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Durham City Councilman Howard Clement is taking the lead in trying to bring an accord between owners of the Adam & Eve sex-merchandise business and citizens who want to keep their store from opening in south Durham.
“I don’t mind,” Clement said during Monday night’s council meeting.
The Adam & Eve store is a tenant in one of two buildings under construction at the northwest corner of Fayetteville Road and N.C. 54. As of Monday night, an “Adam and Eve Sex Shop in SW Durham — Just Say No” petition had collected 1,150 signatures.
“People have been outraged, as I am, about placing that facility in a residential area,” Clement said.
Clement had raised the issue at a council work session in November, when City Attorney Patrick Baker replied that, since an Adam & Eve retail store does not fall under the city’s definition of an “adult business,” there is nothing the council can do to block its opening.
“I think it would be futile for us to try to get involved ... that would be a road that we should not have taken,” said councilman Eugene Brown.
“The neighborhood could certainly sit down and negotiate with the owner of this store,” said Mayor Pro Tem Cora Cole-McFadden, “about what they could have in the windows and that kind of thing.”
Cole-McFadden asked planning director Steve Medlin to facilitate such negotiating.
“Should not the council intervene with the owners?” Clement said. “I don’t think the onus should be left on the neighborhood.”
Mayor Bill Bell then suggested that Clement act as liaison.
“I will gladly assume that responsibility,” he said.
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Comments
Speaking of Cleament, he
Tue, 07/07/2009 - 07:21 — AlexaSpeaking of Cleament, he also designed Suck My Bic – a pen that has a flavored candy pen cap. Perfect for those who have a tendency to suck on their pen caps.
rent a car
why it has to be a problem
Sat, 06/20/2009 - 11:05 — smugaof course pornography shouldn't be displayed in grocery shops and/or children toy stores, but when it exists means that there is demand for it and target audience, the same story with escort service, for instance...
I see no problem at all
Fri, 06/19/2009 - 08:52 — robinukHey, this subject really interests me because i know a number of hampshire escorts and they were telling me that it was an issue in basingstoke area and that they were looking protest as they could have done with the convienience of not travelling to london to purchase these things, also, there is a market for it so its healthy for the area profit wise and taxt wise. Also having other areas so close, im sure the berkshire escorts would have came in and supported the business too, i think this is just another bit of noise that stops natures things from happening, please do open the shop as i know a lot of basingstoke escorts and hampshire escorts will support you.
I don't any problem about
Sat, 05/23/2009 - 23:05 — seobotI don't any problem about sex shops in our live,I mean we all sea the sex every day on our television,at the radio,on the street , in London escorts and a lot of other sources.So I don't see any bad idea in creating sex shops!
I want to create a London
Fri, 05/22/2009 - 18:29 — seobotI want to create a London escort agency in UK. For this business I need a good receptionist? Where can I get her ? I will be thankfull for any advise!
I don't see the problem at a
Fri, 03/27/2009 - 11:48 — mikeseI don't see the problem at a sex shop in town i mean we all have sex kids see models on tv and on the cover of magazines we are so up tight in this country you'd be amazed at how open the london escorts are with people and how little people care unless they are interested, to them it's like us walking past a homeless person and paying no attention to them. If we could only be that way with sex.
Residential area?
Tue, 12/02/2008 - 10:12 — aburtchLast I checked the store will be in a small shopping center wedged in front of a huge strip mall with a Kroger, Blockbuster, Wolf Camera, McDonalds, and many other businesses. Across Fayetteville is another strip mall with a nail salon, a UPS store, and a Walgreens among others. Across 54, there is another shopping center with a Harris Teeter, Roses, TCBY, restaurants, a gas station, Wendy's, and many others. The intersection of Fayetteville Road and 54 is hardly residential.
At the end of the day Adam and Eve is a legal retail business. They are allowed to rent any space as long as the landlord continues to accept their rent.