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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
March 19, 2024

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Battle Ground bar owner feeling the squeeze

Main Street Bar owner says fence poses hazard should there be a fire

By , Columbian Small Cities Reporter
Published:
3 Photos
Andrew Tuttle, owner of Main Street Bar in Battle Ground, on Monday shows the tight clearance between the side of his business and a city fence.
Andrew Tuttle, owner of Main Street Bar in Battle Ground, on Monday shows the tight clearance between the side of his business and a city fence. If there was a fire at his bar, Tuttle said the fence would make it difficult for patrons to flee and for crews to fight the flames. Photo Gallery

The owner of Battle Ground’s Main Street Bar plans to sue the city, alleging that a road project next door puts his customers and employees in danger.

Last year, the city purchased the former site of Galeotti’s Restaurant at 801 E. Main St., planning to eventually realign Grace Avenue to run through the space. In April, the city allowed Clark County Fire & Rescue to burn down the building in a training exercise.

Since then, the empty lot has been blocked off with a chain-link fence built about 2 feet from the side of Main Street Bar. City spokeswoman Bonnie Gilberti said it may stay that way for several years until the city has raised enough money to complete the project — estimated to cost $6.3 million.

Andrew Tuttle, who owns Main Street Bar, argues the fence right next door puts him in an awkward position if a fire happens to block the front entrance. People could exit out the back, but Tuttle said they would be boxed in by the city’s fence and a house owned by Deputy Mayor Philip Johnson directly behind the bar.

Once past Tuttle’s back patio, it’s a quick walk to safety through the open yard, but of course, that would be trespassing. Johnson, who leases the house, said he offered to allow Tuttle’s employees and patrons free access to exit through a gate into part of the yard. Tuttle, however, tells a different story, claiming Johnson tried to charge him for that access.

Making the situation more dangerous, Tuttle said, is the fact that the fence blocks emergency vehicle access to the back side of the bar. And squeezing into the cramped space between the bar and the fence to work on the bar’s air conditioning units and electrical boxes isn’t safe either, he said.

Now, Tuttle is consulting attorneys about taking the city to court. In light of the potential litigation, city officials have agreed not to comment on the situation, Gilberti said.

In the meantime, Tuttle’s also looking to circulate a petition of other local business owners who oppose the city’s handling of the project. Art Colunga, the owner of nearby Northwest Ambush sporting goods store, said the empty lot is an unsightly waste of potential parking spaces.

“It’s a pretty big eyesore,” he said. “I can see better use of the property.”

No parking

Inside the fence, a bare gravel footprint remains where Galeotti’s once stood. In a statement released at a city council meeting earlier this month, Mayor Shane Bowman acknowledged business owners’ interest in adding more parking there, but he said the city doesn’t allow parking on gravel.

Colunga said he doesn’t see why the city didn’t just pave over the gravel and leave the lot open until the Grace Avenue project is ready to go. Tuttle agreed that the area could use more parking, but he said safety was his biggest concern.

Tuttle’s problems with the situation began with the burn in April. He said the city gave little notice before setting the fire, and the billowing smoke took a toll on his business.

“After they got done burning the building down, there was just smoldering rubble, and they allowed that to go on for days,” he said. “And the whole time, I had to shut the bar down over here, because all of the smoke was coming into the building.”

Jerry Alvarez, a retired Portland Fire Bureau fire inspector who lives in Battle Ground, said the city didn’t do anything to protect the bar from smoke during the burn. The smell lingered for weeks, he said, posing a health risk for customers and employees.

Gilberti said the city chose to burn the building down because it was cheaper than the alternatives for tearing it down. She also said the burn complied with safety requirements.

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Columbian Small Cities Reporter