The Ontario Fire Safety Commission has been asked to weigh in on a number of fire safety orders placed on a medical marijuana grower at the old paper mill in Georgetown.
The applicant, named “M.L.,” filed an appeal to the Ontario Fire Safety Commission in objection to two sets of orders placed on the tenant of Unit 2, of 1 Rosetta Street in Georgetown.
In February, Halton Hills Fire Department Chief Harry Olivieri was called to the site after receiving complaints concerning fire safety in the building.
The individual had been growing medical marijuana in the unit since March 2017, and has a permit for medical use. The unit was one of three on the site being used for marijuana production.
“The issue before the Commission is whether the measures in the order are necessary to ensure fire safety,” states the documents from the hearing, which took place in Toronto on Sept. 21, 2018.
“The Fire Department is pleased the Fire Code Commission (FCC) has rendered its decision and will ensure any directions listed are completed by the appellant," said Olivieri in a statement. "The remaining outstanding issues are minor in nature and pose no immediate threat from a fire safety perspective.”
On Sept. 5, the Town of Halton Hills deemed marijuana production at 1 Rosetta to be in contravention of the town’s policies.
The commission found a few of Olivieri’s orders to be unnecessary.
The document describes the unit as being two floors, with a larger cultivation room on the first floor and a smaller one on the second floor, with a kitchen and office space.
There were a number of makeshift, thin walls in the unit, which Olivieri deemed as improper fire breaks, and the applicant would need to apply for a building permit from the town in order to rectify them.
“The appellant stated his intention to comply with the Orders but expressed frustration about his inability to achieve compliance because of the requirement for a building permit to complete much of the work required,” the document states.
The commission noted how these issues of zoning and permitting are not within their scope, but said it provided important context to the case.
The panel stated that the makeshift walls were not intended as fire breaks, and the applicant should not need to meet those measures to be complaint.
There were also measures that the commission upheld, one being a request to take down the long black tarps being used to trap heat and smell in the grow op, as they are a fire hazard.
There were also issues with wiring obstructing a fire sprinkler, as well as a breach in the membrane of the ceiling over the kitchen, which the Fire Safety Commission agreed infringed on safety regulations.
The Town of Halton Hills could not provide any further details, as the issue is ongoing.
Link to original article in TheIFP.com: Fire Safety Commission hears appeal of Halton Hills Fire Department orders on Rosetta Street pot grower