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Thread: question about zoning laws

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    Curious Guest troop1120's Avatar
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    question about zoning laws

    How would I find out if there are any restrictions in my area against adult entertainment? I live in a rural area and there are no clubs worth visiting within 100 miles, and was thinking of trying to open one. Is there only restrictions if you live in a city or town? I have tried searching the web but can find no info.
    If you have any info. or know a website with this info. it would be greatlt appreciated!

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    Banned Melonie's Avatar
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    Default Re: question about zoning laws

    Most zoning laws are enacted by cities or counties - and these cities and counties for the most part do not publish their local laws on the net. Your best bet is to go down to your local city hall or county seat and ask the clerk for a copy.

    If you live in a rural area, there are actually pretty good odds that there aren't any city or county ordinances about strip clubs on the books to hassle you initially. However, this does not mean that trying to open a club will be smooth sailing. For example, your local county commissioners may allow you to purchase a building and get all set up for the grand opening, and THEN decide to pass a new anti-dance club ordinance the day before you actually open - probably under pressure from local bible thumpers etc.

    There's also 'creative interpretation' of existing state laws. By this I mean that some overzealous DA or county sherriff can decide to use a literal interpretation of a state prostitution law to hassle you, for example. In other words, if one of your dancers touches a customer, and the customer tips the dancer, under the literal interpretation of some state laws this act alone may qualify as prostitution. Or, in some states, if two dancers are on stage and one dancer touches the other dancer while customers are tipping stageside, this can also qualify as prostitution under a literal interpretation of the law. And of course there are all sorts of other potential areas of law which can be used to hassle you, i.e. building codes, safety codes, labor laws ...

    The essence of being able to actually open and operate a successful club without being hassled depends not so much on the laws in effect before the new club opens, but on the relationships and tolerance factors between the club owner and local cops, politicians and residents. If you're a long time local resident, have many local friends and business acquaintances, have a clean record, don't have any serious and well organized bible thumpers in your immediate area etc. you could probably manage to get a new club opened up without too many problems if you have the bankroll to do so (I'd guess $150k minimum for a small suburban/rural club, after buying a building, equipping it, and obtaining all the necessary permits).

    However, the day after your new club opens, an entirely new set of problems sets in - how to make the club turn a profit ! This means attracting and retaining decent dancers, attracting willing customers with good amounts of money to spend, and at the same time not pissing off anybody who could cause 'trouble' for your new business.

    ~
    Last edited by Melonie; 02-19-2005 at 11:52 PM.

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    Veteran Member myssi's Avatar
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    Default Re: question about zoning laws

    Zoning is one thing... a liquor license is another... insurance is another. Several things to
    check out: state laws, county laws, city ordinances.

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    Curious Guest troop1120's Avatar
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    Default Re: question about zoning laws

    if the girls were hired as "waitresses" instead of dancers, but done the dancing "because they want to" would it still be considered adult entertainment? I have been in regular bars/clubs and seen girls making out with each other, sucking each others breasts, dry humping on the floor. etc... and nothing is said about that.

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    Banned Melonie's Avatar
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    Default Re: question about zoning laws

    I have been in regular bars/clubs and seen girls making out with each other, sucking each others breasts, dry humping on the floor. etc... and nothing is said about that.
    It would depend on whether or not money was exchanged in any form as to whether local cops could bust such girls for prostitution. If the girls were simply customers of those regular bars/clubs, then no chance. If the girls were 'waitresses' in those regular bars/clubs, and they received simultaneous tips during such 'activities', then a prostitution bust might certainly be possible under a strict interpretation of state prostitution laws.

    As I tried to delicately state earlier, the actual probability of being busted has a lot more to do with the relationship between the particular local bar/club owner and local politicians and cops than it has to do with actual violations of the law taking place.

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    Veteran Member DJ_WuLf's Avatar
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    Default Re: question about zoning laws

    Interesting point. Why pay to see something you can see for free in almost any bar in the country now days? In recent trips to Florida, Southern California and Texas I have seen Regular night-clubs with nearly naked girls standing in line to dance on tables with poles and mirrored floors, Body shots offered off of shot girls wearing tiny bikinis and later .... off of drunk customers wearing panties and maybe bras (but it didnt matter since any fabric in the way got moved). VIP areas positioned behind the dance floor so the mere mortals can watch (clearly or at times in shadow) the beautiful people hump each other. and much much more.

    Makes me wonder what product the Strip Club industry has to offer now. And I get paid to figure this out. I believe strip clubs as we know them have a few years left in the more rural areas but closer to the major population centers and especially in "Party Towns" the times are changing.

    While your Idea of a club where the girls act by choice rather then by design is a good one ...the zoning restrictions are usually just as restrictive for a normal Bar as for a Strip Club. Good luck.
    14 years working in Strip Clubs. "What a long strange trip it's been"

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    Banned Melonie's Avatar
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    Default Re: question about zoning laws

    Makes me wonder what product the Strip Club industry has to offer now. And I get paid to figure this out. I believe strip clubs as we know them have a few years left in the more rural areas but closer to the major population centers and especially in "Party Towns" the times are changing.
    Exactly ! I have repeatedly espoused the theory that as American society in general became more liberal, that the American strip club industry was very likely to follow the saga of Western European clubs - meaning that some 20% of remaining clubs would remain as super upscale low contact 'show clubs' (but which will hire only the very best of the best looking dancers), meaning that some 80% of remaining clubs would become little more than whorehouses with a stage, and meaning that all clubs trying to offer something which falls in between the two extremes is destined to go bankrupt because customers can essentially get everything that such clubs can offer elsewhere for free.

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    Curious Guest troop1120's Avatar
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    Default Re: question about zoning laws

    I am beginning to think a dance club might be the way to go, as they seem to have the largest crowds and the wildest parties. the only advantage to a strip club is you are guaranteed to see something every time you go! Also a lot of "wet t-shirt contest" goes on in dance clubs and you get to see pretty much everything you see in a strip club, and usually more! Most even charge a cover and the drinks are just as high as a strip club.
    I guess I need to do a LOT more research before any desicions are made! I appreciate all your comments, you are all very helpful!

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    Banned Melonie's Avatar
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    Default Re: question about zoning laws

    I am beginning to think a dance club might be the way to go, as they seem to have the largest crowds and the wildest parties
    In a somewhat rural area, there's probably a good deal of wisdom in this approach. Obviously a rural area strip club could never attract enough really top notch dancers and big spender upscale customers to sustain a 'show club' business model. Rural aread strip clubs can sustain, and many are actually notorious for, a very high contact bordering on sex for money business model - after all customers need SOME sort of motivation to make that extra 30 mile drive, and rural area cops are generally spread 'thin' enough that they'll concentrate whatever resources they have on traffic accidents, 'real' crime investigations etc. rather than hassling strip clubs which maintain a low public profile. But rural area strip clubs are particularly susceptible to falling into that 'dead zone' where all they can actually achieve is a medium mileage 'neighborhood club' business model which can only attract mediocre dancers and customers who count every dollar they spend.

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