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(Possible) New Strip Club in Las Cruces, New Mexico. First One in Decades.

Proposed Las Cruces strip club, adult video store would be neighbors

By Brian Fraga

LAS CRUCES — A city panel soon will consider a proposal to build a topless dancing bar in an industrial zone off West Amador Avenue.
The city's Planning and Zoning Commission will take up the issue Sept. 25.

The proposed strip club would be called "The Bronx," and would be the city's only strip club, and the region's first since the old Lamplighter, formerly located off U.S. 70 on the East Mesa, shut down amid community protests in the late 1980s.

The Bronx would be located next to Eros, the adult-themed book and video store on the 2200 block of Westgate Court.

The news of a strip club possibly returning to Las Cruces, which is still predominantly a socially conservative community, prompted some negative responses. Bishop Ricardo Ramirez, head of the Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces, said he was "disappointed and saddened."

"It's part of our society that has gone crazy over sexuality," Bishop Ramirez said. "Unfortunately, this is affecting marriages, affecting relationships, affecting families. This is an unfortunate side effect of that." Mike O'Donnell, who owns commercial property on Westgate Court, said he was concerned that the strip club would bring in "undesirables," increase traffic in the area and drive down property values."It's going to be an annoyance," he said.

Las Cruces Police Chief Richard Williams said his department will work with the area's business owners and customers to preserve public safety.

"The Las Cruces Police Department plans to keep a close watch on the number of calls for service that may be generated from the opening of the business, and we'll respond accordingly to any reports or complaints that are received," Williams said.

Club operator?

Central Park LLC, the company applying to build the strip club, says the business would benefit the city's economy by increasing tax revenue and employing 30 to 50 people. In its application with the city's Community Development Department, Central Park LLC noted that anyone now in Las Cruces wanting to patronize strip clubs has into El Paso County. "The Bronx" would be housed in a 4,000 square-foot metal building with a 41-space parking lot. The business would sell alcohol and would operate Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., with entertainment beginning around 4 p.m., according to the project description.

The strip club would take around four months to build. The business would have outdoor landscaping and fencing, security personnel inside and outside the building, and a sign near the front door warning people that they are entering an adult establishment. Jesse Hernandez, who is listed as the owner of Central Park West NY LLC, which owns the vacant lot on which the strip club would be built, declined to comment Wednesday when contacted by phone. He said he leased the property to the parties looking to build the strip club, but declined to name them. Hernandez' wife, Mariah J. Hernandez, is listed as the manager of Central Park LLC, the project applicant. Her attorney, Karen Wootton, of the Carrillo Law Firm in Las Cruces, said Mariah Hernandez is withholding comment until a public hearing Sept. 25 before the Las Cruces Planning and Zoning Commission.

City requirements

The strip club application meets the criteria for an adult-themed business in Las Cruces. It would be located in an industrial zone, at least 500 feet from the nearest liquor license, and 1,000 feet from any schools, churches, day-care centers and parks.

City planner Susana Montana said the city's Community Development Department's staff will prepare a report for the Planning and Zoning Commission members to detail what policies in the city's Comprehensive Plan would be relevant to the project.

Those policies may include factors such as the project's possible impact on environmental, land use and economic development issues. The commission could decide to reject the proposal if members felt it conflicted with the Comprehensive Plan's policies, Montana said. If rejected, Montana said the applicant - as well as anyone wanting to challenge the project's possible approval - could appeal to the city council. Mayor Ken Miyagishima cited the possibility of an appeal in explaining that he had to be cautious in commenting when contacted Wednesday.

I'd be interested to see what the public has to say about this," Miyagishima said. "I'm sure they'll chime in."

ARTICLE LINK: http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-new…