By IAN McCANN / The Dallas Morning News
The Highland Park Town Council on Monday unanimously decided to require fire sprinklers in new homes and in those that undergo major renovations.
Sprinklers will be required in all new homes and in renovations that add 50 percent or more to a home’s square footage.
The ordinance is similar to one approved in January in University Park. That city’s ordinance requires all new homes, as well as homes that undergo major additions, to have fire sprinklers. It goes into effect Aug. 1, while Highland Park’s requirement begins Oct. 1.
Supporters say the sprinklers are needed to help save lives and to reduce property damage in the event of fires. Opponents argue that they’re an unneeded cost and that smoke alarms provide adequate protection for people.
Highland Park Department of Public Safety Assistant Chief Rick Pyle, the town’s fire marshal, has said the systems are estimated to cost $1.25 to $2 per square foot, a total of about $12,000 for an average-size new home in Highland Park.
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