By Briana Vannozzi
Correspondent
Excavators sift through debris and ash removing what’s left of the AvalonBay apartment complex in Maplewood. A massive, 6-alarm fire ripped through the housing development early Saturday morning gutting most of the 235-unit building getting ready to open for residents.
This weekend’s blaze is reigniting the debate over New Jersey’s fire safety and building codes — a push that started almost 2 years ago after a fire flattened another AvalonBay complex in Edgewater, Bergen County. That same site burned back in 2000 during construction.
“Ultimately the resolution to this problem lies with the state. And to date, since the Edgewater fire a couple years ago, the state actually hasn’t done anything,” said Glenn Corbett,associate professor of fire science at John Jay College.
Fire safety advocates want the state to move on several bills tightening codes and restricting the type of lightweight wood construction used by AvalonBay. Experts say the material is cheaper and easier to put up, but should be restricted in buildings taller than three stories. The current limit is six.
“This type of construction is not unique to New Jersey,” Corbett said. “It’s used throughout the United States and we’ve had a problem with them for years. But trying to get the codes changed and the regulations changed has been almost impossible for most jurisdictions, including New Jersey. There just isn’t the political willpower to do it.”
A spokesman for AvalonBay developers says they can’t comment on the cause of the fire, which is under investigation by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, but says AvalonBay voluntarily increased safety precautions at the construction site.
“This includes the installation of more sprinklers throughout the building, including in the attics, closet spaces and between the ceilings and floors,” said Senior Vice President of AvalonBay Brand Strategy and Marketing Kurt Conway. “In addition, we upgraded the fire safety for these buildings by installing masonry firewalls, which are not required for this building type by the current code or NFPA 13. At the time of the fire, the Maplewood development still was under construction, and unfortunately the additional safeguards incorporated in our design were not yet fully operational.”
“I think people are disappointed and sad that all that work was put into it. It was an unfortunate fire,” said Maplewood Mayor Victor DeLuca.
DeLuca says gas propane heaters were being used on the construction site at the time of the fire, but can’t comment further on the possible cause. He says the town was happy with the developers who were meeting all building and safety standards.
This construction was already 2 years into the process. About 100 units will have to rebuilt from the ground up and another 130 units sustained minimal smoke and water damage. But the company says they’re moving forward.
“This was a critical part of our redevelopment plan for this area of Springfield Avenue, so that’s why we want to see it rebuilt,” DeLuca said. “We still think that this is going to help move our community move forward.”
The developers say roughly 6 leases were signed with tenants expecting to move in this spring. They’re offering alternatives including nearby AvalonBay properties.