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12/15/2003 Entry: "ADULT STORE BATTLE HEATS UP"
ADULT STORE BATTLE HEATS UP NWITIMES.COM - December 12, 2003 If Kansas residents who are 2-1/2 months into a battle with the same adult superstore chain that opened an outlet near Lowell last week could offer just two words of advice, they would be -- act quickly. "It's real important that your county moves fast to do something," said Phil Cosby, a retired resident of Abilene, Kan., which contains a Lion's Den adult store. "They need a conditional use ordinance in place so that nothing can come in without explanation, because it will, it has," the 52-year-old said. "The reason, with the Lion's Den's history, is that once they open a bookstore or an adult superstore, they also move in a gentleman's club, peep show booth and other things soon after." Lake County (Illinois) officials, who have been scrambling since the store opened one week ago today, said they are planning to act quickly. Lake County Commissioner Gerry Scheub said Friday he and Lake County Councilman Larry Blanchard will meet again this week to work on an ordinance that would prohibit similar businesses from opening nearby. An attempt to shut the store Friday failed after it was discovered a court order to close the business contained the wrong address. The order listed the business' address as 181st Street, Lowell, instead of Colorado Street, Hebron. The order cited health code violations related to the building's inadequate septic system, Scheub said. "We're doing everything humanly possible so this won't happen again," he said. "My goal is to close them down so they don't open again." Scheub said he hopes the county has an ordinance restricting adult businesses in place by the end of January, even though it generally takes a minimum of 90 days for the county to enact new legislation. The similarities between the Lion's Den in Abilene and the one located five miles outside of Lowell are striking. Both outlets are off interstates and opened virtually overnight in former Stuckey's restaurant buildings in unincorporated areas near small rural towns. Both opened in counties without ordinances regulating adult businesses. Ironically, the appearance of a Lion's Den prompted officials in the Kansas county where it is located to adopt an ordinance requiring a conditional use permit for new business. That ordinance, approved last week, ensure county officials are aware of what types of new businesses are opening, Cosby said. The Ohio-based Lion's Den has 31 stores in 12 states, according to Lowell store personnel. In Abilene, residents also initiated a 100-day round-the-clock picket of the Lion's Den, that in part has concerned residents recording license plate numbers of truckers who visit the store and passing the information on to their employers. The group also is pursuing a grand jury hearing, although no date has been set. Cosby said obscenity charges have been filed against the store and the situation in Abilene has attracted national and international news coverage. ABC's Inside Edition was in Abilene Wednesday conducting interviews for an upcoming segment, Cosby said. A representative of Inside Edition said Friday the program was interested in Abilene because "the store opened up overnight. It just appeared. Because residents in the two communities are facing a common problem, Cosby said he would welcome development of a united front with Lowell area residents. "I can guarantee there are 31 communities that feel the same way we do," Cosby said. "We can unite to kill them. They can die of a thousand cuts. They have the money, but we have the people."
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