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A Flower Blooms In The Heart Of A Nanny State City
In highly regulated cities like Boulder, Colo., you've got to take freedom where you can find it. And in the process, you may just find yourself cheering on the owner of a sleazy strip club.Described on the Internet as "edgy, artistic, erotic gentlemen's entertainment," Boulder's newest business establishment, Nitro Club, opened just before Christmas and is raising alarm bells with city officials shocked that that club's owner, Michael Cobb, didn't first give them the opportunity to kill the project. They question whether the club deserves to be located on the Pearl Street Mall, the city's posh shopping district. They wonder aloud why they never heard of the club before reporters brought its existence to their attention. "I'm surprised," Councilman Ken Wilson told The Boulder Daily Camera. "It does not sound like a good idea, or what the city intends for our Pearl Street Mall area." Critics have a point about the location being a little strange who wants to pass pole dancers on the way to buy 500-thread count baby sheets at the boutique down the street? But Pearl Street still has a far way to go before it becomes a close cousin to Amsterdam's infamous Red Light District. Tucked away in an alley, the club has no windows to tempt passersby. It greets guests with only a simple steel door. It is truly a triumph of freedom that somehow Cobb slipped through Boulder's cumbersome regulatory process unnoticed. It wasn't like he hadn't tried before. In 1998, he applied for a liquor license for a topless bar he was proposing inside city limits. He was denied in a 3-2 vote made after the city's liquor board heard angry testimony from other business owners and community activists. One board member said he voted no because the stage the dancers were to dance on was too small. You can believe him if you want to. But this time around, Cobb outsmarted the city's system. He didn't need an alcohol license because the club will not sell booze. He told reporters that customers can pay $495 a year and an additional $45 a month to sit in a private area where they will drink alcohol that they must bring in themselves. This area, a nod to overcoming government prohibition, is appropriately called the "The Speakeasy." In Boulder, the city council has taken the time to regulate every aspect of the human existence possible. Everything that is, except for strippers. Terrorists heading to Boulder should be aware that the city has ordained itself a "nuclear-free" zone. No bomb-dropping here, please. Front porches are a source of city regulation. Be prepared to shell out hefty fines if you put any booze out there for your next party. A keg in public view can earn you a visit from the police. Own a pet in Boulder? Think again. A few years ago, the city changed all references in its ordinances concerning animal ownership. No longer do you "own" a pet. Now you are its guardian. And the Pearl Street Mall itself has been the source of much regulation. City council members actually took the time to ban the act of throwing Frisbees on the mall. It appears that knock-off disks were excluded from the ban. I'd love to see this one litigated. Mayor Shaun McGrath is now saying the council will have a "discussion" about the club's location. In Boulder, talking can only lead to one thing. Regulation, of course. While McGrath concedes that Cobb's actions appear to be legal, he said the club's opening begs "the question of, 'Do we as a community think that a downtown location for a strip bar is appropriate?' That's a conversation we need to have, because we haven't had that before." The news of Nitro Club's opening has garnered media attention near and far. Dozens of people have commented in support on news Web sites. Like most former Boulderites, I find myself in the strange position of cheering on the owner of a sleazy strip club. But alas, can this freedom from regulation possibly last? Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-01-05 |
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