Tacoma, Washington- Some South Tacoma residents want the new adult-themed Hollywood Hustler store out of their neighborhood.
About a dozen of them showed up Thursday at Tacoma City Hall to share their concerns with members of the city’s Public Safety and Human Services Committee.
They argued that the store, which opened Aug. 11, is out of place with the other family-oriented businesses and homes nearby.
Residents said they are especially angered by the store’s window fronts, which display mannequins in leather bondage gear wielding whips.
“If we can’t get them out of the neighborhood, we’d sure like to see their windows boarded up,” said Desiree Currier, a South Tacoma resident. “It doesn’t have to be so in your face.”
Jimmy Flynt, the president of Hustler Hollywood Entertainment and company founder Larry Flynt’s brother, said Thursday that the store’s goal isn’t to irritate South Tacoma residents.
“I’m not there to stick my nose in anyone’s face or offend anyone,” he said in a phone interview. “If there was something specific that the citizens didn’t like in my windows, I would try to accommodate them.”
Flynt is less accommodating about the prospect of moving from 8001 S. Hosmer St.
“Those people have a right to speak their minds, as I have a right to run my business,” he said. “I have complied with zoning laws and permit regulations with respect to the City of Tacoma.”
Some South Tacoma residents disagree. Those who attended Thursday’s meeting argued the business should be considered “adult use” under zoning laws.
There are substantial separation requirements from residential zones, parks, libraries, day care centers, churches and schools for such businesses.
The area where Hustler Hollywood stands is zoned for commercial use. Hustler’s request to the city was to start a retail business, which is allowed under commercial zoning.
Flynt said most of the store’s floor space is used to sell Hustler brand clothing and apparel. The more hard-core sex toys, books, videos, magazines and other materials that most anger the residents are kept in a separate, smaller area open only to customers 18 or older, he said.
Under city law, a business becomes “adult use” when more than half of its store area and shelf space is used for sexually oriented material.
A visual survey of the store by city officials found that only 30 percent of the Hustler store was used for sexually oriented material, thus protecting Hustler from “adult use” zoning.
But residents disagreed with those findings and contended that the dirty nature of the clothing and apparel, much of which is covered with suggestive phrases, should be considered “sexually oriented material.”
“A duck is a duck,” said Joe Lister, a South Tacoma resident who wants the store closed. “We should not have this stuff in the residential area.”
Many legal questions arose during Thursday’s meeting that couldn’t be immediately answered. Committee members promised to do more research and discuss it at a future meeting, although no date was set.
They also expressed concern about the store’s impact on residents and their own displeasure toward adult businesses.
“I’m not at all pleased with this. What is this going to mean for our community?” City Councilwoman Connie Ladenburg said. “‘Adult use’ is not a use that I want in our neighborhoods. I’m very frustrated.”