ROCKFORD, Illinois — Plans for an adult business along East State Street are drawing the ire of nearby businesses and residents who fear the nude modeling and massage services will degrade the area.
Sweet Dreams, 4871 E. State St., would be near the YWCA of Rockford and several office buildings, including a pediatric dentist and orthodontist. The site is also close to the entrance of Rockford College.
The store would include retail sales, nude modeling and therapeutic massage, although details of the services aren’t provided in the zoning application. A city zoning report notes that, during an inspection of the property, that “use had already been established” in violation of the law.
Opposition is mounting to the business’ zoning request, which will be heard Tuesday at the Zoning Board of Appeals. The zoning change would involve a different class of commercial zoning, and two special use permits would have to be granted.
“The concern that I have is I have a large number of children and women that are coming into this location all the time,” said Kris Kieper, chief executive officer of the YWCA of Rockford. “They ride the bus and get off almost right in front of that building.”
Cheryl Saladino, who has a Rockford address, is listed as the applicant for the zoning requests. She could not be reached for comment.
City planners are recommending the store’s zoning requests be denied. Todd Cagnoni, manager of current planning, said the store is too close to residential areas and its zoning is inconsistent with the area.
“There are locations within our community where the criteria can be satisfied. This happens not to be one of those locations,” he said.
The application includes details of the building’s interior. Included are six massage rooms, with showers in four rooms, and a retail space for videos, skin care products and lingerie. The store is planned to be about 2,125 square feet.
Next door to the building is Pediatric Dentistry of Northern Illinois. Office Manager Patty Merick said they’ve already seen traffic in and out of the business.
“The biggest issue is safety,” she said. “We’ve had some gentlemen here asking for some of the girls, thinking this is the building. We’re a pediatric office, we have children around our building everywhere. … We had the gentlemen last week talking to two of our staff. We don’t know who those gentlemen are.”
The city has already received half a dozen letters opposing the business, and many say they’ll come to Tuesday’s hearing to testify in person.
Celeste Caraotta, owner and office manager of Caraotta Chiropractic Orthopedics, sent a petition opposing the business, with a dozen of her employees’ signatures, to the city.
“It cheapens the area. It exploits women,” she said. “We have patients coming in and out of there, and I wouldn’t want that type of clientele dealing with our patients or our employees.”