Andy Budacki, General Manager of The Mark and Santa Fe (left); Mark Srour, owner of the Santa Fe, Cornerstone, and The Mark (center); and Stephen Taylor, General Manager of Cornerstone (right) meet with city council members to discuss the fire sprinkler s
Santa Fe Cafe owner Mark Srour told the College Park City Council last night that he has been unable to find a contractor to install fire safety sprinklers to fulfill his three-year-old property use agreement with the city.
Srour agreed in 2003 to improve Santa Fe’s safety features in exchange for the city’s support in transferring the liquor license to his name. The agreement stipulated that Srour complete the improvements by March, but Srour told council members in July that he “forgot” to install the sprinklers and was searching for a contractor to do the work.
Srour told the council that he has sought several estimates from various contractors, but with costs ranging from $63,000 to $90,000, all fall outside his price range. Strickland Fire Protection Inc., a company based in College Park that has done work for both the city and other businesses, has agreed to meet with Srour .
“He can give me a proposal and hopefully it’s lower,” Srour told the council. “If it fits in my budget, I can maybe fit it in in December when things slow down.”
Srour said he hopes to save $50,000 because Strickland can use the same water line that feeds the sprinklers at The Thirsty Turtle.
Last night’s meeting was noticeably calmer than July’s, when District 2 Councilman Jack Perry told Srour “you always come in here with some lame excuse.” At that meeting, Mayor Stephen Brayman reminded Srour, who also owns Cornerstone Grill and Loft and The Mark, that city officials are particularly sensitive about fire safety after two fire-related deaths of university students in the past 18 months.
At the city’s suggestion, Srour is pursuing sprinkler installation at The Mark as well and said he would get estimates from Strickland for the bar. Other obstacles, Srour said, include communicating with his landlord.
“I don’t own the building, I have to get her permission to do anything so its really her call at the end of the day,” Srour said.
When District 4 Councilwoman Joseline Peña-Melnyk suggested the city schedule a meeting with the landlord, Srour opposed the idea.
“I don’t want to come back in another month and you’re still hunting for an appointment, so I respectfully ask you to get a date,” Peña-Melnyk said in response to Srour’s opposition.
Srour added that the landlord’s unwillingness to contribute money for the sprinklers has heightened the financial burden.
The city has been critical of Srour in recent months for his lackadaisical approach because they had negotiated to have the sprinklers installed in exchange for the bar lowering its food-to-alcohol ratio – a measure put in place to ensure the bar does not exist to serve alcohol only.
Perry expressed his characteristic frustration with the situation and said, “It’s been seven months since we were supposed to have it done by, now you are saying two or three months maybe because of your finances,” Perry said.
In the past, Perry has voiced concern that both bar owners and the liquor board would not take property use agreements seriously if they were not more strictly enforced. He added that the council should “talk to the attorney to see if we are really serious about the property use agreement.”
Contact reporter Steven Overly at overlydbk@gmail.com.
