Florence, AZ – On Wednesday, October 11, 2023, the Pinal County Environmental Services Department approved the reopening of the Irish Cowboy, which opened for business the next day on Thursday, October 12 at 11:00 a.m. This outcome could not have been accomplished without many around-the-clock efforts by our town utilities staff, Public Works Department, and Community Development Department. For everyone involved, thank you for your remarkable efforts and dedicated service to our community.
With the Irish Cowboy now open, the town would like to provide a full account of the permit, construction, sewer connection, and repair activity that was involved with this building and the project. We appreciate our communities’ patience in receiving this information and apologize for any inconveniences resulting from this work. As soon as it became evident that there were issues with this building’s wastewater system, town staff, working in collaboration with the restaurant owners, made the prompt, safe, and efficient reopening of the Irish Cowboy our top priority.
While establishing wastewater services for the Irish Cowboy, questions arose about why this issue wasn’t identified and resolved prior to occupancy. Several factors likely contributed to this situation, involving both public and private stakeholders. In an effort to avoid preemptive fault-finding, town management will coordinate a review process to evaluate any challenges and process issues encountered during this project. We will then use these insights to enhance and establish procedures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
With the exception of three areas that required permits and inspections, the Irish Cowboy’s renovation of 305 N. Main Street consisted primarily of cosmetic work, including but not limited to major cleaning, painting, and re-flooring. Below, you will find an overview of this permit and construction activity as well as a summary of the sewer and plumbing work that was completed.
Permit & Construction Recap for 305 N. Main Street
1) Electrical – The renovation of the interior of the building did not include rewiring, upgrading of electrical service, or relocation of the electrical service panel. There were some minor repairs completed to electric lines on the exterior of the building. As this activity was considered repair-related, as opposed to new construction, no permit was required.
2) Fire-Rated Wall – The building code required the tenant, the Irish Cowboy, to install a fire-rated wall and door between the kitchen area and the public area of the restaurant. This construction work required a building permit, which was submitted to the Town and approved by the Building Official. After the installation of the wall and door, a town inspection revealed that the door lacked the required fire-rated panic hardware. This deficiency was noted on the amended Conditional Certificate of Occupancy issued to the Irish Cowboy on October 3, 2023, and the necessary corrective action will be taken before a final Certificate of Occupancy is approved.
3) Kitchen Hood and Fire Suppression System – The new cooking appliances installed in the kitchen required a new fire suppression system to be installed, which required drawings and a permit. A permit was submitted by Metro Fire Equipment of Gilbert on August 14, 2023, and approved by the Fire Marshal on August 16. The fire suppression system, which was installed by Metro Fire, was successfully tested by Metro Fire on September 9, and observed by the Fire Marshal and Building Official. This allowed the Irish Cowboy to safely operate their kitchen after receiving approval from Pinal County Environmental Health Services.
4) Bathroom Modifications – Prior to the renovation, the bathrooms did not meet ADA accessibility standards. The doorways were enlarged, and a ramp was installed to meet ADA requirements. Since this work did not involve any new or modified plumbing or electrical service, no permit was required. However, the work was inspected by the Building Official to ensure ADA compliance.
5) Roof – The town is not aware of any roof repairs completed to 305 N. Main Street.
6) Plumbing – After issuance of the Irish Cowboy’s Temporary Certificate of Occupancy on September 7, 2023, and public opening during the weekend of September 30, staff was notified that the building was experiencing sewer connectivity issues that necessitated the closure of the building’s restrooms and temporary use of the public restrooms on 8th & Bailey. However, the continued generation of gray water within the building ultimately led to the temporary closure of the Irish Cowboy on October 5, 2023, by the Pinal County Environmental Health Services Department.
To address the lack of sewer access for the Irish Cowboy, the Town promptly evaluated options to provide a new sewer service tap to the Irish Cowboy and initiate a tie-in with the town’s sewer line on 8th Street. This emergency project, which was not funded by sewer ratepayer revenues, began on Friday, October 6, 2023, and was completed on Wednesday, October 11, 2023.
While the town was rapidly executing this sewer interconnection project, the Florence Community Development Department notified the Irish Cowboy that they needed to find a solution to properly dispose of the gray water generated within their building. To resolve this issue, the Irish Cowboy retained a licensed plumber who obtained a permit on October 11, 2023, to complete an emergency plumbing project. This project entailed the installation of drainpipes connecting sinks to the rear of the building, as well as the required sewer lines and cleanouts to link the building to the Town’s sewer tap on Bailey Street. This plumbing work was coordinated with the Town’s Building Official, who conducted an inspection of the work on Sunday, October 8, 2023.
7) Road Closure – In order to install a sewer tap for the Irish Cowboy and operate the necessary heavy equipment, 8th Street east of Main Street and Bailey north and south of 8th Street were closed on Thursday, October 5th. With the sewer tap now installed, Public Works staff are working on the backfill, compaction, and clean-up of this area. This area is currently scheduled to be repaved on October 27, 2023, so unfortunately these roads will be closed during the first 3rd Friday event scheduled for October 20.
In closing, the Florence Town Council and staff would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to all our residents and businesses for their patience and cooperation during this process. We look forward to Main Street’s continued development and success and the future restoration and revitalization of historic landmarks such as the Irish Cowboy Pub.