St. Charles sprinkler law up for discussion

St. Charles Countryside Fire Protection District trustees today plan to consider the fate of a controversial sprinkler ordinance and discuss other hot-button issues.

A special meeting of the board of trustees and a citizens' advisory panel is set for 8 a.m. at Century Station, 112 N. First Ave., St. Charles.

Among agenda items up for discussion is an ordinance requiring new homes in the district to be built with automatic fire sprinklers.

Automatic fire sprinklers substantially add to the price of a new home. The law prompted homebuilders to sue the district last year.

Officials need to decide "whether or not (the ordinance) still is a viable option," board President Ed Malek said.

Trustees put a six-month moratorium on the sprinkler ordinance in April, then extended it in September.

Since then, the board has considered revising the law to only apply to homes of a "significant size," but no decision has been made.

Also up for discussion at today's meeting is the future of a parcel along Burlington Road in Campton Township, which the district quietly bought last year to the surprise of some taxpayers.

The property, which includes a house and swimming pool, originally was to be used as the site of a new fire station. But the plan was thwarted last year when voters rejected a tax-rate increase to fund the station.

Malek said Friday that the city of St. Charles since has asked the fire district to participate in the building of a new fire station at Red Gate Road and Route 31. The outcome of that request could affect whether the Burlington Road property would be sold, rented it or retained as a potential station site.

"I don't know if we're going to have any decision on those things (today)," Malek said. "I think what we're going to do is set some hard deadlines for when we need to make a decision."