The Codes and Standards Committee of the Virginia Board for Housing and Community Development voted "overwhelmingly" to change the "Mandatory" requirement for all new one- and two-family dwelling units "Optional" in the proposed update of the Uniform Statewide Building Code USBC), on Monday of this week. This was the first step in the 2009 update of the USBC.

The Home Builders Association of Virginia (HBAV) has led the "Virginia Assault" on the Sprinkler Mandate, since the sprinkler industry and fire officials hi-jacked the International Code Council (ICC) code making process last September, which resulted in the Sprinkler Mandate in all new homes in the IRC.

The proposed regulation will next be published in the Virginia Register and a Public Hearing on the 2009 update of the USBC, including keeping Sprinklers optional, is scheduled for Monday, July 27th in Richmond.

HBAV will now work with our 16 local associations and other state associations to coordinate STRONG support for Sprinklers as an OPTION at the Public Hearing on July 27th and throughout the remainder of the development of the 2009 Edition of the USBC.

The BHCD Codes and Standards Committee is chaired by Anthony Clatterbuck of Culpeper. Making the motion to change the Sprinkler Mandate to an OPTION was Brian Mullins of Suffolk. Seconding the motion was committee member Ed Whitmore of Marion. Speaking in strong favor of converting the mandate to an option was Vienna committee member Tom Fleury.