Canada- www.insidetoronto.com – Angry Lakeshore Village residents’ online petition protest this week, over the opening of a second strip club at Jay Jay’s Inn, has triggered a city licensing investigation.

Jay Jay’s opened a legal, city-licensed adult entertainment club 17 months ago amid a firestorm of neighbourhood opposition. Three weeks ago, Jay Jay’s owner Jack Cohen opened a male strip club, Klub Kave, in the basement of the century-old building at 2847 Lake Shore Blvd. W. at Fourth Street.

“Please restore my faith. Close down this new establishment immediately, and continue efforts to curtail Jay Jay’s adult business,” 29-year resident Nancy Wallace wrote Ward 6 Councillor Mark Grimes Wednesday in an email copied to some media outlets. “Then we can focus on building family friendly industry, improving our parks and recreation, and achieve a neighbourhood that would be a proud model of Toronto.”

Residents railed against Jay Jay’s opening with a protest in May 2008.

City municipal licensing and standards (MLS) staff confirmed yesterday Jay Jay’s is operating two “distinct and different” adult entertainment parlours on its premises.

An MLS investigation is underway.

“We’re in the middle of our investigation,” confirmed Curtis Sealock, MLS in Etobicoke district manager of investigative services. “I know the community is upset. But the thing you never want to do is rush to judgment.”

MLS has issued an illegal sign order against Jay Jay’s for its new club. The sign must be removed or a sign permit obtained, Sealock said.

He also said in order to operate, Klub Kave must have a valid city-issued licence and proper zoning approvals for its non-confirming use. He expects the investigation to wrap up within a week.

“It’s my understanding at present it does not (have a valid licence),” Sealock said, adding he is also not aware of any zoning application for Klub Kave, which operates Friday and Saturday nights.

Should Klub Kave be in violation of zoning bylaws, Cohen may either comply or go to court.

If the new strip club has no licence, Cohen will be charged, Sealock said.

“Obviously, if there is a zoning violation, they will not get a licence,” Sealock said.

City municipal licensing investigators conduct quarterly inspections of the city’s adult entertainment city-licensed businesses.

Jay Jay’s has been in compliance since it opened, Sealock said.â?¨”Up to the latest occurrence, there have been no real issues in terms of (bylaw) violations,” Sealock said. “The owner has been quite diligent in making the repairs when complaints have come forward.”

Brent Tomlin, Cohen’s entertainment manager, said yesterday Klub Kave is operating legally.

“We don’t have to apply for a licence,” Tomlin said. “We’ve already talked to the bylaw officer and licensing, and we’ve been told by licensing that our adult (entertainment) licence covers the entire premises.”

Tomlin urged opposing residents to research the matter in an online post on www.ourlakeshore.net where the petition is posted.

Klub Kave’s only possible issue, Tomlin said, is whether the city requires its Fourth Street side entrance to be moved around the corner to the building’s Lake Shore Boulevard West frontage.

Cohen does not require a zoning application to operate Klub Kave, Tomlin argued.

“Why would we? It’s not a different business. It’s all under the title of Jay Jay’s Inn,” Tomlin said. “It’s like a doctors’ office. More than one doctor can operate in one building. I don’t think a doctor has to rezone his own office.”

Grimes said yesterday he is awaiting confirmation from Bruce Robertson, the city’s head of licensing, whether Cohen needs a separate licence to operate Klub Kave in the basement of his building.

Robertson was not immediately available yesterday for comment.

“We’re all over them. The community is very upset. This is not the type of business we’re trying to attract,” Grimes said.