Guest Column: Let common sense prevail on adult businesses
DON CRICHLOW
St. Augustine
Publication Date: 10/06/07
The St. Augustine City Commission, at its meeting Monday evening, will decide whether or not to allow "sexually oriented business" (adult entertainment) zones along the U.S.1 (Ponce de Leon Boulevard) corridor. This proposal would designate 10 to 12 sites along a three-mile stretch of U.S.1 from the northern city limits to the southern city limits.I will vote against this proposal because I believe businesses of this kind should be contained in one small area. Here are my reasons.
The argument raised against one location is that it would promote "clustering" of these types of businesses and result in increased criminal activities, in essence creating a "Red Light District". However, at the first meeting on this issue in June, the commission heard a law enforcement officer from the city of Jacksonville's vice division make a presentation describing Jacksonville's current difficulties in dealing with sexually oriented businesses. These businesses are scattered all over Jacksonville and the police are being stretched to the limit attempting to deal with criminal issues associated with them. Officer Rustivo said that the city of St. Augustine is in an enviable position in that no business of this type currently exists in the city nor are any currently applying to locate here. He also said that "the only way to effectively police this type of business is by containing them in one location." He went on to say that "the city was doing the right thing by addressing this issue pre-emptively and that locating them in one zone was the only way to proceed." Who could possibly know better than a police officer who has to deal with this problem every day?
The current option proposes 10-12 "zones" stretching three miles through the middle of the city. I am not a Realtor, but it seems to me that this will have a significant impact on property values in and adjacent to these "zones." This includes the Model Land, North City and Oyster Creek neighborhoods. If you go to cities that allow sexually oriented businesses, it is clear to see the types of businesses that locate around them: transmission shops, muffler shops, auto repair, U-Haul dealers, etc. If you were a doctor, a lawyer, or an accountant, would you locate your business in or adjacent to a potential adult bookstore? What about a Lowe's, a restaurant chain, or a hotel? I don't think so. The potential is there for this to occur should the present ordinance be passed. However, if these businesses (three or four only) were confined to one area with strict regulation only that small area would be affected.
It has been argued that it is unfair to limit this type of business to one area. That it should be spread out so that many other businesses and property owners will have the equal misfortune of being impacted by this "sleaze" business. Lets look at it this way, is it fair that a tornado touches down and destroys a dozen homes and leaves the next street over untouched? Is it fair when someone is devastated with cancer at the age of 35 while their best friend lives to be 100? The answer to both of these questions is no. It is not fair. But it happens. I wish that there were a spot in our city that we could locate this type of business and have it affect no one. But that spot does not exist. The north Ponce de Leon Boulevard site has the least impact on the fewest number of people. The mission of the City Commission should be to protect our city from this type of "sleaze" to the greatest extent possible under the law. "Clustering" them in one location fulfills that objective. Clustering will reduce the criminal impact. A "Red Light District" confined to a 750 feet driven through in probably 10 seconds, is better, in my mind, than one stretching for 3 miles with one sleaze joint on every other corner. Let's not make Ponce de Leon Blvd. the equivalent of Orlando's notorious Orange Blossom Trail. Let your city commissioners know how you feel. Our e-mail addresses and phone numbers are available at www.staugustinegovernment.com.
Don Crichlow is vice-mayor of the City of St. Augustine and a St. Augustine City Commissioner.
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