A Conroe businessman came before the City Council Wednesday seeking an exception from a sprinkler system.

John Sebastian, owner of Conroe Golf Cars, has an 18,000-square-foot building in the rear of his property the along northbound Interstate 45 feeder road. Originally constructed in 1973, the building was leased to the Ark Church for several years.

While it was not removed during the buildings construction, the exemption was lost when the Ark Church occupied and installed a sprinkler system.

In a letter addressed from City Fire Marshal Mike Legoudes to Chief Ken Kreger, Legoudes stated, It is my position that once installed, the system should have been maintained for the life of the building, regardless of its current use, as the building itself meets current requirements for a system.

Sebastian has since complied to a reinspection by installing emergency lighting, no smoking signs, fire extinguishers and exit signs. But the sprinkler system remains out of service.

Sebastian contends the purpose of the building is strictly that as a golf car warehouse.

There will not be any customer traffic and offices, he said. Everything was removed from the building.

Since the building no longer has insulation or heat, We were concerned the system might freeze during extreme weather conditions, Sebastian said.

I made the decision to have the sprinkler removed. We were unaware that this was an issue with the city, he said. The cost to replace the sprinkler system would outweigh the value of the building.

Kreger said the citys ISO (insurance) rating also could be affected.

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Business seeks fire sprinkler exemption

The blue building sits at the northeast corner of Second Avenue and Washington Street in downtown Spokane. A newly-renovated painting of a young woman sitting on the constellation Ursa Minor, more commonly known as The Big Dipper, graces one wall.

For those who lived in Spokane during the late 1980s and early 90s, the building is more likely to conjure memories of a thriving, all-ages alternative rock music hub than images of the night sky. Since The Big Dipper closed in 1995, a few others have tried to operate live-music venues in that space, but nothing has taken root. Empyrean Coffee House, the most recent tenant, closed its doors in early 2011 after operating for a year in that location.

Enter Dan Hoerner, Troy Brower, and their wives, Dawson Smith-Hoerner and Annie Grinnell. The two couples have formed Big Dipper LLC and currently are operating the property as an event-rental facility. The company has a wedding reception, a few birthdays, and a couple of rock shows already under the belt. It plans to open a music venue and bar there May 1, contingent upon receiving approval of its liquor license. Once up and running, Big Dipper will employ six people, including the four owners.

The establishment is expected to host rock shows for all ages some nights, and Hoerner says he wants to capitalize on the venues versatility with poetry slams, open mics, art shows, and other events.

The front door opens to a bar with a kitchen in the back, a seating area, a dance floor and a stage, with couches flush against the walls for lounging. The back door opens to a courtyard where patrons can smoke. The stage has side doors that lead to two lounges for visiting bands, and a load-in room where the bands can bring in their equipment off the street.

In preparation for the opening of the bar, Hoerner is focusing on emphasizing what he calls the experiential qualities of the venue. With advice from a dozens of restaurateurs, he and Smith-Hoerner have crafted a menu that will include pizza, handmade pretzels, loaded grilled-cheese sandwiches, and antipasto plates. The drinks will be made with a palate of fresh-pressed juices.

While Hoerner has no experience owning a bar or music venue, he says he has seen the operation of a venue hundreds of times from the other side. His name might be familiar to 90s music aficionados; he was the lead guitarist for Sunny Day Real Estate, an alt-rock band. After college, he toured the world for nearly a decade with the band, recorded four albums, and helped lay the foundation for the emo music genre. But before that, he was a Spokane native just out of high school, playing in venues he wasnt old enough to walk into otherwise with bands such as Happy Dead Juans and Third House Down.

Hoerner says hes confident that Big Dipper will be successful. The business is opening with no debt and a sweetheart lease on the building, with a lease-to-own agreement in the works.

The team is committed to restoring the Dipper to its former glory, Hoerner says. It has spent about $50,000 renovating the interior, including refitting plumbing, installing new linoleum and hardwood flooring, rewiring the torn out electrical system, and redecorating, he says.

The couples didnt know until they opened the doors for the first time last fall just how far the structure had fallen into disrepair.

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Big Dipper gains a star

By Cindy Clayton The Virginian-Pilot March 12, 2014

PORTSMOUTH

A sprinkler system helped keep a fire at an old warehouse in the 800 block of Douglas Drive in check until firefighters arrived and extinguished it Tuesday night.

The fire was reported shortly before 9 p.m. at the warehouse, said Deputy Fire Chief Jim Hoffler.

Firefighters had to use saws to cut through metal doors and faced other obstacles at the old building that has been remodeled inside numerous times to allow for different businesses through the years. The blaze was contained to an area being used as storage by someone who owns a flea market.

The sprinklers helped keep the fire from spreading, but flames did damage the ceiling.

No injuries were reported.

The fire was under investigation, but did not appear to be suspicious.

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On Tuesday, March 4, at 9:39 a.m., firefighters from the cities of Del Mar, San Diego, and Solana Beach and the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District responded to the report of a structure fire in the 3000 block of Via De La Valle in Del Mar. Upon arrival they discovered that a fire in a back hallway of Sublime Tavern had been extinguished by one sprinkler head.

Fortunately, the fire protection system worked as it was designed to, said RSFFPD Battalion Chief Chris Galindo. The single sprinkler head provided the occupants with time to safely evacuate the building and kept the fire from spreading and causing further damage.

Three suites in the commercial building were affected and the total estimated damaged is $50,000. The cause is under investigation but appears to be accidental in nature.

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HOLLADAY Fire crews credit an upgraded sprinkler system and a new fire station nearby with containing a fire at Olympus Junior High School.

A curtain caught fire near the stage at Olympus Junior High, 2217 E. Murray Holladay Road, just before 7 p.m. Thursday, and smoke and heat activated the sprinklers, Unified Fire Capt. Fitzgerald Petersen said.

Unified fire crews, stationed in the new Station No. 104 across the street, responded within moments of the alarm and found the school filled with smoke, Fitzgerald said. The firehouse opened in January.

The fire was contained to one alarm, Petersen said. No one was in the building at the time, and the cause of the fire has not been identified.

The sprinklers were only triggered at the scene of the fire. No other areas of the school experienced water damage.

"It worked perfectly," Petersen said. "We're very happy with the response, how quickly it was contained and put out."

Granite School District officials confirmed that classes at Olympus Junior High will be held as scheduled Friday.

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Sprinkler system, new station help contain fire at Olympus Junior High

A broken sprinkler system at the top of an office building in San Francisco's Financial District sent water cascading down to the street below and drenching passersby Friday morning, according to fire officials.

A broken valve was reported at 9:27 a.m. at a building at Kearny and Market streets.

Justin Wheeler said he was working inside the T-Mobile store on Market Street Friday morning when he heard a commotion outside on the street.

So the St Louis native poked his curious head out the door, and saw an unusual deluge when he looked up.

"Gallons. Just a sheet of water, just pouring down," said Wheeler.

The manager at Hakkasan restaurant on the building's second floor said staff had seen the water falling, but said the flooding had not affected restaurant operations.

"It was a lot of water," said Alexandra Tejada, who works at the restaurant. "It was going on for about 15 minutes."

The San Francisco Fire Department was called and Truck 13 responded. Department spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge said by the time firefighters got to the 12th floor a building employee had the water turned off.

Talmadge said it was a pipe from a sprinkler system that broke causing the massive waterfall onto the sidewalk down below.

The property manager of the building declined to comment. The building remained open to the businesses located inside the property.

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Broken sprinkler causes 'waterfall' down front of SF building