Green lake, blue district - don’t come within 6 feet of the Flats; big savings now!
Amazing what can happen when the government gets out of the way and the free market is able to work it’s invisible hand. The fishwrap reports this AM that an agreement is near on the Wolstein project for the Flats East Bank and that the deal hinges on relocating that harbinger of American freedom - Larry Flynt and his Hustler strip club. Finally, the North Coast can actually utilize some of its waterfront to generate the green (as in money) that this community so desperately needs.
To accommodate this move, the inaction Jackson administration has offered to create a special “blue light” (not like Kmart, think red light like in Amsterdam ah… without the drugs ;b) district in the Flats for a
Look, I hate to rain on anybody’s parade (especially when it comes to actually getting this project moving forward without the use of eminent domain), but did anybody bother to consider how the recently passed Ohio SB16 legislation will affect this plan?
You remember SB16 - just another case of governmental interference in how law abiding citizens live their lives. If I understand the language of SB16 correctly:
- Prohibits a sexually oriented business from remaining open between midnight and 6 a.m., unless the business is covered by a liquor permit that authorizes operation during those hours, in which case it may remain open provided that it does not conduct, offer, or allow any sexually oriented entertainment activity during those hours.
- Prohibits employees of the business, while on the premises of the business and in a state of nudity or seminudity, from knowingly: (a) appearing in the view of a patron, unless at least six feet away and on a stage at least two feet off the floor, (b) touching any patron or their clothing, or (c) touching any other person who is nude or seminude while in the view of any patron.
- Prohibits any patron of a sexually oriented business from knowingly touching any employee of the business who is nude or seminude.
Gee, that blue light district is really going to be a busy place for those club owners.
Unless the new petition movement by the state’s adult entertainment industry to repeal the new legilslation is successful, the new Blue Light district is destined for failure.
Perhaps that’s the Jackson administration’s plan (but I can’t believe that they would be this smart) - to cordon off a section of town that’s either industrial or seedy and just let it die as the adult entertainment industry fails. And then that would leave Scott Wolstein and his new neighborhood to pick up the pieces - they’ll just expand into this zone. Talk about your Blue Light specials. Nahh, the administration couldn’t be that smart - could they?
Whoever conceived of the plan (more likely Larry Flynt or Scott Wolstein - now there’s a match made somewhere other than heaven), let’s hope it comes to fruition soon - before somebody figures it out.
So, let’s get me get this straight in my mind. The Flats East Bank project was to IMPROVE the flats make it more upscale, correct?
So we are still going to have strip clubs only it is going to be contained to one area, right? So how many upscale businesses are going to want to locate in the near vicinity, and how will this be marketed to those upscale people that we are constantly told need the added incentive of tax abatement to move into the city. Do you think that maybe we will be giving more incentives to these people? Off the top of my head paying for private security, taxi service to and from your door, grocery delivery, and on and on at the city’s expense read taxpayer here. I’m sorry for the rant, Wendell, maybe it is looking at that photo of Joe “these are our partners” Cimperman.
Again I ask with partners like these what else do we need?
June 12th, 2007 at 8:48 pm
Gloria - This page is always available for you to rant at will.
June 13th, 2007 at 8:23 am
Below is the text of an e-mail I recently sent to my councilman about the “Blue Light District.” LEt’s do an over-and-under on how long he will take him to respond.
Mr. Cimperman,
I am a resident of XXXX West Ninth Street.
I am writing to you in order to express a great deal of dissatisfaction of your support for the so-called Blue Light District. I came across an article which says that you support “lumping” all of the adult entertainment businesses and putting them somewhere on the in the Flats. For your reference, this article can be found at:
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1181637215195360.xml&coll=2
A direct quote of this article says,
” The City Council must approve the district and its location. Councilman Joe Cimperman, who represents the Flats neighborhood, said he supports the mayor’s proposal.”
Is this true? do you support this measure?
If so, I am very disappointed. I read an article in Crain’s Cleveland Business in which you lament the fact that young professionals are leaving Cleveland for the suburbs. My wife and I just moved to your ward. She is a licensed professional Social Worker and I am months away from Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering. So, we are the demographic that you were wishing for in the following article:
http://www.crainscleveland.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051229/FREE/51229003/1041/exchatter
A direct quote from you in that article is”
“If we do more stuff like that and make people realize that Cleveland is a city where you can live, where you can do everything you want to, then we can reverse the trend of people moving out.”
The “stuff” that you referred to is the citizens in the neighborhood enjoying its amenities (e.g. parks, etc.).
I can tell you that adding a “Blue District” to my neighbor hood is not an amenity that will be enjoyed by the demographic you wish to attract. In fact, I am willing to bet that the issue in question here will have the opposite effect.
The area that you propose to put this smut district in is already very problematic to my neighborhood. You and I both know that the area around my residence is already dangerous at night. I have been warned over-and-over to not to go too far off the premises at night. In fact, i can’t even park my car 500 feet away from my residence due to the frequency of automobile damage by vandals. Adding a smut district will not help any problems. I can not imagine a large portion of my neighbors “enjoying” the amenity you wish to add. If you would like, you and I could poll my neighbors…and, the neighbors across the bank where you propose to add this “amenity.”
I look forward to discussing this with you at earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
Michael Pelsozy
June 20th, 2007 at 11:43 am
I’ll take the over…
I’ve known Joe for a long time, but he’s becoming less and less reachable. Of course it could be that he just doesn’t want to talk to me.
June 20th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
In his defense he did talk to me about the adult entertainment district about five times. Despite the fact that i have really held his feet to the fire about this he has always gotten back to me…even offering to meet with residents around my building concerned about safety. I am quite surprised seeing as he seemed a little upset at the 11×17 I brought to the Zoning and Planning Commission Meeting showing five strippers pretending a hose was…. The picture was taken at LArry Flynt’s 30 stripper car wash.
Update (1): Strip Club Measure Stripped Down
http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20070720/FREE/70720009/1004&Profile=1004
Update Part 2: Flats Strip Club District has Support of Planners
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/118500741485590.xml&coll=2
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:29 pm