BRIGHTON, NJ A new therapeutic massage business is being labeled an adult entertainment establishment by the city of Brighton, NJ. John Hoose’s new business, La Vida Massage is being told it must follow adult ordinances even though it is not an adult business.”It’s awful,” Hoose said to the local media. “They’re challenging my integrity.”
The Marion Township resident said his business is being “classified as adult entertainment, like a topless bar.”
“It’s just completely blindsided us,” said Hoose, who had to bring in his attorney, Dale Cooper, to help him with this situation.
His business will offer a one-hour massage for $39.95. He said massages typically cost $75 or more per hour, but he’s able to offer a lower rate due to volume with the business having 10 treatment rooms. Hoose said he wasn’t concerned about opening a massage place because he knew there were about 20 existing businesses that offered massages, although those businesses also offered hair styling, nails, and other services. Hoose’s business, which solely offers massages, was originally subjected to paying local licensing fees of $600 annually under the adult ordinances but that was reduced to $35 a year after Hoose and Cooper protested.
While Hoose said he could live with the lower licensing fee, he said it wasn’t right to charge his business but not other local businesses.
Cooper told the council that it was applying the amended adult entertainment ordinance “unevenly” because his client would have to pay the new fees, but there were 20 existing massage therapists in the city who haven’t been any fees. Licensing fees for people giving massages have been part of the adult entertainment ordinance for many years. However, the city has chosen not to collect those fees and they don’t appear to want to ask other therapists to pay those fees retroactively.
Brighton City Manager Dana Foster said the city would be looking at modifying the adult entertainment ordinance, including the name itself.
“It’s a real important issue to many of the folks who have massage businesses in town,” Brighton Mayor Steve Monet said. “We’re not ignoring their concerns.”
Monet also said Hoose and his staff would have to pay the licensing fees in order to open, but he added existing massage therapists will not be paying the fees.
La Vida is scheduled to open today.
