News Stories We Have found on the Cupid's Castle Business in New Haven Indiana
The newest is first
New Haven seeks more control on adult shops
by Amanda Iacone in The Journal Gazette - - Published: May 13, 2009 3:00 a.m. (web report)
NEW HAVEN – Curbing adult sex shops and related businesses in New Haven might require zoning changes and additional permitting or licensing requirements, New Haven’s mayor said Tuesday.
Mayor Terry McDonald gave City Council members a brief update Tuesday on his plans to reintroduce a sexually oriented business ordinance to control where such businesses locate in the city.
Attorneys for both the city and the council are researching the issue. The city might hire a third attorney who has written similar laws that have withstood legal challenges for other Indiana communities, McDonald said.
The two-pronged approach could require certain types of businesses to seek a license or permit to operate, and the city could also use traditional zoning standards as a second control, McDonald said.
An ordinance debated in 2002 would have limited where such businesses could set up shop. The proposed law never made it out of a council committee after the plan commission failed to make a yes-or-no recommendation.
The 2002 version would have prevented adult businesses from locating within 1,000 feet of a residential property, school, church, park, family restaurant, child-care center or bar. Also, sexually oriented businesses – adult bookstores, adult theaters, escort services and nude-model studios – would have been allowed to operate only between noon and midnight. That ordinance would have essentially relegated these businesses to the back corner of Wayne Haven Industrial Park, south of Indiana 930.
At the time, no adult businesses were open or looking to open in New Haven. But an adult novelty shop called Cupid’s Castle is set to open its doors in the castle building on the north side of Indiana 930 and has already posted signs out front advertising its wares.
The store’s emergence prompted McDonald to revisit how the city could prevent similar businesses from opening on the main thoroughfare through town.
Dollar storeThe council approved the second and third reading of an ordinance allowing a 1.7-acre parcel in the 7200 block of Indiana 930 to be zoned general commercial instead of single-family residential. The property, next to Main’s Flower Garden, is slated to be a variety-dollar store.
aiacone@jg.net
Sex shop: Sleazy, perhaps, but also legal
Law trumps emotions - as it should - with adult store's arrival in New Haven.
By Kevin Leininger of The News-Sentinel - Posted on Thu. May. 07, 2009 (News Sentinel story)
What do Barack Obama, historic preservation and God have to do with a new adult toy store in New Haven?
Give me a moment and I'll explain - even if the owner of “Cupid's Castle” would argue that the issues surrounding his business are less complicated than all that.
“This has been totally misunderstood. It's just a business for adventurous couples, like Cirillas (an adult book and novelty store wth two locations in Fort Wayne). There won't be any modeling, nothing illegal, and we'll have 16 security cameras. It will be good for marriages, nice for the community and you'll have to be 18 to enter,” Troy Fritz said of the business he hopes to open by June 1 at 6623 Indiana 930 E.
But to Terry McDonald, who is both a Methodist pastor and New Haven's mayor, there's nothing simple about this case.
“People who think I'm for this just don't understand how government works,” he said. “You can't take the morality out of it, and I'm opposed to the business. This isn't the kind of growth New Haven wants. It's not good for the neighborhood and could attract crime. But we can't enforce the law selectively.”
Seven years ago, McDonald proposed a law that would have addressed this very issue. He wanted New Haven's City Council to establish a special zoning category that would have limited adult-oriented businesses to certain areas, such as industrial parks. But council voted the proposal down, meaning city planners have no choice but to allow Cupid's Castle to operate despite its proximity to homes, shops, a proposed Wal-Mart and the new $55 million Maplecrest Crest Road extension - which helped attract Fritz to the site in the first place.
Now contrast McDonald's commitment to enforce the law despite deep civic and moral concerns with President Obama's recent promise to nominate as a successor to retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter someone with empathy for common people; someone who understands how “our laws affect the daily realities of people's lives.”
Carrying Obama's promise to its logical conclusion, it is interesting to speculate how an Obama-approved judge would handle this case. Sure, the law is on Cupid's Castle's side. But what about all the opponents living and working nearby. Don't their feelings and fears count?
