Limestone, N.Y., residents have saved their elementary school
from closing, but are now at odds with a business owner over his
proposal to bring a gentlemen’s club to the community.
Rick Pecora, owner of Rock’N Rick’s Concert Club located along
U.S. Route 219, is looking to turn his club into an upscale
gentlemen’s club.
Late Thursday evening, Pecora called The Era to say that he had
been at a Cattaraugus County planning board meeting and had found
out that what he’s been trying to do isn’t even permissible under
Limestone’s current zoning ordinances.
“I went to the planning board tonight to find out something I
should have found out six months ago,” he said. He explained that
his business – which has been closed because of the New York State
smoking ban and the loss of business to the casino – is located in
close proximity to a youth detention facility.
Because of that, an adult entertainment facility would not be
permitted unless the ordinance is changed.
“I will ask the (village) board what they want to do,” Pecora
said, explaining he’ll take the matter up with Limestone officials
once again. “The board has the option to change the ordinance. If
they want to do that, I’ll continue the operation. If they don’t
want to do that, I’ll give up on it.”
He added – so that people could have a clear understanding of
what his business would entail – that there would not be nude women
at the club. “It’s scantily clad women dancing.”
Pecora explained Buffalo, N.Y., philanthropist Richard Snowdon
was on board to bring the club in.
While Pecora’s plans may be on hold for now, Limestone resident
Chris Mackowski explained why he doesn’t believe the business would
be a good fit in the community at any point.
“Rock’N Rick’s is at one of the most visible spots in town,”
said Mackowski, a member of the Save-Our-School Committee.
“Regardless of how he might want to make it look unobtrusive, it’s
still just there.”
Mackowski and other members of the committee issued a press
release to local media on Wednesday evening, saying they were
concerned that Pecora’s plan would have a detrimental impact on the
school.
“We recognize that one of the main challenges for keeping our
school open long term is the enrollment,” Mackowski said. “We need
to encourage more people to move in. Keep it a family-friendly
community. One of the things is the whole property values issue.
Who wants to move into a neighborhood where one of those places
exists?”
Meanwhile, Limestone Mayor Ralph Bottone would not give his
opinion on the proposed club, but said that everything Pecora has
done so far has been “by the book.” Pecora has done everything
properly to go about making a change to his business, he
stressed.
“You have to be very careful with things like this,” Bottone
said.
“You have to go exactly by the book, which we have,” he said of
the Limestone government officials. “We sent registered letters to
all property owners who live within 250 feet of Rock’N Rick’s.”
That is what the law requires in those circumstances, he
explained.
Bottone said he would like all residents to know the Limestone
Village Board’s top priority is the community.
“We’re not going to do anything that is going to deteriorate the
character of the community,” he said.
“We’ve been behind the school project … 100 percent,” he
said.
“There’s nobody wanting to keep the community more together than
me,” Bottone said, adding that he was a part of the Save-Our-School
Committee. “I want to be involved in making it better.”
Mackowski added that the Limestone community is already
family-friendly, and he and other citizens do not want that to
change. In fact, he even called a youth detention center, which
borders Rock’N Rick’s, “good neighbors.”
“They are nice and quiet neighbors,” he said. He explained that
to his understanding, the center houses juveniles from inner cities
who were brought to Limestone to get out of those situations.
“I can’t imagine having a gentlemen’s club next door would be a
good thing for their rehabilitation,” Mackowski opined. “It’s the
objectification of women. That’s not the best scenario or role
model for these young men.”
He referred to a recent article in The Buffalo News about
troubles in Niagara Falls, Ont., allegedly resulting from the
presence of adult entertainment clubs.
“It increased in crimes, drug dealing, an increase in illicit
sex trade,” Mackowski said, recounting the article. “We don’t have
these problems now, and we don’t want to be placed in the situation
where it could happen here.”
Limestone is not the only community struggling with the issue of
an adult entertainment club in the community.
In nearby Salamanca, N.Y., a gentlemen’s club is also in the
works. The opening, originally slated for January, was delayed
while the owner works through state building code concerns.
Several years ago, Bradford was the site of contention over a
proposed club. In 2000, Tom Riel and former county commissioner
Harold Beck attempted to open a bring-your-own-bottle nude
nightclub on Main Street of Bradford. The attempt was unsuccessful,
as the men met opposition from the community and local
government.
Eventually, the City of Bradford bought the building from the
two men on the condition the men not open any adult-themed
businesses within city limits and that Riel drop a pending lawsuit
against the city.
Many area municipalities passed ordinances banning or limiting
adult businesses as a result of that attempt.
Meanwhile, the adult entertainment club Busty Heart’s Place has
been in operating in Turtlepoint for more than a decade.
