Altoona preparing ordinances to limit sex-related businesses
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Chris Vetter, Leader-Telegram staff
After hearing a request for a strip club to open in Altoona in December, Altoona city leaders have worked to make it more difficult for that type of business to open there in the future.
City officials are reworking ordinances to limit where such a venue could operate within city limits. The Altoona City Council will hold a public hearing tonight on an ordinance that amends city code related to strip clubs, adult bookstores and other sex-related businesses. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 1303 Lynn Ave.
In December a strip club was proposed in the city, but the matter was dropped after a Dec. 10 meeting at which people turned out against it.
City officials subsequently decided to tighten regulations to make it more difficult for a strip club to open in the city.
"We realized if they wanted to do a strip club without alcohol, they could do it pretty much everywhere in the commercial district," city Administrator Mike Golat said.
Altoona has had an ordinance in place since 1998 that bans nude dancers in businesses that have a city license to sell alcohol.
The proposed ordinance the City Council will consider tonight is modeled after one in Eau Claire and other municipalities, Golat said.
The proposed zoning changes expand 750-foot buffer zones around schools, churches, nurseries and day care centers so adult business would not be allowed within 2,500 feet. New buffer zones also would prevent adult-oriented businesses in or near Altoona's River Prairie development and other planned community developments.
"It affirms what we heard from the residents and other stakeholders at the (December) meeting," Golat said of the new ordinance and opposition to a strip club or related business in Altoona.
Altoona Mayor Jack Blackburn said he is pleased with the ordinance coming to the Council.
"The action we're taking is preemptive in nature," Blackburn said. "We were blindsided when this came up before. We are tightening up our ordinances in a conscious fashion."
Blackburn believes the new restrictions will please the community.
"When this came up before, we had overwhelming comments from the community, saying 'Don't let this happen.' There was just zero support for it," he said.
Jodi Emerson, the director of development for Fierce Freedom, an Eau Claire organization that opposes sexual exploitation, praised the proposed ordinance.
"It's great the city is looking and saying, 'What do we want and what don't we want for our town, and being pro-active instead of reactive," Emerson said. "Any time there are sexually-oriented businesses, it can increase violent crimes right around that business. By not allowing this in town, they are protecting the whole community."
Emerson said strip clubs often serve as gateways to human trafficking.
Despite the proposed zoning restrictions ruling out adult businesses in most of Altoona, they still would be allowed in two areas already home to industrial and commercial businesses.
One is a few blocks on the east side of South Hastings Way where Eau Claire and Altoona meet. These blocks are already occupied by businesses including a UPS distribution center, numerous automotive-related businesses, self-storage buildings and Pete's Restraurant & Spirits.
The other area permissible to adult businesses is on the far southeast corner of Altoona around the intersection of Highways 12 and AA. This area is mostly occupied by Curt Manufacturing and other businesses.
Vetter can be reached at 715-723-0303 or chris.vetter@ecpc.com.
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