2005/06/15 Council Agenda Packet

turnstile, aggressively panhandles or squeegees a car windshield, particularly in a city where there are other pressing problems such as homelessness, violent crime and unemployment. But when these small incidents, and establishments, proliferate and accumulate, they can tear at the urban fab -1c. Similarly, as the city's experience in the Times Square area indicates, the proliferation of adult uses in an area does have significant and potentially devastating impacts on the character of a community. The City has adopted an aggressive and comprehensive policy of addressing various quality -of -life issues that has begun to yield beneficial results. The problems posed by adult entertainment establishments are among the important quality -of -life issues that affect our neighborhoods and communities. Overall Findings and Conclusion • Numerous studies in other localities found that adult entertainment uses have negative secondary impacts such as increased crime rates, deprecia- tion of property values, deterioration of community character and the quality of urban life. • There has been a rapid growth in the number of adult entertainment uses in New York City. Between 1984 and 1993, the number of such uses increased from 131 to 177. The number of video book stores/peep shows almost tripled and there was a 26 percent increase in topless/nude bars. Adult theaters declined by S2 percent. • Adult entertainment is more readily accessible in NYC than it was ten years ago. There are more such establishments in a greater number of communi- ties. Adult videos are produced in greater numbers and at lower costs. They are often available in general interest video stores as well as those devoted exclusively to adult entertainment. Cable television has significantly increased the availability of adult viewing material. Adult material is also available at newsstands and book stores. • Adult entertainment uses tend to concentrate. The number of community districts with seven or more adult uses increased from three to eight over the last ten years. Seventyfive percent of the adult uses are located in ten of the city's 59 Community Districts. In Manhattan, adult uses cluster in central locations, such as the Times Square area. In the other boroughs, adult uses appear to cluster along major vehicular routes, such as Queens Boulevard and Third Avenue in Brooklyn, that connect outer reaches of the city and suburbs to the central business district Studies of adult entertainment uses in areas where they are highly concentrat- ed, such as Times Square and Chelsea, identified a number of significant negative secondary impacts. In the Times Square area property owners, theater operators and other business people overwhelmingly believe that their businesses are adversely affected. An analvsis of criminal complaints indicated vii EVER00098