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Council presses staff for inspections after Cedars Hotel owner seeks event-center license
Summary
Owner seeking event-center business license for restored Cedars Hotel says sprinkler system is installed but final permits and inspections are incomplete; building staff say no full building permit was submitted and inspections remain. Council asked staff to meet owner and report back promptly.
Mayor and council spent extensive time Nov. 19 discussing the years-long restoration of the Cedars Hotel and a request to issue an event-center business license for the building’s lower floor.
The owner (identified in the record as Tom) told the council the sprinkler system is “100% done and activated” and said engineers prepared plans, but he has not received a final permit or a formal inspection sign-off. “I did what you told me to do,” the owner said, describing efforts to follow staff guidance and pursue alternative methods to meet code requirements.
City building staff and the fire marshal told the council the permitting picture is incomplete. A staff representative said the city “doesn’t issue business licenses unless there’s compliance with Cedar City ordinances, and those include zoning ordinances, building ordinances, fire code, and everything else.” Fire Marshal Mike Sheriffs told the council the matter is not solely a fire issue and that “this is a collective issue” involving the building official and multiple departments; the sprinkler is only one component of the work that would require a full building-permit submission and inspection.
Council members pressed staff for specifics about what is deficient and asked for an immediate inspection and list of outstanding items. Council suggested the owner meet with city staff — including the fire marshal and building official — and requested an update by the next day or before the next scheduled council meeting. The mayor and several members emphasized the council’s desire to support historic preservation but not to circumvent safety inspections.
What happens next: Staff committed to meet with the owner to walk through outstanding requirements and to inspect the sprinkler system; council requested an email update to elected officials following those inspections. If the building is deemed safe after inspection and required code items are addressed, staff indicated they will proceed with licensing processes consistent with code.
