Testimony closed Wednesday evening on an application to allow full-nude dancing at a Columbia Borough strip club.
"We want to be nude like every other BYOB club in Pennsylvania and not work at a disadvantage," said Cassandra Fisher, general manager of Club Good Times, 425 Union St., where she also dances.
"Everyone would make more money if we were nude."
The community, however, was firm in its opposition to the plan. During nearly 30 minutes of public testimony before the borough's zoning hearing board, several residents registered their displeasure with the bar.
Union Street resident Biddie Helton said patrons exiting the club once harassed her to the extent that she pulled a shotgun on them.
Helton said it "is not fair for any woman in this town for their husbands to go into that bar and to witness these women taking their clothes off. This town does not need nude women. If they want to get naked, let them go to a parking lot and get naked."
MORE HERE
7 comments:
just read the highlights on columbia news views and reviews!!! sounds like a lot of opposition. this Boro needs to do all it can to keep NUDE dancers out of the Boro. there are way too many ho's...so there's no reason for nude dancers. the Boro has enough problems with problem landlords and transient tenants-renters - they do NOT need this-which would be a HUGE HUGE problem.....only question is-what piece of ground qualifies that the zoning officer was referring to???? send em packin far far away.
Here is my thoughts, I believe this bar owner deserves the right to make a dollar, but with limitations. I feel he/she should post or require each girl who is caught prostituting be held solely responsible. I do not condone nude dancing because I feel it should be something a woman does privately for her husband,but these women whom are not married dance to earn an income. I have NEVER been past there where I saw any drawn attention to the outside. It appears the owner does a good job keeping what activity inside-just that, Inside! The 1st floor windows are not accessible for the wandering eye of alley walkers or children. As for the woman who claims her husband engaged in prostitution, shame on him. Shame on him for making that decision while married. It takes two and you seem to blame the bar? I'm not looking to upset you, but rather to point out that the decision of him was just that and that the bar did not twist his arm or his money. I do wish that the bar was not close to schools or churches, but it is and has been for more than 30 years. Why is this an issue now and not then? I'll tell you why, he went to BYOB to capitalize on the full nude option. Again, he is not twisting anyone's arm to come in, its a choice of the women to engage in such employment and its the choice of the patrons. And while I am on that subject, you all realize that the patrons are not just a bunch of horny men, women attend and often with their husbands. Its their choice. Again, I would not do this because I have different values, but would not stop someone who does. I feel that Columbia has time on their hands and have found the next big topic to blow out in the public's eye in a newspaper, but I can name a few that were in that room complaining at the council meeting...have been in that bar! I say, stick to your guns. Your building has been grandfathered in.
I would never go here, but I don't think that other people should necessarily be banned from going. That said, as a borough resident, I wonder how much farther allowing nude dancing is really going to degrade this part of town. It's not really that much of a change to go from teeny tiny bikini wear to nude. I think there are worse things going on in this part of town that actually do affect the children in the area (i.e. rampant drug use and selling, parents who don't supervise their kids and they're out to all hours of the night, etc.) Maybe we should focus on those things instead of trying to regulate one of the few long-lasting businesses in the downtown area.
Just for the record, this business is NOT in the downtown as the previous poster stated. It is located in a highly residential neighborhood. I could care less about this issue either way but we need to speak about the correct facts. Just saying....
I'm not a zoning officer, but I don't think that the borough has "residential only" areas, or if it does, this section of Union Street would not be included in that description. Within a two block stretch on this street you have Union Station Grill (serves alcohol), Fricke's, Bully's (serves alcohol), a bakery, and who knows what else. It might be a predominately residential area but it is not strictly residential.
get real people, whether you agree or not....a nudeie club does NOT belong on the same block as dozens of young and teenaged kids and also not a elderly place either.....move it somewhere else.
we have enough of a bad rep...take it elsewhere.
Post a Comment