Locals React to New Flossmoor Building Codes

A minor tiff broke out during Monday night's meeting over the implementation of new building codes—specifically the requirement of all new residential construction to include a sprinkler system.

The cost of doing so is estimated to be an extra $2 per square foot, according to Flossmoor Assistant Fire Chief Keith Damm. Damm compared this to the price of home flooring at $4 per square foot.

Additionally, Damm mentioned that fire sprinklers statistically save 80 percent of people in a fire.

Trustees Minga and Mitros disagreed over the right of the village to set such a requirement. Mitros' concern over the price of requiring sprinkler systems in all new homes was met with Minga's conviction that making a decision for the safety of residents is concurrent with the village's mission.

The argument carried over to our Facebook page. Here's what some of our readers think:

• Justin Wills:"You want to keep the prestige of Flossmoor and keep home prices high? Make the sacrifice."
• Caitlin Archer-Helke:"The sprinkler requirement makes a LOT of sense, from a safety standpoint."
• Heidi Hawkins Gardiner:"Sorry that's nuts!!! Really??? How many fires has there been, that this is necessary???"
• Steve Burke:"I'd put one in if I were building new. My family's worth the premium."
• Jessica Plummer O'Malley:"Yes, it is the perfect time to discourage people from building residential property in Flossmoor. They've done all they can to discourage any business that's not a medical facility, so it just makes sense to move on to something new. For someone who really values sprinklers, they could have them installed without it being a village code."
• Rick Thomas: "The home builders’ association estimates the cost to install a sprinkler system in a roughly 2,200-square-foot home at $5,573. When factoring in financing costs it comes in around $6700."