At Wednesday’s liquor board hearing, Cornerstone bar owner Mark Srour apologized for his “Ladies’ Lockdown’ event.
UPPER MARLBORO – Santa Fe Cafe could be ordered closed if it does not honor an agreement with the city of College Park to install a sprinkler system before August.
Prince George’s County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Smith ruled Friday that Double Eagle Inc., the company that owns Santa Fe, must install the system within 90 days, vindicating years of efforts from the city.
The ruling is a key victory for the city in its long-standing legal conflict with Santa Fe, after officials have spent years calling for the installation of a sprinkler system.
In March 2003, Santa Fe owner Mark Srour signed a property use agreement with the city that said he would install a sprinkler system in accordance with National Fire Protection Agency standards within three years.
When the time limit expired, the council gave Srour a reprieve after he assured them numerous times that plans were in the works for installation. Srour told the council he couldn’t afford the system’s $90,000 cost.
Sprinkler systems are required by law in new buildings, but older facilities are not generally required to be retrofitted with the safety feature. Santa Fe’s management had voluntarily signed the agreement with city before the bar saw its business hurt by the opening of the Thirsty Turtle.
The city council ultimately decided nearly two years ago to sue Srour for violating the agreement, and city attorney Suellen Ferguson said she would have preferred a ruling that didn’t include another potential delay.
“The judge did the right thing,” Ferguson said. “But we’re not happy with the time [frame].”
Ferguson had asked the court to only give Santa Fe two weeks in which to install the system, but the judge was more lenient. If the sprinkler system is not installed within 90 days, Santa Fe will be ordered closed.
“I can absolutely assure you on day 91, they’ll be back in court,” Smith said after his ruling.
Srour, who also owns The Mark and Cornerstone Grill and Loft, was present in the courtroom during the hearing. He was not allowed to speak on the bar’s behalf because Double Eagle had not responded to the city’s lawsuit within the required 30 days last spring.
Srour declined comment both before and after the ruling.
“The city’s not interested in fines at all,” the city’s director of public services Bob Ryan said. “The city’s interested in life safety.”
In addition to the a sprinkler system, Santa Fe is also forced to pay $1,000 in attorney fees to the city and $115 in court fees.
Ryan testified that the city finally decided to take legal action because he didn’t expect Srour to make good on his promise to adhere to the contract.
“We believe it’s a hazard,” Ryan said. “There’s over 400 people in there. Historically, night clubs fires cause the largest number of fatalities.”
Ryan, who also acts as assistant state fire marshal for College Park, pointed to fire at The Station nightclub in Rhode Island where, during a live concert, 100 people died after a fire engulfed the building. Santa Fe often has live acts performing at the bar.
“The city council isn’t trying to shut businesses down,” Ferguson said. “They’re trying to work with businesses. He’s come to us with plans before.”
rhodes@umdbk.com
