city planning commision and porn shop...

[BikeMomma]

We fought our city on a zoning/conditional use permit issue last fall and it was so stressful I lost about eight pounds (and we lost; it was and still is terrible).

Yea...I understand NS. It's hard to be an employee in these types of situations, because sometimes we have conflicting personal opinions to what we're told by the Ordinances to enforce. We DO feel for the applicants in these cases, but as employees, we have to separate ourselves. Sucks sometimes when you really want to help someone out.

I dunno, Lise. This topic is pretty intriguing, as is life. Plus it gives our SmilingCat a place to vent, and I'm all for that.

Take care,
Kim

[Zen]

I get most of my stuff through the mail anyway

[Dianyla]

I get most of my stuff through the mail anyway

Heh. Or online. Who even goes to brick & mortar stores nowadays?

[smilingcat]

Hi bikeMomma,

Yes, the replies have been somewhat suprising and quite intriguing to say the least. It also helps me to gauge where I stand. You see, I grew up in Salt Lake City then another year in Kansas City. Places where blue laws are still on the books and social conservatism is what people think of when SLC or KS is brought up.

My post wasn't really meant to be a venting but rather I wanted to make argument complete, sound and not leave myself open for attack from the other side.

Latest on this front: The commision has denied application. The owner of the building has more or less given up on this tenant. I am still not sure about the adult entertainment shop owners' disposition on the matter.

Now the matter goes to the city council to formalize the whole thing.

so I have to wait and see, meanwhile I want to make my argument complete just in case.

always be prepared,
Smilingcat,

[bmccasland]

Guess I grew up with mid-western and southern social conservative values - Blue law counties, etc.

I remember my culture shock walking out the front door of the Seattle Art museum and seeing XXX theaters across the street. I didn't notice on the way in because I was focusing on the museum, and was on the museum side of the street. My thought process was how to "they" allow porn shops, XXX theaters across the street from a great museum?

[Lifesgreat]

I am not a lawyer, but a Planning Director and elected official (in different cities) and conditional use permits have given me F I T S in both capacities. Here in Utah, the courts have ruled and the law now states that conditional uses MUST be approved if reasonable conditions can be imposed that would substantially mitigate deterimental effects. Pretty much they have to be approved as most deterimental effects can be substantially mitigated. If I were serving in my current capacities in your community and the CA is the same as UT law, I would carefully review all conditional uses, assuming they are to be approved and cull out the ones that wouldn't fit in the zone if approved. If reasonable conditions cannot be imposed, get rid of the use in that particular zone. Better yet, make any conditional uses being kept permitted and state the conditions in the zoning ordinance.

Now, that being said, the use you are fighting is a little different animal. As I understand the law, cities must provide a location for that type of use. Most cities put it in an industrial/manufacturing area, away from residential uses. If I were in your city, I would make an application asap to amend the zoning ordinance with regard to where these types of businesses could be located. At least here in Utah, if the application is submitted and changes are made, anyone asking for something that could be affected by your application's outcome could or would be forced to comply with the new law, even if the proposed changes haven't been adopted yet.

I can go on and on, especially with the experiences I have had, but I won't My 2 cents.

[RoadRaven]

We have two porn shops in one of the local cities...
One is a sleezy "i think I need a shower after visiting it" shop with a creepy little dude sitting at the back, and one of those disgusting "viewing rooms"... *Rave shuggers* can only imagine how yuck it would be in there!...

The other shop is run by two women and from the front looks like an upmarket lingerie shop... georgous corsetts, bras, knickers...
down the back, behind the front counter, are the toys, no suspect smeared glass cabinets, no scungy lighting, no rows and rows of sleezy mags called "Big Ones" or what ever those things are called...

I guess my post is... (although I know this is a non-issue by the sound of it now for you, Cat, because no permission has been given)...

I guess my post is saying that there's porn and there's porn... and I would be against "Peaches'n'Cream" setting up in my neighbourhood... but "JennyOs" is tasteful and a shop you could even go into with your kids as long as you stayed in front of the counter (which, I am guessing, is why they have set it up that way) and I would have no prob with the second shop opening near me.

[LadyinWhite]

The other shop is run by two women and from the front looks like an upmarket lingerie shop... georgous corsetts, bras, knickers...
down the back, behind the front counter, are the toys, no suspect smeared glass cabinets, no scungy lighting, no rows and rows of sleezy mags called "Big Ones" or what ever those things are called...

.

Dang - I want to go to this shop. Sounds FUN! Personally - I love toys and love shopping for toys. Both with a few g/f's just for laughs and with the DH for ... inspiration

[RoadRaven]

It is a lot of fun, Lady

And thats how that kind've thing should be... not nasty sleezy blah!!!