A proposed ordinance that would order owners of all non-owner occupied buildings to add sprinkler systems as a fire prevention device was held up by the Planning and Development Committee of Evanston on Monday night.

Owners of local hotels and rooming houses and a representative from Sigma Chi urged the members of the committee to amend the proposed ordinance and make it more flexible for owners who could not withstand the costs of retrofitting their establishments.

“Our type of operation could not cope with this type of expenditure,” said Tim Gorham, owner of Margarita European Inn, 1566 Oak St.

Gorham said his establishment, which has 42 total rooms, is equipped with fire hoses and balconies on every floor as well as five ways to exit the building on the upper floors.

“To try to run pipes through the walls would be disastrous,” Gorham said. “There must be some type of way to make the ordinance more flexible.”

Gorham said it would cost him $500,000 to renovate his building, which he has operated for 16 years.

The proposal would add to a current ordinance requiring that all new construction in Evanston have a sprinkler system.

Members of the committee said they had not been presented with enough cause to vote on an ordinance that would require business owners to make costly changes to their buildings and force tenants of rooming houses out of their homes during the retrofit.

“We don’t have the evidence to mandate this kind of expense,” said Ald. Arthur Newman (1st). “I don’t want to put people out of business or make people move out unless I know there is a justifiable cause.”

According to James Wolinski, director of community relations, Evanston has 90 licensed rooming houses. Orysia Pokorni, whose house at 718 Foster St., is rented to students only, said the cost of the proposed ordinance outweighs the benefits.

“We are licensed and inspected every year,” Pokorni said. “Rooming houses are under control.” Pokorni said there have been no fires at her rooming house in the three years she has owned it.

Jack Keating, a representative of Sigma Chi said the fraternity house was refurbished 12 years ago at a cost of $2.5 million. The refurbishment added concrete walls and floors, two stairwells and a fire alarm system “Existing buildings should not be required to (make the changes),” Keating said. He said the committee should consider rating establishments by their adherence to fire safety procedures, such as the presence of alarm systems.

Evanston fire Chief Alan Berkowsky said fires have been on the rise in dormitories, fraternities and sororities and should garner some action by the committee.

“There is some history in these categories which I think we need to investigate,” he said.