In 1988, Bruce Freeland, planning director of Bellevue, WA, surveyed the experience of other cities with adult enterprises. He finds that increased crime (e.g. rape, prostitution, drugs, robbery) and nuisances (e.g. noise, litter) often attend these businesses. Here are excerpts from his report: …adult entertainment regulations must seek to mitigate the secondary impacts of the […]
Legal Strategies
Valley Advocate: “Springfield Porn Store Comes Under Fire”
We are pleased to see the Valley Advocate cover the Amazing.net/Apremont Triangle situation in its May 31-June 6 edition. The article is similar to a May 24 post at Heather Brandon’s Urban Compass blog. From the article: Springfield Mayor Charles Ryan addressed a group at a May 17 event downtown to say that he will […]
The Evidence of Relationships Between Adult-Oriented Businesses and Community Crime and Disorder
Some people deny that Capital Video’s porn shop in Springfield (Amazing.net) is bringing prostitution to the Apremont Triangle neighborhood and retarding economic development there. Others cite a handful of studies to suggest that it is debatable whether adult enterprises impose a risk of secondary effects on their surroundings (e.g. crime, blight), ignoring the clear preponderance […]
Springfield Police Commissioner: “…it is fair to say that ‘Amazing’ constitutes an attractive nuisance that contributes to blighted conditions there”
On April 30, we mailed over 1,700 letters to voters around Apremont Triangle in Springfield, noting problems that have been reported around the Amazing.net porn shop there and suggesting various ways to mitigate them. We were pleased to receive the following communication from Springfield Police Commissioner Edward Flynn, which he has given us permission to […]
NoPornNorthampton Reaches Out to Springfield Neighborhood with Advice on Adult Enterprises
[May 9 update: See Springfield Police Commissioner Edward Flynn’s email to NoPornNorthampton at Springfield Police Commissioner: “…it is fair to say that ‘Amazing’ constitutes an attractive nuisance that contributes to blighted conditions there”] On April 30, NoPornNorthampton mailed over 1,700 letters (PDF) to voters in the Apremont Triangle area of Springfield. This neighborhood is home […]
Commerce, Addictive Products, and Harm: Lessons from The Cigarette Century
Porn is a product that addicts many, often with consequences that can be dire (loss of family, loss of job), affect innocent parties (abuse, molestation, secondary effects), and take a long time to manifest. During this time, the addict generates handsome profits for the companies that perpetuate his addiction. The industry, not surprisingly, aggressively protests […]
How the Supreme Court Reconciles Adult-Use Zoning with the First Amendment
Young v. American Mini Theatres, Inc. (1976) is not a new decision, but it is worth revisiting for its discussion of the First Amendment. In this case, the US Supreme Court affirmed Detroit’s right to zone adult theaters. The Court recognizes the value of the First Amendment, but understands that it is not absolute, particularly […]
How the People Reclaimed Oklahoma City from a Major Eruption of Adult Businesses and Crime
Publicity campaigns and pressure on city officials helped Oklahoma City recover from a proliferation of adult enterprises in the 1980s. Jon Stephen Gustin, Retired Sergeant, Oklahoma City Police Department, tells the story in QUALITY OF LIFE: A Look At Successful Abatement of Adult Oriented Business Nuisances in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (1984-1989) (PDF). Some excerpts: Traditionally […]
Connecticut Attorney General Files Amicus Brief to Support Town of Berlin; “Off-Site” Sexually Oriented Businesses are Fair Game for Zoning
On March 19 the State of Connecticut filed an amicus curiae brief (PDF) to support adult-use zoning in Berlin, CT. A chain of adult shops called VIP is trying to open a new store in Berlin, less than 250 feet from a residential area. The brief argues that it is constitutional to apply zoning regulations […]
Indiana: Judge Upholds Adult Zoning, Orders Adult Plaza Bookstore to Close
Reporting from Dale, Indiana, AP says that Circuit Judge Wayne Roell has upheld Spencer County’s adult-use zoning. Adult businesses may not operate within 1,000 feet of churches, schools and residences. Cincinnati attorney H. Louis Sirkin, considered one of the most experienced obscenity trial attorneys in the country, argued the county’s ordinance was unconstitutional. Judge Roell […]