The City of Barrie is disputing claims made by a would-be restaurant owner who is now on Day 13 of a self-imposed hunger strike. But while denying any wrongdoing and as a "gesture of goodwill," the city says it's willing to make some concessions.
Murtaza Eyup Hapapci, who goes by Eddie, has been protesting what he believes is ill treatment by the municipality's building department over the ongoing construction of his planned restaurant in the north end, which has now ground to a halt.
Hapapci, 58, has been living on nothing more than water fortified with salt, sugar, baking soda, and vitamin B1, at his wife’s urging, for nearly two weeks at the Bell Farm Road location.
Having run out of money trying to complete and open his business, Hapapci began a hunger strike because he felt he was at the end of his rope and out of time. He claimed no one with the city was listening to him or helping.
Although the city maintains there was no wrongdoing in the processing of the application, "in recognition of the unique situation" and as a "gesture of goodwill," the municipality says it will waive the application fees for the resubmission of the building permit, according to a statement issued late Monday afternoon.
"However, for safety and compliance concerns, proper drawings will be required to be submitted to the city for the approval of the project," says the statement.
When contacted by BarrieToday following the city's statement, Hapapci and his wife, Nicole, said they are not satisfied with the city merely waiving the application fee. They are asking for a review of the application process, the timing of the cancellation of the permit application and an apology.
City of Barrie chief building official Paul Evans has said he reviewed the file and found no fault in the process followed by staff.
“Although unconventional, his initial mechanical design was sealed and signed by his mechanical engineer and reviewed and accepted by our on-staff mechanical engineer," Evans said in an email to BarrieToday via the city's communications department.
The city says Hapapci hired a consultant to complete permit drawings on his behalf.
"The consultant he hired was the applicant for this building permit," notes Monday's statement from the city. "Building staff reviewed and approved drawings that were sent in by the applicant. However, the work was not constructed according to the permit documents, so staff requested that new drawings be provided."
The city also says the applicant working on Hapapci's behalf requested that the permit be cancelled, which staff in the building department did.
"Subsequently, staff were told that there was an altercation between Mr. Hapapci and the applicant," the city's statement adds.
BarrieToday has not been able to contact the third-party applicant. Neither Hapapci nor the city, citing privacy concerns, would provide any contact information.
The city also takes issue with Hapapci's claims that no one is listening to him at city hall.
"Over the last 17 months, multiple staff members have made themselves available to Mr. Hapapci, his wife and their contractor. In addition, he has dealt with the mayor’s office and CAO office," reads the statement.
The city also disputed Hapapci’s claims that inspectors he dealt with were “inexperienced and prone to mistakes."
"The three building inspectors that attended the site have over 55 years of combined experience and are the city’s most experienced commercial inspectors," notes the statement. "Also attending the site with City of Barrie inspectors were two experienced Barrie Fire and Emergency Services staff members."
This was in relation to plans for a charcoal grill on site.
Evans also says there has been no quarrelling between the two sides, as Hapapci had claimed.
"According to staff, during the site visits both parties were calm and cordial and the inspectors were informative and professional," he said. "There was no fighting."
The Hapapcis told BarrieToday they were planning to finally open their restaurant in mid-September, but now say they are facing more “road blocks,” which they believe is unreasonable.
In January, the application containing plans was rescinded by the company the couple hired for the engineering work and, according to Hapapci, he was not aware of that development until several months later.
Hapapci also says he had a legal issue resolved in court. He says it involved the original engineering firm he hired to create the drawings for his business construction, which were submitted to the city. He would not specify what the legal issue was, but says they were ordered not to communicate with each other.
The Hapapcis believe they should have been contacted by the city in January when they say the application was cancelled. They say they are now out of money and time and will not be able to continue with the project as it is.
Meanwhile, Nicole Hapapci also contacted Mayor Alex Nuttall for help, sending him an email on Saturday.
“I want to believe that we live in a community of hope where encouraging any positive development in the City of Barrie can be everyone’s goal,” she wrote in the email, which was also provided to BarrieToday.
“I want my husband, Eddie, to stop this hunger strike and I was hoping with your help we can achieve that together soon, as he is on Day 11," Nicole added in Saturday's email. "It saddens me deeply to see him this way. I am obviously concerned for his health and well-being."
She asked the mayor for a “sign of compassion," as they have been paying rent on the unit since May 2023 for a business that has yet to be opened.
A representative in the Office of the Mayor directed questions to city staff.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched by a Hapapci family friend with the hope of relieving some of the couple’s financial burden.
