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Milford targets nudity in anti-porn ordinance

Brian McCready , Assistant Milford Bureau Chief 08/05/2003

MILFORD — The Board of Aldermen Monday unanimously approved an ordinance that officials say is ground-breaking because it will ban total nudity and restrict partial nudity at "adult" establishments in the city.

The new ordinance, which goes into effect in 10 days, means strip clubs, such as Keeper’s on Woodmont Road, cannot allow dancers to perform lap dances on patrons because all physical contact between patrons and employees in adult clubs will be prohibited.

Additionally, the ordinance requires club owners and managers to be licensed and prohibits licensing of any club owners and supervisory personnel who have been convicted of certain sex-related felonies, such as child pornography or sexual assault.

Mayor James Richetelli Jr. pledged that city agencies would vigorously enforce the new ordinance, which will include surveillance of adult clubs.

There are two so-called adult clubs in Milford and four stores that sell "adult products."

Prior to the Board of Aldermen meeting, about 20 protesters carrying signs that read "Porn Hurts Families" marched in front of City Hall denouncing adult establishments.

Areen Musallam, 15, said adult shops have no place in the city.

"They are a disgrace to women all over the world and I don’t appreciate it that they are in our town," Areen said. "Pornography messes up families."

Aldermanic Minority Leader Gayle Slossberg, D-1, requested in January that the city’s so-called adult ordinance be reviewed by the city attorney after constituents expressed concerns about illicit activities in adult clubs.

Slossberg said the groundbreaking ordinance will help protect the community from the negative, secondary effects of adult establishments.

"I’m proud to know we’ll have the strictest adult ordinance in the state," Slossberg said. "This needed to happen."

Richetelli said City Attorney Marilyn Lipton deserves tremendous praise for spending the past six months consulting with attorneys and First Amendment experts throughout the country concerning the new ordinance.

"What the city attorney has come up with is the most restricting we can possibly be for protecting our citizens without crossing the line of being challenged legally in court," Richetelli said. "We can’t ban these businesses, but we can regulate and restrict them."

Richetelli said he wishes the city could "go much further" with its ordinance, but the city is powerless to completely ban adult businesses.

Planning and Zoning Chairman John Jansen, R-1, said the zoning board later this month will unveil a proposed regulation that would restrict even further where adult shops can be located with regards to churches, schools and residences.

Aldermanic Chairwoman Michele Collins, R-1, said the new adult ordinance gives the city more control over current adult businesses, but she said the state needs to eliminate the grandfather protections that allow adult shops to operate in residential areas.

Several adult shops along Route 1 opened prior to the city approving its original adult ordinance in 1996 and they are protected from zoning laws restricting where those shops can be located.

Collins, however, said the new ordinance would likely deter strip clubs from opening in the city.

"Most clubs won’t want to play in Milford because of the ordinance," Collins said. "I don’t like that there are any in our town but we’re sending a strong message."

Brian McCready can be reached at bmccready@nhregister.com or at 876-6800.

©New Haven Register 2003

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Milford eyes more curbs on porn stores

Brian McCready , Assistant Milford Bureau Chief 08/06/2003

MILFORD — A day after the city adopted the toughest anti-porn ordinance in the state, the Planning and Zoning board chairman announced that an even tougher measure might be in store.

In what would be the second phase of the city’s crackdown on adult establishments, PZB Chairman John Jansen, R-1, said Tuesday he learned the board can legally increase buffers that isolate such businesses On Monday, the Board of Aldermen unanimously adopted a new ordinance that bans total nudity and restricts partial nudity at "adult establishments" in the city.

Jansen said he could not yet comment on how large new buffers might be, but said he’s confident such new restrictions would not be deemed unconstitutional in any possible court battle.

City zoning regulations now say any adult-oriented establishment must be 150 feet from any residential zone boundary, 300 feet from public, private or parochial education facilities, liquor or package stores, and places of worship, and 1,000 feet from other adult-only business.

Those regulations were approved in 1996.

Jansen said city consultant, Richard Harrall concluded that Milford can increase those space restrictions by a wide margin. Jansen said Harrall’s research would be crafted into a regulation as part of the city’s new Plan of Development and Conservation, which will be voted on in November.

"Our consultant said we can substantially increase the buffers restricting where adult establishments can be located near residences, churches, and schools," Jansen said.

The PZB will hold a hearing on its proposed adult regulation 7:30 p.m. Aug. 19 at City Hall.

"We do believe we’re on very solid ground by increasing the buffers," Mayor James Richetelli Jr. said.

"We can’t ban adult establishments, but we can restrict them."

Richetelli said the new zoning regulation would further protect residents from the likelihood of a new adult business opening in Milford.

"This is another part of the effort to be as restrictive as possible," said Richetelli.

The city has been working to further restrict adults-only businesses for months, though the effort could not halt the location here of a new 10,000-square-foot porn store, which partially opened last week amidst heated controversy.

The recently approved new city adult ordinance prohibits exotic dancers from performing lap dances on patrons or employees in adult clubs.

Additionally, the ordinance requires club owners and mangers to be licensed and prohibits licensing of any club owners and supervisory personnel who have been convicted of certain sex-related felonies.

Jansen agreed a new regulation would substantially decrease the likelihood of another such business opening in the city.

Brian McCready can be reached at bmccready@nhregister.com, or 876-6800.

©New Haven Register 2003