In this December 26, 2016, photo, Flood Valley Brewing Owner Chris Rohr is seen in the building on Prindle Street in Chehalis.
More troubling issues are brewing for Flood Valley Brewing Craft Taphouse in Chehalis this week as owner Chris Rohr was informed by the city he has to either install a fire suppression system in the entire building, not just his suite, or complete the fire wall between the two sections of his building.
The change came after the discovery that the fire wall between the two suites in the building did not extend 30 inches above the roof.
Rohr has operated what began as a home brewing supply store for about four years, but moved into the former Matrix Coffeehouse at 434 NW Prindle St. in Chehalis last year. In June of last year he applied for a change of occupancy.
At that time the city informed him he would have to install a modern sprinkler system in his suite within 120 days in order to operate the tap house, Chehalis Community Development Director Trent Lougheed said. His business license was changed to accommodate the new use in October with the requirement the system be in place by April.
The system, originally expected to cost $25,000-$30,000, had to be installed by April. Rohr was given a 120-day extension. However, with the information that he received about extending the wall or installing a sprinkler system in the whole building, the price has risen to about $100,000. The deadline is still the end of June, Rohr said. Even with the completion of the fire wall, Rohr would still need to install sprinklers in his side of the building.
“It is damn near the cost of putting a sprinkler system in the whole building,” he said about extending the fire wall. “They basically put it out of my reach.”
A fundraiser called Floodstock was held last month to help Rohr pay for the system. He said it raised $6,000 toward the goal after expenses.
Lougheed said the reason the system is now required is Rohr applied for a change of occupancy, which started a different licensing process than the one he underwent when he started the retail store. Any other business would have to go through the same process.
Lougheed added he is working on an ordinance to make it easier for microbreweries and tap houses to operate in the area where Rohr is located. The ordinance applies to zoning regulations so that type of business would no longer need a special use permit. It would not impact Rohr’s situation, Lougheed said.
Without the system, 49 people are allowed to occupy the space at a time due to safety concerns, he said. No matter the type of business in that location, the maximum number of people would be 49.
“The city thinks it’s a great idea but we have to keep his patrons safe,” Lougheed said about Rohr’s operation. “We just can’t allow something that could result in the loss of life.”
In an official response from the city of Chehalis to a video Rohr posted on Facebook about the situation, Lougheed wrote the city cannot pick what codes to enforce and what ones not to.
“The city does understand the unfortunate situation Mr. Rohr is in and will continue to assist him in moving forward with his ventures in the city,” the response stated.
Rohr said he feels like the city is not being reasonable and is unwilling to work with him on the deadline.
“They owe me a year,” he said about the city changing the requirements so close to his deadline. “They honestly don’t feel like they owe me s---.”
Rohr does not know what he will do if he is forced to close because of the lack of a fire suppression sprinkler. His wife has been injured for three months and is currently unable to work, and he is unsure how he can find a new location and set up while remaining financially afloat.
“I have no form of income if I close this down,” he said.
