Smoke alarms will no longer suffice in the City of Santa Barbara, where a new ordinance will soon require the installation of sprinkler systems in new residential and commercial developments and additions of 1,000 square feet or more. Nationally, the cost of such systems runs about $1 per square foot of coverage, but in Santa Barbara, the price is estimated to be three times that. Final adoption of the sprinkler ordinance is scheduled for 4/21.
