By Jessie Burchette

jburchette@salisburypost

CHINA GROVE — Aldermen have voted against adopting the state fire code and authorizing county inspectors to enforce it.

Alderman Allen Welter, who owns several buildings downtown, raised objections last month and got the issue tabled.

Welter continued Tuesday night to question fire-suppression sprinkler requirements, saying Main Street property owners can't afford to install the systems.

Fire Chief Jeff Gledhill and Town Manager Bill Pless said the sprinkler requirement would take effect only when a building is remodeled extensively or expanded.

Pless said county inspectors currently do building inspections in town and enforce state codes. He said repeatedly that adopting the fire code enforcement resolution would have no immediate impact.

Welter named two buildings that would have to have sprinkler systems if aldermen adopted the resolution. They are the building that houses Dixie coffee shop and a building owned by David Morton that is under repair.

Welter further contended the town doesn't have the water volume along Main Street to support sprinkler systems and said he would sue the town if it tried to force him to install sprinkler systems in his buildings.

Aldermen Ron Overcash and Butch Bivens offered a motion to adopt the resolution but then backed away.

Answering a question from Bivens, Gledhill said the county is already doing fire inspections.

"They are enforcing (fire codes) anyway. This is frivolous," Bivens responded.

"The resolution is a moot point," Mayor Pro Tem Blair Lyseski added.

Alderman questioned whether other towns across the county have adopted the resolution.

Gledhill and Pless listed several towns that have, including Landis and Spencer.

Bivens responded that he didn't mind being last.

The board then voted unanimously against the resolution allowing the county to do fire inspections.

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