Proposed legislation may force University to install sprinklers

The University may be required by a New Jersey state initiative to install sprinkler systems in the more than 35 dormitories on campus, according to University spokesman Justin Harmon '78.

Though the issue is still pending in the state assembly, a bill passed last month in the state senate would require all New Jersey colleges, universities and boarding schools to install sprinklers in their dormitories within two years.

The impact of the bills under review in the assembly is uncertain, Harmon said. "There is no clear plan as the matter is still being debated at the state house," he noted. "It's not clear what sort of plan will pass. There have been a lot of different mandates proposed."

"We're faced with the fact that we have to follow whatever mandates are handed down from the state. All we can do is participate in discussions," he said.

The New Jersey Education Facilities Authority estimated it would cost the University $13 million to equip its dorms with sprinkler systems. Harmon noted, however, that the state's plan would not only pose financial difficulties for the University, but would also raise logistical problems.

If passed, the state's proposal would be difficult for the University to implement because of the ongoing campus-wide dorm renovation project, Harmon said. "We have a lot of older buildings. The construction of these buildings is not conducive to installing sprinkler systems," he said. "It makes more sense to install the systems as part of our 10-year dormitory renovation schedule."

To comply with state regulations, however, the systems may have to be installed on a temporary basis, Harmon said. The temporary systems would then be removed as each dorm is renovated, he added.

Though the University has not yet considered when sprinkler systems would be installed, it expects the renovations will require more than a single summer, according to Harmon. "We don't have a clear plan for how it would occur," he said. "You could anticipate that a project of this magnitude would take longer than just the summer."

University officials are also concerned that state-mandated sprinkler systems would cause increased demand for the services of local contractors, Harmon said. The increased demand could cause construction costs to increase and shortages of building materials to occur, he added.

"It will all depend on the number of contractors and supplies that are available," Harmon said. "Princeton is in a position to free up the financial resources needed where other schools may not be able to."

The cost of installing sprinklers is estimated at $33.6 million for Rutgers University, $755,000 for The College of New Jersey and $1 million for the Lawrenceville School.