Misleading comments about Secondary Effects
On Monday, May 7, the New Britain Herald ran an article written by New Haven Register reports Phil Helsel and Brian McCready. (The papers have the same parent company, Journal Register News Service.)
The article questions the validity of Secondary Effects as an argument for zoning sexually oriented businesses. The Supreme Court has found secondary effects to be just cause for municipalities to zone such businesses to protect property values, quality of life issues and prevent crime.
The reporters reviewed situations in Milford and Orange, where Penthouse Boutique and VIP, respectively, have opened stores in recent years. According to police sources quoted, crime has not increased in the areas and the article states that property values have not been adversely effected either.
It goes on to say “a 2004 study conducted by Daniel Linz, a professor of communications at the University of California at Santa Barbara, examined crime statistics and property values near adult bookstores and cabarets in Toledo, Ohio, and found that those businesses were not to blame for crime hotspots.
In that study, Linz and other researchers compared crime rates within 1,000 feet of adult cabarets and bookstores for six months before and after they closed, and found that there was virtually no change.”
Please note that these studies were done on properties within 1000 feet from an SOB. In Berlin, the SOB is ZERO feet from residential property. BIG difference. Berlin would not be fighting VIP if it was 1000 feet from residential property. Berlin would not be fighting if VIP was 250 feet from residential property.
Another difference in crimes or undesirable issues being reported to the police is that because no one lives right next door to these other locations, no one is either seeing or caring what goes on there. Read the post about the Manchester location to see whether or not things happen in the parking lot. (I did not report it to the police because, being known as an opponent to VIP, I figured no one would take me seriously.) Also, with no residential next door neighbors, these other locations aren’t bothering anyone by being open until 2:00am. Most people would not appreciate a party every week night until midnight, weekends until 2am.
These satellite images illustrate the differences in the area immediately surrounding the SOBs mentioned in the article:
(I have outlined the property borders in yellow, and indicated with red lines 250 feet from the border * approximately*.)
Compare these to the Berlin location:
None of the other locations have residential properties close to them. Only Manchester even has any at all, and I’d estimate the closest is about 800′ from VIP. All the others are in basically industrial zones.
I can count atleast 15 residential properties that wholly or partially fall within 250′ in Berlin. Another 15 or so if you go out 500′. Literally dozens are within 1000′.
on January 10, 2008 on 2:10 pm
How ludacris, to claim that an adult store raises crime is rather insulting to those of us who go to them. As though everyone who is interested in these shops are rowdy, undesireable, criminals. You may be suprised to find the array of “normal” people there. (perhaps your nieghhbor or husband) As for porn; not everyone is there for porn some just laugh and giggle some just want a hot pair of shoes. Furthermore not all porn portrays rough or violent sex that is a small amount of the industry with a marginal fan base. Infact, there are many films written, produced, and directed by women for the enhancment of romance. you obviouslly have no clue what you are talking about. (one should only speak from experience) And comeing from berlin where there are 18 and up fully nude juice bars and glass sex booths this is laughable! I find the acres of land that was deemed wet lands for over 40 years in my niehborhood suddenlly cut down for cookie cutter YUPPIE mansions much more offensive.
on March 10, 2008 on 10:08 am
Andrea: It’s ludicrous. Ludacris is a rapper. Also, the BERLIN Turnpike passes through Meriden, Berlin, Newington, etc. There is ONE strip bar IN Berlin proper (Centerfold’s) and ONE video store on the Turnpike (next to the Blue Lobster). The ones you seem to mention are located in other towns and are NOT bordering residential property.
Further, no one cares what you or anyone else does in the privacy of your own bedroom. This is a ZONINg issue, not a moral one.