Blue Springs, Missouri- Donna Swope felt victorious Monday night.
The Blue Springs woman attended Monday’s Planning Commission meeting hoping commissioners would recommend denial of a Family Video planned for Woods Chapel Road and Kingsridge. She opposed the store because of its adult video section.
Her wish came true. The commission voted 6 to 2 to deny the plans. After the vote came, the room erupted in applause.
“It was super,” Swope said. “We all have kids and grandkids. We don’t need that.”
Commissioners Ken Billups and Alan Franklin voted against denial. This was the second time Family Video has gone before the commission.
The store also wanted signs that were too large to comply with the city’s sign ordinance.
On March 8, the commission tabled a vote until representatives of the corporate office could answer questions about the adult video section, even though City Attorney Bob McDonald said the commission could not legally turn down project down based on the adult video section.
City codes permit video stores to have adult videos as long as they make up no more than 10 percent of the stock. The project proposed 4 percent.
Commissioner Sheila Solon lead the charge against the store.
“By definition ‘family’ is parents and the children coming in,” Solon said. “I think the name is intentionally misleading.”
Roger Rubright, regional manager for Family Video, said the name is descriptive of the business being family owned. He told the commission the store would not go in without the adult video section.
“It’s like telling a business you’re going to take away 4 percent of their business,” Rubright said. “It is not illegal to rent those movies.”
Rubright told the council the adult section would be in a separate room with a door. He said the company could arrange it so customers of that section would have to be buzzed in. He asked the commission to consider that the store would also have family movies, children’s movies, etc.
Following the vote, Rubright said he was disappointed in the decision.
“I think maybe they had their minds made up before the meeting started,” Rubright said.
Because the commission is a recommending body, the City Council has the ultimate say. The plans could be approved on appeal to the council.