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November 22, 2013
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Page 23
. . County Officials Support Changes?
FROM PAGE 22 and I’m fighting for a piece of plastic, a piece of plastic that is permitted all over these United States and in the state of Maryland,” said Dranzo. Fire safety was a lynchpin in the discussion. County Fire Marshal Jeff McMahon had previously expressed concerns about how the soft plastic panels might retain smoke in the event of a fire and complicate the existing dangers. In response, Cropper argued this week that the thin panels would melt during the fire, letting the smoke out or were fragile enough to easily tear if a family was attempting to exit or firefighters attempting to enter the porch. “There’s nothing dangerous about this at all,” said Cropper. If the county did move forward with the amendment, McMahon’s biggest questions would be about the maximum thickness of material allowed and that material’s melting point. “If we’re enclosing a room, then I would worry about smoke development and how fast it develops and the temperature in which that room will fill prior to the melting of that,” he said. McMahon had also previously suggested that smoke alarms should be in place for porches that have the plastic paneling, something which Cropper did not object to. Safety and impact aside, Cropper reminded the commission that people on the campground are already allowed to protect their porches from inclement weather by hanging blankets, rugs, curtains or whatever else they wanted to. The plastic paneling was a more attractive and sensible approach, in his opinion. “Really, there is a common sense, practical, pragmatic position here,” Cropper said. As part of his presentation, Cropper also introduced a number of Bali Hi Cooperative Campground patrons who petitioned for the enclosures, citing health concerns and matters of comfort. Some of those patrons have already installed soft plastic around their porches and passed inspections with it in place, according to Cropper. “That proves, right there, that there was no thumbing of the nose,” he said. “The county was aware of it.” There was some hesitation on the commission. Much like McMahon, many commissioners had questions about the exact criteria for material density and limitations. Additionally, several wanted the language in the amendment to be tweaked and focused specifically on soft plastic paneling as opposed to any other option while adding a clause about smoke detectors being required in enclosed porches. A motion was made and unanimously approved to table a vote until Cropper could resubmit an adjusted proposal, with about half of the commissioners signaling that they could look favorably on the revised draft.
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