Update July 6: Pandora’s announced on its Facebook page that it won’t open its doors as planned today “because we’re still awaiting our final inspection for Pandora’s. This should take place any day and we’re not expecting any issues to further delay our Grand Opening! As soon as we get the all clear I’ll let you all know.”
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The city’s planning department has no reason to block Pandora’s Adult Cabaret from opening, according to a letter received today.
The club is set to open on Wednesday, July 6, at 8914 Lake City Way N.E. That location is right on the line that splits the Maple Leaf and Wedgwood neighborhoods, and the community councils of both have written the city to say they believe the club’s permit was improperly issued.
But today Diane Sugimura, director of Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development, rejected the councils’ argument:
Adult cabarets are allowed in most downtown, industrial and commercial zones, subject to dispersion requirements. Since this use is permitted in the zone, it does not require public notice and does not allow for a discretionary review. A strict reading of the current code, coupled with the dispersion analysis provided by the applicant and verified by DPD did not give us reason to deny the adult cabaret permit.
The letter says the councils’ reasoning that the club is too close to a Maple Leaf day care business doesn’t apply because the business is not a city recognized “child care center.” “In this case, we do not believe an error has been made.”
It also rejects arguments the councils made that the site is improperly zoned. The full text of the letter is here.
“At this point, it is unclear what the ‘next steps’ will be although this topic will be a source of discussion amongst several groups over the coming days,” Per Johnson of the Wedgwood council writes on their website.
Construction at the club continued this morning, although the sign outside still carried the name of the previous business, the Seven Seas Restaurant.
Females that are teens don’t all want to be called “women” cause it sounds like they are older! Most men don’t mind when their girls call them boys. Yes there ARE those women that don’t accept being called anything but “women”. How old do you think the gals are in these places??
And we’ve (us “boys” that go see the “girls” dance ya know), been using numbers to rate women ever since “10” came out. or are you too young to remember that? Does it sound better to a gal to be called “average” or “so so looking” rather than WELL KNOWN numbers? Any person that totally gets off subject in a online forum is the one that should bow out, ya think?
Any person that can call another human being a number and grown women “girls” should bow out of this conversation.
I went to the club on opening night, 7/12/2011, and was quite impressed. There is plenty of parking, the inside looks great, there are ceiling fans for keeping cool, a decent VIP lounge area, an entertaining DJ, and the girls are “7″ or above! The outer signage isn’t finished, but the proposed look is quite good.
Support your local club guys! Seattle tends to make it hard for these clubs to stay open! There are several people that have JOBS now, and this is a DECENT place! I will be going there frequently. I highly recommend it.
Freedom is a good point here. If there are people wanting to open a strip club or a restaurants, & they have proper permits, then let them open. If they become lawbreakers, then close them! I have never in 40+ years at these clubs dealt with anyone asking me for anything but a dance! I’ve not seen raids by cops, fights, or even loud screaming going on! I lived in Lake City for awhile & enjoyed being able to go to a restaurant or a strip club. I respect your feelings, but respect mine too! Yeah, freedom is a good point here!!
Kaffeeklatch opened up in Lake City and is a great cofee place.
EJ, I definitely think there have been some improvements right down in the heart of Lake City, especially with the newer apartment buildings with storefronts under them. I like that kind of urban density with mixed use and hope all those businesses can survive. I hate Starbucks coffee, so that was no improvement in my book, I would have rather seen a place like Cloud City like we have up in Maple Leaf. But hey, anything is better than that terrible Denny’s that was there. But more specifically in the area right around where Pandora’s is coming in is where I live. The only major changes in that 5 blocks has been a mini-storage place, the place that was the bbq joint/engine shop went out of business, the Shanty got painted, and the old folks home replaced Magic Auto (looks nicer, but way more sirens). It’s a pretty stagnant strip of Lake City Way there and must be hard to set up shop on. I do think a bar or restaurant could have done well in that spot though instead of a strip club. But after years of being for sale, a strip club is what finally bought it. At least it’s locally owned?
