Home burglary spawns a hip new club for teens

Published: Monday, June 22, 2009 1:27 a.m. MDT
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LEHI — Utah County teens itching to bust a move on the dance floor can get jiggy with it in Lehi starting this fall.

On its face, the notion of high schoolers gathering to dance in still-quasi-rural Lehi, in the absence of school and religious authorities, sounds like the plot of the 1980s flick "Footloose."

But Hollywood didn't inspire an Eagle Mountain couple to create the new dance hall, Club Crush. A home burglary did.

Funds to launch the new club are coming straight from insurance money Shawn and Paige Robison received after teens busted into their Eagle Mountain home, cleaned them out and stole their van while the family was gone on winter vacation.

The Robisons sat down with their six children, ages 4 to 16, and essentially posed one question: Should we blow the money on replacing our Xbox, videos "and all that material crap," or should we use it to open a hip new club?

It was unanimous.

The Robisons went to work and recently found a home for their hip-hop business in Lehi, where it's received the city's blessing — finally.

It took the Robisons two months and a half-dozen meetings with city officials to get a green light on hosting hundreds of youths in the notoriously rambunctious age group on weekends.

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"Our biggest concern, frankly, is kids causing havoc in the area," said Christine Hutchings, Lehi planner. "Security was key in our decision."

Hutchings said strict guidelines imposed by the city Planning Commission were "totally within their bounds, because it assures the entity is not a negative impact on the community or its adjacent businesses."

Lehi Police Lt. Darren Paul said he's satisfied with security agreements with the Robisons and says he doesn't believe the club will be a problem.

In the Robisons' third round with the Planning Commission, the board approved the club's conditional-use permit because the couple had met with police and fire officials over issues of criminal loitering and fire safety.

So while several 36-inch, full-range speakers blast up-tempo Billboard hits across the spacious 5,400-square-foot dance floor, a series of security cameras will roll. And while colorful lights spill down 20-foot-high walls in the industrial-type warehouse, a team of bouncers will rove.

Providing a good time is the top priority for Shawn Robison, an active-duty soldier for the Army National Guard. But make no mistake: He runs a tight ship. He's not afraid of booting drug-popping teens, including those who show up beer-buzzed.

Recent comments

I am so happy to see this club opening. Its about time we got another...

mother of teens | June 24, 2009 at 8:14 p.m.

Paige & Shawn have a fantastic idea, they arent asking for donations...

Mother of 2 teen girls | June 24, 2009 at 7:43 p.m.

just be positive then all the bad monsters will go away. What a load!

frank | June 24, 2009 at 8:31 a.m.

Image

Paige and Shawn Robison plan to turn this vacant Lehi warehouse into a dance club for teens by September.

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