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From: Sandy P. Klein
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Cc: Subject: "I don't want anybody to say Riviera Beach has a reputation of Lolita ...

 
 

Annexation request poses dilemma

By Thomas R. Collins, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 5, 2002

RIVIERA BEACH -- Let my two acres within your city boundaries and we all win, Richard L. Wolf is telling city officials: more tax money for the city, better services for me.

Wolf plans on opening an adult video and bookstore there soon.

The request poses a dilemma for the city council: Should the city usher an adult business into Riviera Beach?

"I don't want anybody to say Riviera Beach has a reputation of Lolita and Lady Godiva going on within its confines," Councilman Don Wilson said.

The city's staff is recommending approval. Council members discussed the adult store informally Monday, skeptically gathering details, but not actually saying they'll vote against it. The council is scheduled to decide at a meeting on Wednesday.

The land, at 3900 Byron Drive just east of Interstate 95 and north of Blue Heron Boulevard, meets all the requirements for annexation, Community Development Director Mary McKinney said Monday. It is actually surrounded by the city, and the city already provides water to the property. Usually, such annexation requests have been no-brainers, she said.

"It doesn't have anything to do with the future development," she said. Councilwoman Liz Wade said she was worried that the business, planned now just to sell videos and books, would add "booths that you can go in and play games."

City Attorney Pamala Hanna Ryan said there's no guarantee that or other enticements won't be added.

"If they change their use to adult entertainment we can't really deny them that if they comply with the code," she said. But that could happen under county guidelines even if the city doesn't annex the land, she said.

"But it wouldn't be in the city of Riviera Beach," Council Chairman David Schnyer said.

The board was worried about a repeat of the city's duel with Club Caviar, owned by a man named Johnny Now. The city said the nude-dancing club violated city law because it was in a commercial zone, not industrial. Eight people were arrested there for public nudity or drug possession or both.

Now said he couldn't afford the legal bills and turned Club Caviar last year into a jazz and rock nightclub.

thomas_collins@pbpost.com



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