I was driving up 15th in Ballard yesterday and noticed within 20 blocks there are two strip clubs (The Sands and Centerfolds) and a number of sex supply/xxx movie stores too. Mixed in are local and national businesses. Yet not a lot of seediness and problems. So I think there’s hope that LCW can follow more the 15th model.
Dan et al,
If you remember lake city 5 years ago, you will see that it has been on the upswing. I maintain hope–though hardpressed– that this strip of commerce could have been as good as any other. When Starbucks came we finally had a gathering spot, and you can see that there are people in there all the time. The mini dealership is a huge improvement over bill Pierre. Maybe we’ll find our way- strip clubs and all. (sigh.)
@Sarah – Oh jeezz here we go with the typical Seattle whining about capitalism and anything that isn’t considered hipster.
Give me a break!! Whether you like the stores or not, U-village is filled with families and kids playing on the play sets. People outside enjoying a snack, coffee, or whatever. How is that possibly a worse place than somewhere with food kitchens, homeless shelters, and transient slackers? It’s like saying that the Sculpture Park downtown is bad because its clean and nice and the crack head park with all passed out druggies and alcoholics next to the Pike Street Market is better. Come on!
Homeless shelters and food kitchens are positive and necessary places that help those in need, but the comparison with U-village is a joke.
@EJ- U-Village is a soulless hellhole, just of another variety, of American capitalism at it’s worst–clogged parking lots, poor land use (building out rather than up), huge chain stores, overpriced goods, etc. It’s a white yuppie ghetto that’s been manufactured by corporate America, not the community. Travel to any big city and you’ll see the same exact overpriced urban shopping area, with almost exactly the same stores. I’d rather have a homeless shelter, food kitchen and transients, something positive and giving back to those in need in society, than a cookie cutter overpriced yuppie shopping center like U-Village. I think you’ve missed the boat on what community means.
@ EJ here is the city definition of a child care center “Child care center” means an institution that regularly provides care to
a group of children for less than twenty-four (24) hours a day, whether for
compensation or not. Preschools shall be considered to be child care
Mind this is a sub-definition under institutions “Institution” means structure(s) and related grounds used by organizations
for the provision of educational, medical, cultural, social and/or
recreational services to the community, including but not limited to the
following uses:
Its about patience.
Fred- I don’t think it’s a hole at all, but sure, those of us that have bought houses or rent within a block of Lake City Way either direction know we got our spaces cheaper because they were just off a state highway filled with a bunch of used car lots. My house was under-priced for the Seattle market when I bought it 15 years ago, in part due to it’s location. I think however you are missing the distinct differences between Maple Leaf (a neighborhood), Lake City Way (a state highway), and Lake City (a the neighborhood that’s about 30 blocks North of Pandora’s).
I just think my fellow neighbors need to remember that Lake City Way it’s a 4 lane state highway and only certain types of businesses can survive along it. Even down in Bothel and Kenmore, there aren’t a lot of nicer local businesses right on Lake City Way. It’s naive to assume because Maple Leaf is a somewhat upscale city neighborhood that Maple Leaf resident’s vision for their neighborhood is going to be reflected down on SR-522… unless Maple Leaf residents fill up those empty businesses and buy them when they are for sale and open businesses that better reflect what they see should be there. Want more local restaurants? Support those that are currently here and prove there is a demand for more.
Great post Dan. You said it best. It’s a great post to counter Hayden3’s delusional post. The denial from people in regards to Lake City is amazing. Lake City is a hole, when I need some cheap rent 10 years ago, I moved to the Lake City area. I moved 365 days later due to my lease agreement. People, Lake City is what it is.
