Restaurant Obtains TRO Against Fire Department over Code Enforcement
The owner of a McKinney, Texas restaurant has filed suit against the city of McKinney claiming that police, fire and code enforcement personnel are “harassing” him following a June inspection that uncovered 80 code violations. Yesterday, a judge in Collin County granted him a temporary restraining order banning police, fire and inspectors from entering the establishment unless on an emergency or if invited.
The owner of Hank’s Texas Grill, Ron Reynolds, claims that McKinney police have harassed his staff and customers over 500 times in the past 10 years, and that the harassment culminated in a June 12, 2012 inspection that cited the restaurant for an assortment of violations, including:
- Lack of a sprinkler system
- Issues with fire exits
- Problems with emergency lighting and the fire alarm systems
- Problems with grease traps
- A giant Texas flag that is not fire rated,
- Stuffed animals mounted on the wall that are not fire rated
- Wall banners not fire rated
- Lines in parking lot faded
According to Reynolds, “up until this June 12 inspection, we had absolutely zero violations for this restaurant since it was built.” He claims the feud was fuelled by a complaint filed against a police officer several years ago.
The parties are due back in court on September 18, 2012.
Based strictly on what you’ve posted, I would say that the FD is being fairly lenient. 500 visits in 10 years is (roughly) 50 visits per year, or one a week. Given some nightclub fires from the past — Natchez, Cocoanut Grove, Beverly Hills, Happyland Social Club, The Station — I’d say the bar is lucky they weren’t just shut down. And since “everything is bigger in Texas” I suspect the death toll would be equally big.
Just look at the alleged violations – every single one of them has been implicated in multiple-fatality fires over the years (well, except for the parking lot lines).
And — as former President Clinton said in different circumstances last night — “the arithmetic doesn’t work.” A complaint against a cop “several” years ago started a string of inspections dating back 10 years?
Apparently you misunderstood the above. He didn’t say they had over 500 visits from the inspectors. For your convenience- “The owner of Hank’s Texas Grill, Ron Reynolds, claims that McKinney police have harassed his staff and customers over 500 times in the past 10 years”
Officers have been sitting out in the parking lot of the hotel, and gas station, and Hanks and stopping every person that walks in or out, including employees. The health inspector, or code enforcement has NOT been out there that many times- FYI