The Uptowne Olds committee has voted to send a letter to the town opposing a proposal to allow adult entertainment at the Texas Mickey Bar.
That proposal was brought to the town's April 11 meeting.
The Uptowne Committee motion didn't specify the exact wording the letter would have, but it was agreed in general that the letter would indicate that – in the committee's view -- the proposal doesn't fit in with the area redevelopment plan for the area.
“It doesn't fit our area development plan,” committee member Rita Thompson said. “Is that what we're looking for in our Uptowne core?”
Chief operating officer Doug Wagstaff said a public hearing on the proposed amendment has been set for 1 p.m. May 9 in town council chambers.
Between now and then, letters for or against the idea can be sent to town hall. Wagstaff said the public hearing on May 9 will be the last opportunity for the public to provide input into the idea.
During discussion on the proposal, Thompson noted that the Uptowne Committee has talked about the possibility of someday having a “heritage archway” constructed as a gateway to the area.
“So instead of a heritage archway, we can have flashing lights that say, ‘strippers here,'” Thompson said, sparking laughter.
“A neon lady,” Uptowne chair Leon Durand said jokingly.
“Waving,” said Thompson to more laughter. “You never know, it might bring people in.”
“My concern is it's right at the entrance as you drive in,” she added. “That's the first thing you see. ‘Welcome to Uptowne Olds,' Here you go.”
Initially, committee members were given to understand that the proposed bylaw amendment would allow adult entertainment throughout the town's C1 district, which includes all of Uptowne and extends west to 52 Avenue. It was noted that the district runs north from the bowling alley to Highway 27.
However, chief operating officer Doug Wagstaff has since checked with planning staff and says the amendment – if approved – is “site specific,” and would only apply to the Texas Mickey bar.
When they thought it applied to the entire Uptowne core, many committee members were horrified at that thought.
“So we could have strippers in Centennial Park,” one person said, sparking laughter.
“Fire department strippers in the parks,” Durand added jokingly.
“They could do it in every second building downtown if they wanted to,” Durand said, noting there's currently a lot of vacant commercial property in the area.
Committee members wondered what else “adult entertainment” includes, besides strippers, male or female.
According to the land use bylaw, an "adult entertainment establishment" is defined as "any premises or part thereof wherein live performances, motion pictures, video tapes, video disks, slides, electronic or photographic reproductions, the main feature of which is the nudity or partial nudity of any person, are performed or shown as a principal use or an accessory or similar use to some other business activity which is conducted on the premises."
Durand noted Texas Mickey operator Jen Casavant is looking for a way to keep the business afloat.
“If that's the only way they're going to stay viable versus an empty building with another 15,000 square feet…,” he said.
“But let's think of what could go in that building instead,” Thompson replied.
"Instead of a heritage archway, we can have flashing lights that say, 'strippers here.'"RITA THOMPSON UPTOWNE COMMITTEE MEMBER