@EJ- Until you’re ready to put your money where your mouth is, you are blowing hot air. There was a for sale sign on Seven Seas for years. There are a number of empty storefronts along Lake City Way that have been empty for a long time or just keep having failing business after failing business (the tax place that became the bbq joint that became motor repair place that’s now empty, for instance). I think the biggest problem is only certain types of businesses can survive right on Lake City Way and they don’t tend to be neighborhood businesses, they are businesses that can draw the attention of the commuters taking SR522 from Seattle to Bothell, Kenmore, etc. Car dealers, espresso stands, fast food, and sadly strip clubs. While we all want more locally owned restaurants, pubs and bars in Maple Leaf, they tend to do better if they are buried more in the neighborhood, rather than on the traffic heavy Lake City Way. Want more local businesses, support more local businesses or open one up yourself. Wishful thinking will get you nowhere. Sure, I wished when I saw the Seven Seas for sale something cool would go in there, as many of you did, but none of us did anything to make that happen.
Why do you think all the crime happens north of 125th? Because it’s the no man’s land next to all these sordid businesses. Lake city way *was* improving, and the city/federal gvnmnt has invested significant funds to do so. But you’re lying to yourself if you think these clubs won’t drag on property values.
Also, the city has no specific language about what qualifies as a child care center, so in its most basic form, it should be any licensed operation, which this one was. The neighborhood should sue and set a precedent for how they handle this new scattering of strip clubs through neighborhoods– afterall, the strip clubs sued and got us into this mess of unclear regulations.
Property owners and neighborhoods should have a say in what their area looks like. Businesses invest where they know “their people” are. We could have a lcw that has invested in a transient population– hence creating a place for non-residents to slum– or like bothell landing/u village we could create the next expansive people-gathering space for residents with a nicely developed area for commerce and strolling. But we’ll never attract the second model when the first keeps showing up to rot.
There’s loads of property for this is we weren’t getting dragged back to our former status via dpd permits.
Well aren’t you special Jim Dugan. You will make some girl really happy someday.
I think the strip club is a great idea. Seattle doesn’t have enough. And I think as long as the people in there are over eighteen, who cares what they do. The women on this site focused on their men, then clubs like this wouldn’t even be in business. It’s your husbands paying these people. No form of rebuttal will change that. Sleep tight ladies
Hayden3rd/21
I’ve lived in the north end of Seattle all my life and I don’t recall any significant change the the LCW area over the past 30+ years. What did you see here 9 years ago that led you believe this was going to be the next Kirkland?
I don’t recall any of the businesses you mentioned causing any issues in the area. You want to point fingers I’d start with Metro Transit, have you seen the people that hang out in the bus stops. Check out the SeattleCrime map, LCW and 125th is where all the arrests take place which is nowhere near the places you mentioned. Next stop Little Beirut, where have most of the shots fired, car chases and drug arrests taken place? Once again nowhere near the places you mentioned.
Your utopia awaits once we stop all bus service to the area, make sure the old fire station doesn’t become a homeless shelter and shutter all the low income housing. Piece of cake, let us know how that goes.
Free MyBallard from the tyranny of FaceBook
It’s just that with two medical marijuana dispensaries, pawn shops, cheap motels , dirty book stores, check cashing places and now another strip club, oh did I mention the gun store…any chance of the area along LCW to progress in any positive way is diminished. Pinehurst, Victory Height, Wedgewood , Maple Leaf and Lake City will bear the brunt of this with a perception of down-turned neighborhoods. It’s too bad. When we bought our home 9 years ago, I was very excited to be in the area. Sadly, less so now.
Lots of tension here. Thank goodness another medical marijuana dispensary is opening up.
This Club is clearly in Wedgwood. ML’ers need not be concerned. We should though, get rid of the Mcdonalds at 145th.
The neighborhoods along Lake City Way have been trying to steadily move it toward a more liveable and desirable area. Unfortunately, this is a step in the wrong direction. When all is said and done, there will be 3 strip clubs on Lake City way from I5 to Lake Forest Park. Not the direction I was hoping to see our neighborhood move.
File a lawsuit?? Who is going to pay for it? There are a lot of better things the councils can spend money and time on instead of a lawsuit with very little legal legs to stand-on.
Gotta love our sue happy society. Ever wonder why insurance prices keep climbing?
Lake City Way is not an eyesore within the limits of the City of Seattle. It was much worse a few years ago. It has been steadily improving. Lake City Way is NOT all in “Lake City”. What is a “white man’s ghetto”? Sounds pretty insulting to me and I don’t even live there.
