Friday, June 11, 2004

Non-combustible roofs recommended

Sun Valley P&Z cites threat of wild fires

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By MEGAN THOMAS
Express Staff Writer

The approach of summer is a constant reminder of the threat of wild fires, which might have been on the minds of the Sun Valley Planning and Zoning Commission when it voted 4-1, Tuesday, June 8, to recommend requiring non-combustible roofs on all residential, commercial and recreational buildings within the next 25 years.

The recommended regulation will require roof materials meeting industry standards of non-combustibility, such as metal, asphalt and cement, on all new buildings and re-roofing projects. The proposed regulation also provides that if 25 percent or 1,000 square feet of a roof is replaced, the roof must be redone with non-combustible materials.

With the new regulation, re-roofing will be required on existing homes within the next 25 years. According to the Sun Valley Fire Department, 75 percent of homes in Sun Valley are constructed with flammable roofing materials.

The requirement excludes historical buildings, if replacing roofs presents a hardship for owners.

The P&Z acknowledged a growing national trend in similar regulations. San Diego recently implemented similar requirements.

In voting against the recommendation, Commissioner Ken Herich said he disagreed with the requirement for citywide compliance. He said the city should consider requirements for delineated city zones. P&Z chairman Phil Usher was absent.

The recommendation is based on a memo from the Sun Valley Fire Department, which noted a real danger of a fire spreading within the city and a desire to adopt new International Fire and Building Codes.

Meanwhile, the commission will include non-combustible roof requirements into its design review. The commission also pointed the need to further discuss fire-resistant landscaping.

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