Sex-positive store seeks location locally East Longmeadow

Nov. 16, 2017 | Payton North
payton@thereminder.com

Reminder Publications submitted photo

EAST LONGMEADOW –  On Nov. 7 the East Longmeadow Planning Board met and had an open hearing regarding the potential storefront of Adam and Eve, an adult store, coming to the town.

The start of the meeting featured the owner of Adam and Eve, Scott McGregor, sitting in front of the Planning Board as they reviewed his application and details of the possible future business.

The Adam and Eve proposed location is at 173 B Shaker Road.  This store would share the same building as Planet Vape, would be located directly across from Shaker Bowl, and is next to PowerClean Fitness.  Two buildings down from the location, is Just Like Home early learning center.

The business has proposed hours on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.  Adam and Eve intends to have six to nine employees, including the owner.

The application reads, “Adam and Eve is the leading marketer of sex-positive materials.  We sell only top-quality merchandise.  We would be the leader in the lingerie and adult boutique market.”

The Planning Board informed the owner that they would require a site plan, which concerns the entrances, exits, signage, parking and overall outside of the building.  The Board continued to share that though they technically could waive the need for a site plan, they ultimately decided that they would require the owner to submit one due to the type of business.

“I believe a site-plan is warranted because of the nature of the product and because it abuts the rail-trail, and it is a close vicinity of the high school,” Planning board Chair George Kingston said. “As I’m sure you know, we can’t ban you from town.  We can put you under a special permit, and restrict where in the town you can be located.”

Following the vote to require a site plan, the owner left, leaving the Planning Board to have a public hearing regarding the potential changing of bylaws to give more specific guidelines and specifications as to where the shop could potentially be located in town.  The Planning Board posted the public hearing and request to change the bylaws prior to the submission of Adam and Eve’s application.  This leaves Adam and Eve unable to move forward until the bylaw changes are either approved or disapproved.  

Kingston offered those who attended the hearing valuable information on the background of the laws regarding adult stores.  He noted that since the 1950’s, the Supreme Court has held that the sale of adult books and products, so long as they’re legal, is protected by the First Amendment.

“You can’t sell something that is otherwise illegal, but if it’s a legal product, the First Amendment defends your right to sell it. Therefore, it is not possible for a municipality to ban adult entertainment stores, adult book stores, adult paraphernalia stores, adult toy stores, whatever you want to call them,” Kingston explained. “However, the Supreme Court has also got a lot of case law saying that the town can regulate where and how those stores are operated to minimize the secondary effects of such a establishment.”

Kingston continued, explaining that secondary effects involve increased crime, reduced property values, blight and noise.  He said that there are several studies that have proved that secondary effects do occur when it comes to an adult store entering a town.  With that said, the town of East Longmeadow cannot forbid an adult store from operating within it.  They can, however, make changes to their bylaws to keep the adult store from being too close to certain areas of town, and essentially control the location of where it would operate.

The Planning Board is proposing revisions to the current bylaws that would constitute a new distance of 1,000 feet from schools, residential zones, playgrounds, town owned open space, recreational town owned fields, public hiking and biking trails.  In the current bylaws, it notes promotional materials are not to be visible to the public in any way, which means there would be blackout windows.  Additionally, the sign on the store is preferred to be inconspicuous and simply have the store name, and will not be allowed to have a product listing, or anything else that may prove distasteful.

Planning Board Vice Chair Deborah Bushnell suggested that there be some form of technological buzzing system so when a patron tries to enter the store an employee would have to buzz them in.  She noted that this would prevent a child or teenager from “trying to be cute” and make a joke out of entering the store.

The room was full when it came time for resident comments, with numerous townspeople voicing their concerns and distaste for the store to come to town.

Kelly Degnan, a resident who lives on the North end of town stated that what she’s understanding from the Planning Board’s hearing is that they don’t want the store in the industrial end of town, which means that the store would have to come to the North end of town where she lives.

“I have an 11 year old son and I don’t want that garbage in my area,” Degnan continued, “I’d rather have a marijuana dispensary.”

As the residents raised concerns for where in town the adult store would be located, Kingston reminded everyone “we can’t zone the entire town.”  

Questions were raised as to whether or not Just Like Home early learning center was considered a school.  Kingston said no, since a day-care is a for-profit business it is not a building that the adult store would have to be 1,000 feet away from.  Similarly, this includes the nearby dance schools, gymnasiums and health clubs.

“This line between Springfield and East Longmeadow is getting smaller and smaller.  These people who live at the North end of town, it’s just become a part of Springfield,” resident Phil Arosa said.

“I would prefer a gun store over this,” a resident commented.

After the residents expressed their concerns and suggestions the Planning Board made a motion to continue the hearing on Nov. 21 at 6:15 p.m. at the East Longmeadow High School Committee Conference room, which is located at the back of the High School.  The Board said they planned to mull everything over, take a look at the restrictions, and then come back to continue the conversation.

On Nov. 14, popular Rock 102 radio hosts , Bax and O’Brien, spoke to the owner of Greenfield Adam and Eve Store and proposed expander Scott McGregor  to discuss his take on the Planning Boards proposed bylaw changes.

“While what they’re doing, I’ve talked to my lawyer, is legal, it seems very unethical and there’s just a handful of people that were at the meeting, I think we had a dozen that were complaining,” McGregor told the hosts. “They’re doing everything they can to keep me out.”

McGregor continued to note he wants to “drum up support” for his business and gain traction to move forward in East Longmeadow.

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