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Monday, December 1, 2008

Stockham Update

From the BCCT.

Have you noticed the new windows and signs downtown? There are signs of life in the nearly century-old Stockham Building.

Meanwhile, in another part of town, the strip club lawsuit continues.

Stay tuned.


Strip club lawsuit continues, fitness center coming to Morrisville
Posted in News on Wednesday, November 26th, 2008 at 12:57 pm by Courier Times staff writer Danny Adler

A fitness center is coming soon to a site that’s the focus of a federal lawsuit over a New Jersey company’s constitutional right to put a strip club in Morrisville.

Signs posted at the four-story Stockham Building in the middle of downtown Morrisville boast that a Champion Fitness Center is coming soon as the building’s owner and a tenant are in the midst of suing the borough and its zoning hearing board.

Luke Lirot, an attorney from Florida representing Stockham Interests and 10 Enterprises in their suit against Morrisville, said the lawsuit is still moving forward.

“The bottom line is, we felt that the application was erroneously denied,” he said. In May, borough zoning officials unanimously denied variances to allow the strip club.

3 comments:

Peter said...

The key word in that article is "variances." If variances were required then this case should be a no-brainer and the Borough should continue to fight. Yes, the case will cost some money to fight, but if we (the Borough) settle on this suit we will be the target of future lawsuits filed simply to get a payout.

If variances were NOT required then we need to carefully consider whether it makes sense to fight or settle and the costs of each option.

Does anyone know whether variances would have been required?

Jon said...

Cue Rocky Theme, or at least some synth-heavy dramatic music. This could be the training gym for the strippers and lawyers as they gear up for the big showdown versus their arch nemesis, the Morrisville Zoning Board!

The strippers and lawyers, represented by Drago in the video link provided, prefer a high tech indoor training regimen of weight machines and running, all the while monitored by fancy gadgets and personal trainers.

The Zoning Board, represented by Rocky Balboa, prefers a more traditional outdoor regimen of pulling horses and carts out of snow drifts, running through snow and icy streams, running with logs behind their heads, chopping wood, pulling toboggans with the chopped wood and well-intentioned but troubled brother-in-laws on them, and running from Mercedes-driving KGB agents.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDko7Utfqdg

Jon said...

Below is a 5/6/08 BCCT on-line article that says variances are needed for signage and to allow adult entertainment. I think the applicant was trying to prove it's a hardship for them to not have the strip club there. I think they have a strong case - I know it's a hardship for many to keep staggering the couple hundred extra yards to Sugar&Spice.


Morrisville zoning board denies two proposals, including strip club
Posted in News on Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 at 1:23 pm by Courier Times staff writer Danny Adler

A property owner in Morrisville proposed two ideas for the largely vacant Stockham building in the borough: a burlesque-themed strip club or a 1,000-square-foot billboard. Morrisville’s zoning hearing board, though, unanimously denied both proposals Monday night at a hearing.

Stockham Interests LLC originally proposed a first-floor French-themed restaurant and a gentleman’s club on the second floor, as well as a fitness center on the third and fourth floors. The land owner was asking the zoning board for variances to allow adult entertainment in the building at Pennsylvania Avenue and Bridge Street and variances from sign regulations. But more than an hour into the hearing, Todd Colarusso, a principal with Stockham Interests, said he would kill plans for the “less-than-popular” strip club if the zoning board would allow a 1,000-square-foot “soft” vinyl billboard on the side of the building facing Route 1.