PHOTO BY PAULA MULLER
The Board of Selectmen has asked Sully C’s landlord Suleyman Celimli and tenant Elaine Byrne to find common ground and create a concrete plan to repair the Sully C’s Bar and Grill building.
BY BRIDGET TURCOTTE
SAUGUS — The back-and-forth battle between the landlord and tenant of Sully C’s Bar and Grill is nearing its end.
The Board of Selectmen has asked Sully C’s landlord Suleyman Celimli and tenant Elaine Byrne to find common ground and create a concrete plan to repair the Route One North building.
The building, which also includes a Boston Market, is currently uninhabitable, which prevents the use of its liquor license.
Selectman Jeff Cicolini said the goal of the board is not to revoke licenses.
“We have a responsibility to the residents of the town to make sure that we are maximizing on the number of licences that we have,” he said. “Our goal is not to revoke a liquor license. Our goal is to help the holder utilize it to the best of their ability.”
Problems began in May when a fire in the building forced both restaurants to cease operation and vacate the property. The Fire Department originally anticipated that both restaurants would be closed for a few weeks, and the damage was estimated to be around $100,000.
Prior to the meeting, the building inspector, fire chief and plumbing inspector said the building is far from being up to code.
Fire Chief Michael Newbury reported several building and health code issues that were “obvious to all those attending.” Problems identified during the inspection included structural issues, a large hole in the floor, walls that appear as though they are about to collapse, plumbing and gas issues, severe rusting, and a surplus of mold and sewerage throughout the structure.
Chairman Debra Panetta said Celimli is responsible for any structural issues, as well as the overall safety of the building.
Celimli said he has completed a lot of work in the building and believes the tenant should be held responsible for some of the repairs.
Celimli and Byrne have both been before the board several times, expressing disagreements about who is responsible for completing repairs to the restaurants. Each time, selectmen reiterated that the board is a licensing board, and cannot serve as a mediator between tenant and landlord.
“If anything, it sounds like it’s getting worse,” Cicolini said.
Attorney Michael Utke, who represents Byrne, provided the selectmen with photographs of the conditions inside the building.
“There’s water inside the electrical panel,” Utke said. “The walk-in freezer has been destroyed and it gets more troubling as you move into the basement, where the smell of mold is slightly covered by the smell of sewerage, which is just sitting on the floor.”
Cicolini suggested Byrne and Celimli — or their lawyers — work together to compose a comprehensive work plan, itemizing each task that needs to be addressed, who will complete it, and when it will be completed.
Other board members agreed, and said plan should be presented at the April 13 meeting. The plan should result in both businesses reopening no later than June, 30, Cicolini said.
Bridget Turcotte can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @BridgetTurcotte.
