Strip club ordinance causing controversy in Mount Clemens

(WXYZ) - Will strip clubs be flocking to Mt. Clemens? That’s the worry from some residents over a proposed ordinance that would create new zones for adult entertainment.

Mt. Clemens’ mayor says that’s not what this is about.

"They have a legal right by law to have those establishments, the only thing communities can do is try to regulate them," said Mt. Clemens Mayor Barb Dempsy. 

Under the proposed plan the strip clubs would be allowed in industrial areas and not in downtown Mt. Clemens. But the issue for some residents is that the so-called industrial areas are close to neighborhoods, where strip clubs are currently banned.

Under the proposed  law, the adult entertainment venues must open no closer than 400 feet to a place like a school or church. That is relatively less than other nearby cities.

The full city commission has not taken up the proposed ordinance and there has not been a vote. A discussion on the issue could come next month, according to the mayor.