[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Town Commissioners
of the Town of Bel Air as indicated in article histories. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 3-11-1980 by Ord. No. 310 as Ch. 8, Art. 3 of the 1980 Code; amended in its entirety 5-20-2013 by Ord. No.
760-13]
[Amended 3-1-2021 by Ord. No. 801-21]
A.
The Town hereby adopts the following:
(1)
The State of Maryland Fire Prevention Code, COMAR 29.06.01 effective
October 7, 2019 (adoption NFPA 101 and NFPA 1, 2018, Edition with
amendments). The Public Works Director shall have the duties and functions
of the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) as referred to in this
code.
(2)
The Life Safety Code, NFPA 101, 2021 Edition with amendments, published
by the National Fire Prevention Association. The Public Works Director
shall have the duties and functions of the authority having jurisdiction
(AHJ) as referred to in this code.
B.
Nothing herein shall be constructed to impair the validity, effect
and enforceability of any fire code or regulations now or hereafter
adopted by the appropriate agencies of the state.
A.
Whenever the Public Works Director may find that any private sidewalk
or vehicular driveway is obstructed by snow, debris, construction
material, vehicles or other matter likely to interfere with the operation
of the Fire Department or other emergency services, he shall order
that said obstruction be removed and that such areas be kept clear
from such obstructions in the future. As may be required, the Public
Works Director shall consult the Chief of Police of Bel Air, the Chief
of the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Department, and the Director of Planning
and Community Development for Bel Air or any authority to give such
assistance as may be deemed advisable.
B.
In order to assure free access by Fire Department vehicles and other
emergency vehicles, the Board of Town Commissioners of Bel Air or
its designated representative, upon such finding by the Public Works
Director, may order "No Parking" signs erected and may designate fire
lanes to be distinctively marked and may order that curbs be painted
a distinctive color to delineate areas to be kept clear from any obstruction.
Where such signs are erected or such painting or marking is done on
privately owned property, the cost and installation of such signs
and the application of marking or painting shall be borne by the owner
or owners of such property.
C.
The parking of any vehicle, on private property or otherwise, which is in violation of the foregoing shall constitute a municipal infraction, and any person convicted thereof shall be subject to penalties as provided in Chapter 1, Article II, and Chapter 450, Article IV, of this Code. In addition, any vehicle parked in violation of this section may be impounded by the Police Department and held until the penalty provided and the towing and storage charges incurred as a result of impounding are paid. When a citation is attached to a vehicle in the absence of its driver, the registered owner of the vehicle shall be presumed to be the person wrongfully parking such vehicle and thus violating this section. If such vehicle remains unattended for two hours after issuance of a citation, it may be impounded as provided above.
A.
Membrane structures are defined as:
(1)
Cable-restrained, air-supported structure. A structure in which the
uplift is resisted by cables or webbings which are anchored to either
foundations or dead men. Reinforcing cable or webbing is attached
by various methods to the membrane or is an integral part of the membrane.
This is not a cable-supported structure.
(2)
Membrane-covered cable structure. A nonpressurized structure in which
a mast and cable system provides support and tension to the membrane
weather barrier and the membrane imparts stability to the structure.
(3)
Membrane-covered frame structure. A nonpressurized building wherein
the structure is composed of a rigid framework to support a tensioned
membrane which provides the weather barrier.
B.
Temporary cable-restrained, air-supported structures, temporary membrane-covered
cable structures and temporary membrane-covered frame structures that
would be an alteration to an existing building, would constitute an
addition to the height and/or area of any structure or be proposed
in conjunction with the construction of a new structure shall be prohibited
on any story above the lowest level of exit discharge.
A.
The provisions of this article may be enforced by the State Fire
Marshal or the Town of Bel Air Public Works Director or designated
representative.
B.
The Town of Bel Air may deny the issuance of any permits to an applicant
at any time when it determines that the applicant is not in compliance
with the provisions of this article.
C.
Any person(s) who shall violate a provision of this article or shall fail to comply with any of the requirements of an approved plan or directive of the Public Works Director or authorized representative, or in violation of a permit or certificate issued under the provisions of this article, shall be guilty of a municipal infraction punishable as provided in Chapter 1, Article II, of this Code. Each day the violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense.
