Neighbors watch, worry and pray as strip club plans take shape

Whether it’s on Mountain Drive or Airport Road, Pastor James Calderazzo of Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church said he and his congregation do not want a strip club to move into Destin.

But since Atlanta strip club owner Terry Stephenson settled with the city last month, it’s likely that topless dancers will be featured in the city by the end of the summer.

“We’re not happy about it moving into town,” Calderazzo said. “These establishments are not good places and they’re not good for our community.”

Stephenson initially applied to the city for a license to offer adult entertainment while operating The Oasis on Mountain Drive. His application was denied because the harbor district road isn’t zoned for adult entertainment. Stephenson responded by filing a First Amendment lawsuit against the city, claiming his right to “erotic expression” had been denied.

The two parties were in mediation for almost a year. But during a February City Council meeting, councilman voted 5-2 to approve a settlement with Stephenson.

The terms of the settlement allow Stephenson to open what he calls a “first-class” strip club in the Industrial Zone off of Airport Road, an area approved for adult entertainment since the 1980s. But Stephenson will be restricted to one topless bar in Destin at any given time, and the city negotiated restrictions that limit the club’s ability to advertise. To see a map of where the strip club may locate, click here.

Also per the settlement, Stephenson’s club will be exempt from the city ordinance that requires a 1,000-foot separation between churches and establishments selling alcohol. Councilmen have since amended that ordinance, decreasing the minimum separation between religious organizations and businesses that dispense alcohol from 1,000 feet to 500 feet.

“As a homeowner and a parent, I’m a little disgusted that the City Council’s willing to give up on the 1,000-foot regulation in regard to churches,” said area homeowner Ben Shirley. “My personal opinion is that we’re going to have a problem with drinking and driving.”

Calderazzo also expressed concern about the fact that the club will be allowed to sell alcohol around the corner from his church. He said prohibiting the sale of alcohol at the club would have “provided at least a little bit of a barrier.” He went on to say that his real concern is what affect this type of establishment will have on the citizens of Destin.

“As a pastor, I’ve seen the damage that these types of adult establishments do to the men that go there, to their wives and to their families,” Calderazzo said. “I also think these establishments do a lot of harm to the women that work there.”

Calderazzo said strip clubs also harm the community as a whole, increasing crime and drug use. He said Safe Harbor sent an elder to the council to oppose allowing a topless bar within Destin last year, and they will continue to “stand up for what’s right.”

But Shirley, who is vehemently opposed to the club, said he isn’t too concerned about the club changing the nature of the community. He said he doesn’t think that locals will patronize the club, so it won’t last long in Destin.

“There are other businesses in Destin that I don’t really care for, and Destin still seems to have a family-friendly environment,” Shirley said. “But I do think it’s somewhat of a slap in the face to the church.”

Calderazzo said he asked his congregation to pray about the recent development. He urged his congregation to fight against wrong-doers but also “love those that are doing wrong.”

“We really need to seek the Lord in this,” he said.

The Destin Fire Control District is another potential neighbor of the strip club, but Fire Chief Kevin Sasser said he isn’t too concerned about a topless bar moving in near the station. He said he has consulted the Okaloosa Island Fire Chief about what effect strip clubs have had on the area and found out that it really didn’t have any impact.

He said call volumes hadn’t gone up, and were similar to call volumes from any establishment that sells alcohol.

“If any incidents do occur, then our response time would be shorter,” Sasser said. “That’s really the only difference.”