tuscl

Heads up you San Diegoians.

shadowcat
Atlanta suburb
Tuesday, October 9, 2012 1:43 PM
CHULA VISTA, Calif. - Controversy is brewing over the first strip club now open in Chula Vista. At issue is not just the club's location near children but also how the owner obtained the permits. The Eyecandy Showgirls strip club opened this weekend along prime bayfront property in Chula Vista and is not being welcomed with open arms. "I think it's a little surprising considering this is kind of a family-oriented area," said Chula Vista Nature Center visitor Kendra McElree. The club is in an area close to children, just across the street from the Chula Vista Nature Center. 10News has uncovered that there is even more reason to be concerned about Eyecandy. The owner's other club in the city of San Bernardino called Flesh was shut down for prostitution. "At least in San Bernardino, they had no intention of running a comedy club," San Bernardino City Attorney James Penman told 10News. "They did not even have the intention of running a nude juice bar. They intended to run a house of prostitution and that's what they were doing when we closed them down." As an FYI, I know a dancer that used to work at Flesh before it got busted. She agrees that it was nothing more than a whore house. But how can this club compete being so close to Tijuana? On one job search website, the Eyecandy Showgirls club was advertised as a new adult entertainment club searching for nude female dancers, DJs and door men. No background checks were necessary. When 10News went to the Eyecandy club to talk with management, 10News was told very little, except for that the club has the proper permits to operate. Construction improvements have been under way for months. However, the city of Chula Vista told 10News, "The owner indicated on the tenant improvement application that the construction work was for a comedy club." But nude dancers and comedy club comedians are two different professions. Chula Vista municipal code prohibits exotic dance operations within city limits. Now, the city and police are looking into the legality of the business. The Los Angeles-based attorney for Eyecandy told 10News this is a fight that Chula Vista will not win if they should pursue, since their club is protected by the Constitution. "We are a legally operating business offering jobs to unemployed workers," said attorney Roger Jon Diamond from his office in Santa Monica. "The city and residents should embrace that we're trying to get people working again." It is the work that they will be doing that is in question. 10News has now put the city of Chula Vista in touch with city officials in San Bernardino to compare the illegal moves the company may have made in both cities.

11 comments

  • deogol
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    12 years ago
    Californians are all first amendment raw raw raw until something they disagree with appears. Then it's We got to shut it down!
  • rh48hr
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    12 years ago
    If it was offering extras, it might make an alternative for club patrons who are afraid of going down to Mexico, but at least in Mexico you know that getting laid is legal. I think it will be difficult to pull off regardless. San Diego area is notorious for no contact.
  • Alucard
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    12 years ago
    If the residents don't like it they should get rid of those persons responsible for approving the club.
  • mikeya02
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    12 years ago
    @rh48hr, there is all the contact you want in San Diego. Not sure why people think that.Ok, maybe it depends on the girl but a lot don't mind. Its the extras that are few and far between.
  • rh48hr
    •
    12 years ago
    OK I stand corrected. Thanks for settings things straight Mikey.
  • Club_Goer_Seattle
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    12 years ago
    It's interesting to note that L.A. area strip club attorney Roger Jon Diamond was recruited for a club in San Diego. He may have helped the San Bernardino club mentioned in the story. Anytime an L.A. strip club gets into legal trouble, it seems that Roger Jon Diamond rides to the rescue. He may have even been hired/consulted here in Seattle to help defeat a ballot proposition a few years ago that would have established a distance limit for dancers giving lap dances. He really gets around the west coast anyway.
  • mikeya02
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    12 years ago
    Hey rh48hr, I noticed you reviewed a club in McKees Rocks. What brought you there? I was born in McKeesport. Most people haven't heard of either place.
  • charlieet
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    12 years ago
    @alucard the city leaders did nothing wrong in the article it says the club acquired a permit for a comedy club they have no permit for a strip club
  • xedin5436
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    12 years ago
    Well, the legal battle will certainly be interesting. Unless the municipal code was written by idiots, I'd think this would be a slam-dunk case for Chula Vista. If not, the case may basically overturn the whole concept of zoning. There were some misleading statements made by people in the article - there's no kids nearby, there's just a nature preserve parking lot across the street. School groups might visit it for field trips or something, but it's not like this is next to a school. It's in a stretch of defunct restaurants with the freeway on one side and the bay on the other (at the intersection of Bay Blvd. and E St. if you want to look it up). Actually seems like a pretty decent spot/building. Anyone want to fund me going on a crucial fact-finding mission? "Californians are all first amendment raw raw raw until something they disagree with appears. Then it's We got to shut it down!" A number of people interviewed for this story and on other outlets said they didn't give a shit. Until fairly recently, San Diego was reliably conservative, which is how we got our strip club laws in the first place. "If the residents don't like it they should get rid of those persons responsible for approving the club." It sounds like the owners didn't fully disclose what type of business they were planning on having, but they may have done so as far as the law requires, which will probably be the crux of the case. The people approving the project are just ordinary joes that interpret the codes approved by elected officials - this shoudln't be pinned on them. Also for rh48hr and mikeya02, I think the truth is somewhere between your assertions - yeah, you can get contact in San Diego, but it's not as easy as most other places and it's a crapshoot in general. A $20 single-song dance won't get you much, and you won't get much on the weekends no matter how much you spend. As always, depends on the girl and the club. Anyway, strip clubs are a radioactive topic in San Diego politically - there was a huge scandal back in the 90s where some Vegas guys tried bribing a few councilpeople to loosen up the strict (basically: no touching) laws here. Hopefully this whole thing is able to push the debate back a little in the other direction, but I don't know if the owners of the Hawaii Theater are the right guys for that job - probably a bit too much over the top.
  • wwpmi
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    12 years ago
    shadowcat-But how can this club compete being so close to Tijuana? I agree, you can't get much closer to TJ then CV maybe 5 miles more, a $8 parking pass, a $5 cab ride and you can have as much contact as you can handle for between $20 for twenty minutes up to a hole $60 for 30 minutes. I often wonder how the SC's in SD proper compete.
  • xedin5436
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    12 years ago
    I think that 1) there's a lot of hassle, maybe just perceived and not actual, with getting to and back from TJ versus just hitting a club down the street. I don't know how it plays in actuality, but you're supposed to have your passport to come back, and the wait can be pretty long. If I just have an hour or two or have to go to work the next day, going to TJ and back is a bit much. 2) There's a lot of military bases in town, and most clubs are right next to them and offer military discounts. The club in this post is almost right across the street from the largest Navy base on the west coast. 3) TJ has a lingering violent/sketchy rep from the recent cartel wars. It kind of seems like outside of Cheetahs, a lot of clubs are sort of struggling a bit anyway.
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