Ogden tells 2 strip clubs to change or move

OGDEN — Two strip clubs that are currently out of compliance with zoning rules will be required to either change their uses or move to a location where they are permitted.

The Ogden City Council voted Tuesday night to update the ordinance regulating sexually oriented businesses. The vote came with no public comment Tuesday, though the council had asked for input. None of the owners of the two affected clubs — Lighthouse Lounge or Northern Exposure — showed up for the meeting.

After the meeting, phone calls placed to both establishments weren't answered.

John Chevalier, owner of the Lighthouse, has said in the past that he's toyed with changing his cabaret into a sports bar.

The owners of a third club, Bare Backs, which is no longer operating, plan to change their building's use to a sports bar, said Greg Montgomery, Ogden's planning director.

Sexually oriented businesses are supposed to be located a certain distance away from parks. The ordinance classifies the Ogden River Parkway Trail as a park. The trail runs near Northern Exposure, 1847 Wall Ave., which is also too close to a residential zone.

Sexually oriented businesses are also supposed to be located a certain distance away from the Ogden Mall, which no longer exists. It's now The Junction, which means the Lighthouse Lounge, one of Utah's oldest cabarets, located in the 300 block of 24th Street, is too close. It's also located too close to a church.

The ordinance allows business owners up to three years to recoup costs for improvements made to the property.

Montgomery said if owners of Northern Exposure and the Lighthouse wish to relocate, they have about 12 percent of the city's manufacturing zone — about 5 percent of the total city — to choose from.

e-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com

TWITTER: desnewsdavis