The naked truth

Wednesday, June 1, 2005

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This building's owner and building inspectors are in conflict over what kind of business is going in there.

Hillsborough County hopes to figure out the impact of adult-oriented businesses.

County commissioners voted Wednesday to hire a legal expert to help them beef up the county's adult use ordinance. Adult entertainment has been at the forefront most recently in Valrico, where a bikini bar is reportedly being built.

Commissioner Ronda Storms suggested a year ago that the county strengthen its nudity laws. Now she's asked the commission to hire an adult-use attorney.

"The other side has experts in this and they eat, drink and sleep it," Storms said. "And so we should make sure that we have experts in it also."

Attorney Luke Lirot is one of the experts on the other side. His clients have included Mons Venus owner Joe Redner. Lirot calls Hillsborough County's adult use ordinance one of the most restrictive in the country.

"I don't think they need to layer anything else on," Lirot said. "I think that this is sort of a knee-jerk reaction to the so-called bikini bar that everybody seems to be concerned with."

Lirot's newest client is the owner of a building that is reportedly slated to be leased out as a bikini bar.

The building's owner, Susan Calkins, came to witness the county's plans for its adult use laws, but says there will be no nudity in her building.

Susan Calkins says the building will be a bikini bar and no nudity will be allowed.

"This will not be a nude establishment," Calkins said. "Work was stopped illegally, as far as I'm concerned, because of signs that have been there for over 15 years that they claim are too big."

Hillsborough County building inspectors say they issued a stop work order on Calkin's club because they found poles on the dance floor, and a storage area that had been turned into a dressing room.

Storms says hiring an attorney who specializes in adult use will help protect her constituents from what she says are unsavory businesses.

"My long-term goal is to provide protection for the neighborhoods from the blight of the adult entertainment industry," Storms said.

Once an attorney is selected, he or she will help the county commission study the effects of adult businesses in Hillsborough County.

In other Hillsborough County commission action, the commission voted to recommend that the library advisory board require all children under 17 to get permission from their parents before they check out R-rated videos and DVDs from public libraries.

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