2005/06/15 Council Agenda Packet

were higher on Eighth Avenue than Ninth Aven,-,e but even higher for the area west of Ninth Avenue. Police statistics indicate that there has -beta a 54 percent decrease in crime during the past five years in the Times Square area, where the number of adult uses has also declined. A survey of property and business owners in the Times Square area revealed several impacts from adult entertainment establishments located in the area, particularly in concentration. All (12) expressed the view that adult use businesses have a negative effect on the property values of businesses located in their vicinity, emphasizing the negative effects of a concentra- tion of adult businesses. Theater organization executives (3) stated that adult uses are detrimental to their business. One cited complaints from theater patrons about an adjacent adult use. Representatives of restaurants (7) attributed declining business during evening hours, inability to book corporate parties, and "flamboyant" adult use advertising as having a negative impact on their businesses. Three hotel operators and one hotel owner "agreed that the dense concentration cf adult entertainment venues was a deterrent to their trade". One hotelier stated bookings are down; customers have sent photographs of the adjacent porn store to complain to the hotel's national booking office. Of five retailers interviewed, two stated that "unsavory" people loiter in front of adult uses, and are involved in petty crime. Impacts Identified in Newspaper Reports and Correspondence Newspaper articles since 1993 have chronicled neighborhood concerns and opposition to the proliferation of adult entertainment establishments throughout New York City. Previously located in a few specific areas, e.g., the Times Square area, or isolated locations, triple -X video stores and topless/nude bars can now be found in or near areas of a more residential character. Some residents, outraged by the nature of adult uses in their neighborhoods, and afraid of potential negative impacts, have organized ad hoc groups and appealed to local officials to have them closed down. Using a combination of picketing, petitions, publicity and pressure tactics on landlords, these neighborhood groups have often been able to directly influence the location of adult entertainment uses. The following is an abstract gathered from New York City newspapers, both daily and weekly, of the opinions and actions of local residents who oppose the operation of adult uses in their neighborhoods. Although anecdotal and subjective, these comments demonstrate the concern, outrage and sense of intrusion that many people feel. 42 EVER00141