Steve Splawn with W&W Sprinkler Inc. takes part in a fire inspection at the new Chattanooga History Museum in downtown Chattanooga.
Chattanooga City Council unanimously passed the first reading of an ordinance that would free most bar and club owners from installing sprinklers inside their buildings.
Several Chattanooga business owners told the City Council today that they would have to close their doors if an ordinance requiring them to install sprinkler systems wasn’t changed.
During today’s Economic and Community Development committee meeting, Councilman Chris Anderson introduced legislation that no longer would require most bar or club owners to install the costly systems.
Under current law, owners of sports bars, restaurants with live entertainment, dance halls, discotheques, nightclubs and “assembly occupancies with festival seating” are required to install sprinkler systems by Dec. 31.
Lamar Partridge, owner of Lamar’s Restaurant, said to install the sprinklers in his restaurant and lounge on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard would cost about $50,000.