Industrial park will meet code gradually

The Spokane Valley Fire Department and the city of Spokane Valley have reached an agreement with the Spokane Business and Industrial Park regarding the upgrade of fire sprinkler systems installed in buildings in the park on Sullivan Road.

The issue has been a matter of debate for several years, since a Spokane Valley code enforcement officer told the park owners that the sprinklers must be upgraded to meet the International Building Code, which is required by state law.

“Most of the sprinkler systems in there are not up to today’s standards in protecting today’s commodities,” said fire marshal Kevin Miller of Spokane Valley Fire. “It was a system that was designed pre-World War II.”

The agreement requires the owners of the park, Crown West Realty, to complete upgrades to at least 20 percent of the park each year. The upgrades must be complete within five years. “We worked with them,” Miller said. “You just can’t go into a facility like that and mandate that they come up to code. That’s way too expensive.”

Crown West property manager Oliver Lawrence said no cost estimate for the upgrades is available. The company will be responsible for all costs. “I have no clue,” he said. “We’re just going to tackle this one building at a time until we are finished.”