CASSELBERRY, FL — The citizens and city commissioners of Casselberry, FL have a serious attitude when it comes to strip clubs. As far as they’re concerned, the existence of adult businesses in their area is a black eye on the city’s reputation and they’re going to do something about it.Among the city’s alleged improvements is a freeway widening project which forced the closure of Club Juana, which had been in business for decades and had a legacy of both high quality dance talent and nude Shakespearean performances. When the city announced that it was putting a highway through the establishment, its owner had no alternative but to sell the business to the state.

When club owner Michael Pinter decided that he would open his doors elsewhere, his many years of successful management led him to understand that visibility was one of the keys to a profitable hospitality service is visibility.

Unfortunately for Pinter, the city commissioners of Casselberry had made that impossible. On Monday they voted to require all new adult entertainment establishments to locate in a special industrial zone.

Although pre-existing businesses are allowed to remain where they are, the city’s officials do not want them on the main streets.

As is traditional in moves to ghettoize businesses and neighborhoods, those living near the soon-to-be-stigmatized industrial area are none too pleased with the decision. One went so far as to say “We have a number of sex offenders in our neighborhood already. We do not need strip clubs coming into our neighborhoods.”

Other neighbors suggested that currently mythical “family-friendly” businesses might be allowed to forcibly replace the city’s adult shops and nightclubs.

City commissioners indicate that they have sympathy for those living near the industrial zone, but are unable to drive the businesses from the city.

Sympathy, however, was not extended to Pinter, who was denied an exception to the new ordinance, regardless of his circumstances.