HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/05/2011 03C-3 Citizen Service Request Response RE: Yakima Indoor Soccer Association Code Issues •
INTEROFFICE MEMO
April 5, 2011
TO: Honorable Mayor & City Council
FROM: Joe Caruso, Acting Codes Manager
SUBJECT: Yakima Indoor Soccer Association 1005 E. Lincoln Ave.
In April 2007, Mr. Gerd Strom applied for a tenant improvement with plans given
to the city with a meeting covering the plans. The plans examiner stated that the
plans submitted had to be corrected for a second floor mezzanine due to
excessive square footage and lacking a second set of exiting stairs.
Mr. Strom never came back with the corrected calculations for the second story.
Mr. Strom was later advised multiple times to not utilize the second story
mezzanine until the corrections and final inspection was granted.
Approximately the first week of January 2011, code administration received a
® complaint of the second floor mezzanine being utilized again. A city fire inspector
was immediately sent to this location and Mr. Strom was advised to block off the
second floor stairwell leading to the mezzanine.
On Saturday February 19, 2011, I conducted a site visit to the soccer building
and viewed the plywood sheeting that was ordered to block off the stairwell was
completely removed again. I went to the second floor and viewed two spectators
up there.
On February 21, 2011, I conducted a site visit and placarded the structure and
advised Mr. Strom that the building was closed to the public due to Fire and Life
Safety violations and for blatant disregard of obvious violation warnings by the
City of Yakima.
A meeting was held on February 23, 2011 with Mr. Bill Hordan and Jeremie
Dufault to oversee the operation of the soccer complex due to Mr. Strom
repeatedly disregarding the City of Yakima's violation direction.
After the meeting and evaluating all information, the following requirements were
mandated to be in place before the soccer complex could reopen:
• . Block off all areas other than the front area for spectator viewing
® • Remove completely the illegal second floor mezzanine which was never
approved or inspected
• Hire a third party ( such as CWI for crowd and fire watch inside the
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building)
• The front spectator area will be recalculated for occupancy limits
• Have the building owner indemnify the City of Yakima
• Have other individuals responsible to meet the City of Yakima's Fire & Life
Safety requirements due to Mr. Strom's refusal to adhere to code
directives which have been stressed since 2007
The City of Yakima conducted a site inspection on February 28, 2011 to evaluate
and verify all of the requirements to reopen the complex. All requirements were
met and the soccer complex was reopened.
After verifying the attendance sheets by CWI employees, the requirement for
CWI to continue to monitor all functions, has been rescinded with that
responsibility to volunteers.
The season ends approximately April 14, 2011
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