The proper answer, of course, is: No. Not where enforcement of the law is concerned. McDonald, a former New Haven cop, understands what the president apparently refuses to grasp: that legal decisions based on emotion instead of fact represent not justice, but the most arbitrary form of tyranny.
Does McDonald empathize with home owners who would rather not have an adult-oriented business in their neighborhood? Absolutely. That's why he intends to resubmit his adult-business ordinance within the next month or so, which would give New Haven officials a tool similar to one already in force in Fort Wayne. But even if council passes it this time, McDonald will be powerless to use it retroactively against Cupid's Castle. That's how the law works, or is supposed to.
The arrival of Cupid's Castle is good news of sorts for local historic preservationists, who have long been concerned about the future of the building, erected in 1915 as the home of a chicken farmer named Holterman - hence the “Holter's Roost” posted above the door in stone letters.
Mike Galbraith, preservation specialist for ARCH, said the building, located on the original 1915 route of the Lincoln Highway, is an “outstanding” example of historic architecture and is eligible for placement on the National Register of Historic Places.
Angie Quinn, ARCH's executive director, expressed surprise when told of the stone castle-like structure's new tenant. But Quinn said she will not oppose the business because her job is to preserve historic buildings, not pass judgment on their use.
In baseball, any umpire who allowed “empathy” for the underdog to influence his decisions would be ridiculed and fired - and properly so. A game is supposed to be played under certain rules, and decided by performance. Surely the law deserves to be treated with at least as much integrity as a baseball game - or even an adult bookstore.
This column is the commentary of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The News-Sentinel. E-mail Kevin Leininger at kleininger@news-sentinel.com, or call him at 461-8355.
Resident: Sex shop to attract ‘sickos’
But New Haven mayor, neighbors realize store legal
By Amanda Iacone of The Journal Gazette - - Published: May 7, 2009 3:00 a.m. Go to web site
Mayor Terry McDonald’s predictions in 2002 have finally come true. An adult novelty shop is slated to open its doors in New Haven.
And that has McDonald and neighbors who live behind the store frustrated and ready to act.
“These places bring predatory-type people in there, sickos, people we don’t desire to have here in our neighborhood and around the kids,” neighbor William Blanton said. “God forbid nothing ever happened to these kids.”
Blanton, a father of three, said 13 children ages 2 to 18 live in the nine houses that sit along a stretch of Old Maumee Road just behind what’s known as the Castle Building, 6623 Indiana 930 E., and home of the proposed Cupid’s Castle.
The Indiana secretary of state’s Web site states that the business incorporated April 30 and lists Nichole Fritz as the registered agent.
Fritz doesn’t have a listed phone number and could not be reached for comment.
The shop’s owners have already obtained an improvement permit and an occupancy permit from the city.
Under the property’s current commercial zoning, the adult shop is legal, McDonald said, and city officials had no basis to deny the permits.
Still, McDonald wants to discourage similar businesses from opening in New Haven and worries that Cupid’s Castle might draw in others.
“We have higher standards in our community than this,” he said.
The mayor plans to introduce an ordinance in June that would restrict locations of future sex-related businesses. The bill would resemble a similar ordinance debated in 2002. But that bill failed to get enough support from the city council.
The 2002 version would have ordered that adult businesses could not locate within 1,000 feet of a residential property, school, church, park, family restaurant, child-care center or bar.
Also, sexually oriented businesses – adult bookstores, adult theaters, escort services and nude-model studios – would be allowed to operate only between noon and midnight.
That ordinance would have essentially relegated these businesses to the back corner of Wayne Haven Industrial Park, south of Indiana 930.
City attorneys will review the 2002 ordinance to make sure that it complies with state or federal law, he said.
“We wouldn’t have this problem today if we would have passed that ordinance,” McDonald said.
But a new law wouldn’t curtail Cupid’s Castle, which hasn’t opened, Blanton said.
He’s threatened to videotape the license plates of patrons and post the numbers on the Internet, saying he wants to deter patrons and force the store to either go out of business or find a new home.
