JACKSONVILLE, FL — The Jacksonville City Council finds itself in a position shared by many cities and towns across the country with respect to adult businesses: some vocal locals desire one thing and the law requires another.In 2005, the City Council passed an ordinance requiring that adult entertainment clubs be located at least 1,000 feet away from churches, schools and parks. The ordinance did not provide a “grandfather” clause for existing adult clubs that fell within the 1,000 foot limitation; instead the ordinance holds that such clubs must either move or close down by the year 2010.
Attorneys for the city now are pushing for the City Council to drop the relocation requirement from its ordinance and provide some manner of grandfather clause, a move they say is essential in order to settle a legal challenge four clubs filed against the city in 2005.
On the other hand, Pastor Ted Corley is leading a public relations effort to keep the ordinance intact. In addition to attending Council meetings to make his case, Corley has distributed a letter encouraging other Jacksonville citizens to do the same.
“We started passing them out, e-mailing them, and giving them to anyone who would take one,” said Corley, according to News4Jax.com.
The city’s legal department argues that while keeping the ordinance intact might seem appealing, the provision requiring existing clubs to move is unlikely to survive court scrutiny. City attorney Cindy Laquidara told News4Jax.com that amending the ordinance to include a grandfather clause or something similar is crucial, and that without such an amendment, Jacksonville could end up losing the ordinance in its entirety.
Laquidara added that if the city loses the case, it risks “paying the other side’s court fees and expenses and giving money to the adult entertainment industry.”
Corley contends that legal concerns shouldn’t stop the city from holding fast to the current ordinance.
“We understand the city doesn’t like to litigate and they don’t like to be in this situation, but there are some standards we need to uphold,” said Corley.
According to the Florida Times-Union, at a recent City Council meeting Corley called for the Council to “stand up” to adult clubs. Others in attendance referred to the clubs as “live pornography,” and argued the clubs had “dangerous” effects on their patrons.
No one at the meeting spoke in favor of amending the ordinance, according to the Times-Union.