I have to say I agree with Fred Sanford on this one.. Lake City Way is an eyesore from start to finish… The Seven Seas restaurant wasn’t adding any glory to it either. He11 I may even go ck out Pandora’s… could be fun for a laugh after a few drinks at The Shanty..
we are talking about Lake City Way, correct? The Lake City Way that looks like crap from beginning to end? You people who are against this act like this cabaret will be an eyesore on your community. Lake City is the white mans ghetto. The Seven Seas looked like crap also.
More obscenity happens in your homes than will happen in this club. You don’t have to go inside, do you?
I have to agree with Love my neighbor. You want to file lawsuits?! Are you nuts?!! If they do their business without causing a disruption, why would you do anything but leave them alone?
Maybe the city feels that when you centralize whore, pimps, drug dealers & addicts that it is easier to keep an eye on them. I’m sure that Seattle Police Detecives will began a long-term investigation, visiting the club frequently.
Simon/#3 – Now that the legal argument has been settled, what grounds could the community councils sue on? The same arguments that failed? That sounds bound to not work.
As someone that lives right by it and drives by it 2-6 times a day, I have to agree with the poster above that from the outside it at least looks better. There’s a lot of work being done to upgrade the lot and building, whereas no work had been done there in the previous 15 years I’ve owned a home here. I’m crossing my fingers the worse case scenario some imagine never happens and the club’s impact ends up being minimal. I have some friends that live in a nice house about a block from The Sands on 15th in Ballard and it’s low profile has never had an effect on their neighborhood or property value. So let’s hope this turns out similar.
What time is the Maple Leaf Lynch Mob meeting up?
U guys are crazy.
Thanks Joshua for the parking clarification. Has anyone asked if they intend to share parking with the Shanty? I’m guessing that is one reason the Shanty was approached. In my 20 plus years as am activist I have found it is often the little and overlooked things that can make it or break it.
The code spells out very clearly what the city considers a child care center and the home in question does not meet the criteria, pretty simple. The city had to draw a line in the sand someplace and did so, they knew clarity would be required. If they didn’t what would stop somebody from claiming they were a child care facility because they watch a neighbors child once a week.
I’m not saying the club should get a free pass when it comes to disrupting the neighborhood. They need to manage that but that would apply to any business going into that location regardless of whether there is nudity involved. The Seven Seas was looking pretty shabby, personally I think what they have done to the place now is a huge improvement.
Free MyBallard from the tyranny of FaceBook
This situation is why people choose to move to the burbs. I would never have bought a townhouse near a strip club. It’s not like I live downtown or in one of the city’s designated party areas like Belltown or Ballard (poor Ballard used to be such a nice little town). Since Rick’s worked out so well for the city, it’s just a matter of time before Pandora’s turns out to be a box best left unopened.
Maybe a better way might be for the neighborhood leaders and strip club owners to meet face-to-face and talk directly to each other rather than through official letters, lawsuits and third parities, especially now BEFORE any transgressions have occurred or giant signage has been purchased and installed. A little relationship-building would go a long way here to keep the peace.
@Sue The city and Pandora’s agreed to move the fence up to the line of the the Zoning change, losing roughly 300 sqft of parking lot. The new fence was in work last week and was scheduled to be complete before opening. It’s unlikely there will be be any significant transgressions.
The city is saying “because we are overtly pretending that child care business in question doesn’t exist, there is no violation.”
What terrific governance we get from the DPD.
The only solution is a lawsuit, unfortunately. Hopefully the community councils are up for that.
@Resident, they did meet.
http://wedgwoodcc.org/community-councils-meet-with-owner-of-pandoras-adult-cabaret
Of interest in the Citys letter is the L2 portion of the site is a dead zone, with not even parking allowed. I’m not devoted to this issue so I don’t know how much of the site this involves. I would like to know how they intend to keep folks for parking in that area.
At this point it is best to keep a watchful eye and report any transgressions immediately.