[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township
of Mendham 4-12-2004 by Ord. No. 7-2004 (Sec. 28-3 of the 1998 Revised
General Ordinances). Amendments noted where applicable.]
Public or private fire lanes or fire apparatus access roads
shall be required in the Township where the Township Fire Official
or Township Fire Protection Subcode Official deems them necessary
for the efficient and effective operation of fire apparatus and other
emergency service vehicles. As part of the Fire Official's review
of a development application submitted to the Planning Board or Board
of Adjustment and as part of the Fire Protection Subcode Official's
review of an application for a construction permit, the Fire Official
or Fire Protection Subcode Official shall consider whether a fire
lane should be required. Proposed fire lanes shall not conflict with
prior approvals of the Planning or Zoning Board or which are the result
of the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
Fire lanes required by this section or by the New Jersey Uniform
Fire Code, N.J.A.C. 5:70-1 et seq., or the New Jersey Uniform Construction
Code, N.J.A.C. 5:23-1 et seq., shall comply with the following standards:
A.
Fire lanes shall provide unobstructed access to fire hydrants, drafting
points, building entrances and exits to permit support of installed
fire protection systems, prompt evacuation of building occupants,
interior access for firefighting equipment and personnel and exterior
access for aerial, ladder or other elevated platform situations.
B.
Before the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, any public or
private road may be designated as a fire lane by the Fire Official
and may be widened to accommodate passage of fire apparatus if required
due to its length or accessibility to water supplies, firefighting
or rescue operations.
C.
Fire lanes and bridges carrying fire lanes shall be designed and
maintained to support the imposed loads of fire apparatus and shall
be surfaced to provide all-weather driving capabilities with an asphalt,
concrete or other surface approved by the Fire Official.
D.
Fire lanes shall have a minimum width of 18 feet and an unobstructed vertical clearance of not less than 13 feet six inches, except that fire lanes servicing a building equipped with fully automatic fire sprinklers shall be 12 feet in width and may have a surface other than in Subsection C above if approved by the Fire Official.
E.
Fire lanes shall not exceed the grade required by Township ordinance
for private roads.
F.
Fire lane gates may be required by the Fire Official and shall comply
with the required lane width in the open position. The design, operation
and locking of gates shall be approved by the Fire Official.
G.
The design of fire lanes shall conform to the provisions set forth
in this chapter and shall be approved by the Fire Official.
The Fire Official may approve requests for variances from the
design standards of this section with the concurrence of the Mendham
Township Bureau of Fire Prevention. No variance shall be granted unless
the Fire Official shall find that strict compliance with the standard
would result in undue hardship and that the variance, if granted,
will not unreasonably jeopardize the safety of Township residents,
firefighters and the public in general. The standards and procedures
for variances set forth in the Uniform Fire Safety Act, specifically
N.J.S.A. 52:27D-200, and in the Uniform Fire Code, specifically N.J.A.C.
5:70-2.14, shall apply and be followed.
The property owner shall be responsible for marking and maintaining
any fire lane located on the owner's property as it was originally
designed and approved. All signage and supplementary markings of fire
lanes shall be maintained in a clean and legible condition at all
times and replaced when necessary to ensure adequate visibility. Fire
lanes shall be maintained clear of ice, snow, vehicles and obstructions
by the owner of the property.
