult is a good law that addresses the issue of potential fire
causing situations (barbecuing on a wood frame building) and
yet does not restrict personal behavior of the City's residents
unfairly who live in a fireproof dwelling.
Please give such a change some careful study. I do alert our
residents of important issues through a monthly newsletter and
will advise them of this letter. We all await some official
word on the result of your discussions with the Fire Marshall
and hope that one of Minnesota's enjoyable activities will not
be curtailed.
Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
cc
George Magdal, Fire Marshall
-2-
E.K. Ginkel
Knollwood Towers West Management
TO: THE CITY OF HOPKINS AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA
We the undersigned at Knollwood Towers West, 1010 Lake Street N.E.,
Hopkins, Minnesota 55343, do hereby protest to the new Ordinance going
into effect this fall regarding barbecuing on the balconies of all
apartment buildings. We feel that should NOT include concrete
buildings and balconies such as this one.
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(Cont'd.)
Petition (Cont'd.)
Page 2
TO: THE CITY OF HOPKINS AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA
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(Cont'd.)
Petition (Cont'd.)
Page 3
TO; THE CITY OF HOPKINS AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA
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SIGNATURE
Hopkins City Manager
City Hall
1010 First St. S.
Hopkins, MN 55343
1010 NE Lake St. #714
Hopkins, MN 55343
September 29, 1982
Dear Mr. Craig:
In reference to the October 5 Council meeting agenda item of barbequing
regulations in Hopkins.
We are strongly urging you and the Council to rescind (as the State of
Minnesota has done) the law against barbecuing in apartment buildings
with concrete balconies. This of course was a major enticement to this
particular structural type apartment building. Its a pleasurable
activity that would be a terrible shame to take away from apartment
dwellers who do not have the usual access to patios, grass, etc.
I am a lifelong resident of Hopkins and a great appreciator of life-
styles in Hopkins. It is an excellent, the best, city to live and
work in. Please back up the State of Minnesota and rescind this
very senseless barbecuing law.
Sincerely,
zaAet40/
Gail and Bill Wells
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