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8 | JUNE 14 -JUNE 27, 2013
STREET TALK
O: Are local cities
doing the right thing by
attacking strip clubs?
“I’m opposed to the strip clubs. It
just seems like a lot of unnecessary
things happen around that
environment. We’d like to keep it as
far away from our family as possible.”
Mark Star in
“It’s a hard question to answer. Strip
clubs will exist no matter where
you are. If you move them out of
the city of Atlanta, they will move
somewhere else and the city will
lose the revenue. They’re going to
exist somewhere, but where are they
going to go?”
Dana Major- WiLon
“It sounds like a good thing to me.
Generally speaking, you want to live
in a neighborhood that is much more
community oriented. I don’t think
strip clubs really promote that.”
Sandy Me/icher
“I think every city has them. I don’t
know that you can legislate out all
the undesirable businesses from a
city.”
Aluua ManoleJcu
| www.ReporterNewspapers.net
Editor’s note: Several local city governments recently have debated or taken action against
strip clubs and other adult entertainment businesses. We asked Brookhaven Mayor J. Max
Davis, lawyer Aubrey Villines, who represents clubs in Brookhaven and Atlanta, and residents
of Reporter Newspapers communities whether the cities were doing the right thing. See related
article on pages 10 and 11.
We wouldn’t make a deal
Brookhaven has spent the past six months filling potholes, repair
ing sidewalks, hiring police commanders and issuing permits. We’ve
passed a budget, started live-streaming video of City Council meet
ings and made it much easier to do business in the city. This is just the
beginning. Before the end of the summer, we will have Brookhaven
police officers patrolling city streets, have identified a location inside
Brookhaven for a city hall and have our comprehensive plan launched.
Typically, these aren’t the things I’m asked about at the grocery store
or on the Little League field. It’s easy to overlook all of the work in
volved with building a new city, particularly when many of the head
lines are focused on just one of the many ordinances we have adopted
to make Brookhaven a better community for all residents.
Even though I am an attorney, the sexually-oriented business or
dinance was not something with which I was familiar or which I ex
pected would be an issue. Like many of the other ordinances we have
passed, we modeled our ordinance after those that have been enact
ed in other communities. In fact, our ordinance mirrors ordinances adopted in Doraville, Sandy
Springs, Johns Creek, DeKalb County, Fulton County and other governments around the metro
region. This is the same ordinance that has been upheld by many courts.
Just to be clear, Brookhaven adopted this ordinance using the same litmus test we use for every
action we take — to protect the health, safety and welfare of Brookhaven’s residents and businesses.
It is important to understand that the reason Brookhaven is being sued is not because it adopted
adult business regulations — DeKalb County currently has similar regulations. Rather, Brookhav
en is being sued because our City Council refused to take money from this industry in exchange
for letting the industry ignore these laws.
Although DeKalb County struck such a deal with the sexually-oriented business industry, it is
a faulty precedent that Brookhaven should not follow. Future businesses would naturally expect
and likely be entitled to a similar deal. Imagine the outcry that would erupt if one day this sum
mer a sign popped up by Cambridge Square or on Dresden Drive advertising a new adult busi
ness opening.
Residents of our neighboring cities, communities and courts across the country have found
that these types of establishments bring a host of negative secondary effects, such as drug dealing,
crime, prostitution and adverse impacts on surrounding properties. As erotic dancing is protect
ed under “free speech” and cannot be banned, communities surrounding Brookhaven, including
DeKalb County, have enacted and successfully defended ordinances to limit these negative sec
ondary effects. These adult businesses are now looking for a place to go and it is our duty to make
sure our neighborhoods are equally protected with similar ordinances.
We are working hard to build a better Brookhaven. The city inherited many problems from
DeKalb County, but maintaining the status quo, or cutting deals that allow the law to be ignored
in exchange for money, is not the way to accomplish this goal. It is only common sense that the
city may consider temporarily halting enforcement of its sexually-oriented business ordinance
pending the outcome of litigation. But this is entirely different from entering a agreement that
pays the city money in exchange for letting a business ignore the law.
In this transition period, we have been sued because we did not cut such a deal. I am confident
that our sexually-oriented business ordinance will be upheld, but for situations like this, we have
and will continue to maintain insurance coverage.
The next time you see me in the grocery store or at the Little League fields, please stop and let
me tell you about all of the good work we are doing in Brookhaven. This ordinance — like every
action we take — is intended to make a better Brookhaven for not just my family, but everyone
who lives and works in our city.
J. Max Davis is the mayor of Brookhaven.
J. MAX
DAVIS
GUEST COLUMN
“I’d rather not have strip clubs in
the neighborhood. I feel like they
can exist. I just don’t want them
in my neighborhood. ”
“I have feelings on both sides of the issue. I guess
that on one hand, I respect the city’s right to try
and improve the neighborhoods ... but on the
other hand, I respect the business owners’ rights to
operate as long as they comply with the law.”
Abbe Kantor
Peter Cook
DUN
