November 4, 2005

DARRELL L. BREESE/Frontiersman reporter

PALMER - Last minute amendments to the an adult businesses ordinance before the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly on Tuesday may have been just enough to fend off possible litigation, and allow existing establishments to remain open. The legislation intended to expand the regulation in place on adult businesses in the core area to include operations within the borough's boundaries. But before the amendments were added it would have forced existing businesses to close their doors and could have resulted in possible lawsuits.

At the urging of the borough attorney's office, assembly member Betty Vehrs, the sponsor of the ordinance, added the amendments which allow for an amortization program to prevent unreasonable requirements from being imposed on current businesses.

“This is good legislation,” Vehrs said. “But without the amendments that were made, things could have been bad. It would have either forced businesses to close their doors, and that would have likely led to several court cases.”

The borough's attorneys would not comment on the possibility of legal actions, but Vehrs hinted that she had heard rumblings from some businesses affected by the original ordinance.

“By adding the amendments, we allowed them time to conform with the regulations set forth in the ordinance,” Vehrs added. “We don't want to close a legal and conforming business down, we just want to make sure that adult-type businesses are good neighbors.”

Part of being a good neighbor is not being disruptive to those who live in the residential communities surrounding them.

According to Kristen Seine, who spoke during the public hearings held prior to the assembly vote, this has not been the case with the Valley Showgirls Club, located near her Meadow Lakes home. She said she has called the borough and state troopers several times in the last year about the noise.

“My 2-year-old came to me around 2 a.m. and asked me to turn down the music,” she said. “What am I supposed to do?”

Now Valley Showgirls and other such clubs will be regulated by the new ordinance, which includes strict limitations on sound, signs, parking and hours of operation.

Vehrs, who represents the Meadow Lakes area, credited the people of the borough for being the driving force behind the expansion of the regulation.

“This isn't something that any of the assembly members brought forward because they object to a certain type of business,” Vehrs said. “The people I represent have been asking for this for over two years. I am happy tonight that we have finally passed a law which applies to the whole borough and not just one small portion of it.”

Contact Darrell L. Breese at 352-2267 or at darrell.breese@ frontiersman.com.