THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 29, 1996 TAG: 9605290406
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CURRITUCK LENGTH: 51 lines
The public will get yet another chance tonight to comment on a topless nightclub in the southern end of Currituck County.
A public hearing concerning Mermaids will be held as part of the Board of Adjustments' regular monthly meeting, which begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Currituck County Courthouse.
``This hearing is to determine if Mr. London's topless nightclub complies with county regulations,'' said Jack Simoneau, the county's director of planning and inspections.
Robert London is an owner of the Point Harbor nightclub, which has attracted supporters and opponents since its legal battle to stay open began 2 1/2 years ago.
In December 1993, London first took county officials to court to reverse a conditional-use permit rejection by the county's Board of Adjustments.
The board had turned down London's request because members believed a nightclub was inappropriate for that part of the county, Simoneau said.
A district court judge ruled in London's favor and said the county board did not have enough evidence to deny the permit, Simoneau said.
This will be the third public hearing on the issue.
The permit was issued in January 1994, after London testified in a public hearing that he would not have topless dancing as entertainment.
That summer the county learned Mermaids was featuring semi-nude female dancers. The Board of Adjustments in August 1994 revoked the permit, saying London had misrepresented his business intentions.
London said at that hearing that he and a business partner had believed topless dancing was illegal in Currituck County. When they discovered it wasn't, they brought in the dancers to boost business.
In December 1994, a judge declared an earlier public hearing invalid and ordered a new one to determine whether Mermaids should be allowed to operate in Currituck County.
Many other legal bouts have been fought in court.
London has continued to operate Mermaids while his case has been on numerous appeals.
Opponents of the nightclub have publicly argued that the adult-oriented business hurts property values in nearby residential areas.
Citizens from all over the sprawling county packed the courtroom during one hearing - an overwhelming number of them against a topless nightclub.
But London also appears to have his supporters.
After he was found guilty of operating without a valid permit this year, ``Save the Mermaids'' bumper stickers began to circulate in the region.
Since then, the county has adopted stricter zoning regulations for adult entertainment that will require Mermaids to either close or relocate by next year. by CNB