He plans to set out posters and buy billboards protesting the business.
New Haven is a tight-knit and religious community, and Blanton said he is glad to have good neighbors on his street.
“We want to try and keep it that way,” he said.
aiacone@jg.net
Protest against porn
Updated: Thursday, 07 May 2009, 5:11 AM EDT - - Published : Wednesday, 06 May 2009, 9:44 PM EDT
* Chris Hopper of WANE TV - see the WANE channel 15 web sourseNEW HAVEN, Ind. (WANE) - Cupid's Castle is a perfectly legal business. But that's not stopping the people who live nearby from letting everyone know they don't like it.
"Pray no porno here," said neighbor Lucy Peaks.
They're a peaceful group of protesters, but they're not real happy about having a new neighbor.
"We just do not want porno in our neighborhood, New Haven does not need porno," said Peaks.
Unfortunately for them, Cupid's Castle LLC is perfectly legal. A proposed ordinance in 2002 would have made Cupid's illegal, but it was voted down.
We talked to the owner of Cupid's Castle about the negativitity surrounding his business. He did not want to show his face.
"80 percent of American families have some sort of adult novelty, I've seen many marriages saved by having adult novelties of some sort," said the owner of Cupid's Castle.
The people who live in this area have a lot of concerns about this type of business moving into their community, but their biggest concern is how close this building is to where they live, if you look right across the street you will see their homes are literally just a few hundred feet away.
"I want my kids to grow up in a christian atmosphere and I don't say that's Christian at all," said Peaks.
"I doubt that anyone wants Cupid's Castle in their neighborhood," said neighbor Patty Davis.
Cupid's Owner says you have to be 18 to enter his store, there will be a 16 camera security system around the building, and the windows will be dark, so no one can see inside.
"They're thinking prostitution and modeling lingerie for you, and it's going to be nothing like that, I mean this store is geared towards couples in their relationship and their home life," said Cupid's owner.
But for the people who live nearby that's just not good enough.
"We're concerned about not only what this does for our property values, but what this brings to our neighborhood," said Davis.
The people against the store would like to see someone introduce a new version of the ordinance. But that probably wouldn't be enough to stop Cupid's from moving in. The owner already has the Certificate of Compliance.
New Haven Residents Fight Sexually Themed Adult Store
By Ryan Elijah (with video) - - Story Published: May 5, 2009 at 12:25 PM - - See News 33 web site story
FORT WAYNE, IN (Indiana's NewsCenter) - During recessions, new businesses are usually welcomed with open arms, but some New Haven residents say that doesn't include an adult novelty store. Cupid's Castle LLC received a permit to renovate this building directly across the street from homes.
Lisa Blanton- The school bus has two stops right in front of the store and there are 13 kids that live on this street.
Back in 2002, New Haven Mayor Terry McDonald saw what was happening with Fort Wayne ordinances and felt he needed to protect his city. He introduced this ordinance to council that would have placed tougher restrictions on sexually themed businesses, but the ordinance was voted down.Since the property is zoned commercial, there is little the city of New Haven can do now to stop the adult store from opening
Terry McDonald- It's going to have an impact when you bring this type of business into your community. We have 30-thousand people each day travel on the highway, so it's disappointing.Residents tell us more than a dozen kids live on the street, while property values are a concern, their biggest worry is that the store will draw sexual predators to their street. They're also not happy with the owner of Tony's Autohaven, they say he is leasing the building to cupid's against their wishes. "he said he needed to pay his bills", said Lisa Blanton
When the adult bookstore opens, this street is the only thing that will separate it from these residences. As far as the City of New Haven is concerned, they plan to have their legal team review federal and state laws and present a new ordinance to council, maybe as early as this month.
Terry McDonald- You can't look back at 2002, we're going to get a new tougher ordinance and make sure it passes.
Terry Wehrling is the only councilman left from the 2002 Council and he voted in favor of the Mayor's ordinance. Had that ordinance passed, these residents wouldn't have t worry about their children since no adult themed business would be allowed to open less than 1000 feet from a residence, school or church.