CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – A type of housing that’s popping up more often in Clarksville could soon become safer for residents, but also more expensive, with new regulations being proposed by Clarksville Fire Rescue.

The proposal is to require sprinklers in “stacked duplexes,” which are two- to four-unit multi-family homes that are two stories or more in height, and under one roof. The new requirement wouldn’t apply to single-story buildings.

The proposed ordinance states, “the construction of stacked duplex and multi-unit occupancies without adequate fire suppression systems creates an unacceptable and severe risk to occupants, neighboring occupants, and responding emergency personnel.”

CFR treats stacked duplexes like apartments

Assistant Fire Rescue Chief Mike Reed explained at the Pubic Safety Committee meeting on March 18 that this will not create a new code, but expand the definition of multi-family in the code to include the growing number of stacked duplexes.

Reed said the current codes for a single-story duplex, triplex or quadplex are acceptable because homeowners have direct access to a road, and there are no upper floors where the fire could spread.

He then highlighted some examples of stacked duplexes. He said current code only requires these buildings to have a rated fire wall, and floor and ceiling assemblies to effectively create separate buildings under one roof.

However, CFR treats these stacked duplexes as apartment buildings. “We’re going to approach this the same way we would an apartment building, because effectively that is what this is,” Reed said. “By the time the fire gets to the point that someone has somebody has recognized it, we’re three to four minutes in our alert notification into getting started (even) if the fire is across the street from the fire department. We’re hoping that lives are not lost,” Reed said.

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He said Clarksville needs to get ahead of this infrastructure push for stacked duplexes before it’s too late. “We have said, ‘Why didn’t we plan ahead? Why didn’t the infrastructure keep up with the growth?’ This is that, relative to fire. We are here now, and you are at the table, and we have the opportunity to get in front of this,” Reed said.

Cost of including sprinkler systems

When asked how this would impact Gas and Water costs, especially for current renters, Reed said, “It would less of an impact if all eight occupants were taking showers all at the same time.”

Councilman Joe Shakeenab asked, “If we have commercial buildings, and they have residential on top, do they also require a sprinkler system?”

Reed replied, “Yes they do. That has been addressed on Franklin Street and Rossview Road. There have been attempts where local restaurants have wanted to put residential apartments on top, and sprinklers were required.”

Councilwoman Ambar Marquis said a developer told her the code change would cost an additional $97,000 per building for labor and materials, a localized pump station, and a yearly monitoring system. That would make affordable housing more difficult to build, in a time when Clarksville is in need of more affordable housing.

“I would like to see us find a more middle-ground approach to both safety and that cost,” said Marquis.

Reed responded that according to MTAS, it is only a 1% to 3% additional cost per building.

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Impact on affordable housing

Allen Moser, a Clarksville housing developer, told Clarksville Now the proposal will make affordable housing more difficult to build, even as other cities are working to make it easier. “Clarksville is getting stricter while the rest of the state is getting more relaxed in an effort to combat an increase in housing costs and provide more affordable and workforce housing.”

Moser said in some cases it will be virtually impossible to build new housing. “The residential water pressure in most older existing neighborhoods doesn’t support commercial sprinklers,” he said.

“This is more restrictive than the International Building Code we have adopted currently, and the 2024 (IBC) we haven’t adopted. The 2024 building code allows for two-hour firewall or residential sprinklers, which are much less taxing on the city’s water infrastructure,” plus it gives the builder a choice on which way to go.

Other Tennessee cities have adopted the new, looser regulations in order to make it easier to build affordable housing, Moser said. “You have to opt in as a municipality. Every major metro area has opted in – Knoxville, Nashville, Chattanooga, Memphis, even smaller towns. We haven’t even considered it.”

Proposal approved for City Council action

The Public Safety Committee approved recommending the sprinkler requirement to the full City Council on a 4-1 vote. Voting yes were Shakeenab, Keri Lovato and Jimmy Brown. Marquis voted no.

The proposal will go before the full City Council at a Special Called meeting on Wednesday, April 29, at 4:30 p.m. in Council Chambers, 106 Public Square. Clarksville Now has reached out to the City of Clarksville on why the matter will be in a Special Called meeting.

Correction: The topic will be discussed at a Special Called meeting on April 29. The article has been updated

Chris Smith contributed to this report.

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