10-18-1999 Planning Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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However, it is likely that there is a relationship between the eoncantratlon of sexually oriented businesses and neighborhood crime rates. The St Paul Police Department has determined that St Paul's street crostitution is concentrated in a "street prostitution zone ’ immediately adjacent to the intersection where the sexually oriented businesses are located. Police statistics for 1986 show that, of 279 prostitution arrests for which specific locations could be identified, 70 percent (195) were within foe "street prostitution zone.’ Moreover, ail of foe locations with 10 or more arrests for prostitution were within this zone. The location of sexually oriented businesses has-also created a perception in the community that this is an unsafe and undesirable part of foe ci^^ fo 1983. West^ State Bank, which is currently located across foe street from an adult bookstore, hired a research firm to survey area residents regarding their preferred location for a foeir percepticns of d'lfferent locations. A sample of 305 people ® tocali^ and asked. "Are there any of these locations where you would not feel safe conducting your banking business?" No more than 4 per cant of foe respondents said they would feel unsafe banl^at other locatibns in foe city. But 36 percent said they would feel unsafe banking at Dele and University, foe comer where foe sexually oriented businesses are concentrated. The working Group reviewed foe 1987 40-Acre Study on Aduft prepared by foe Division of Planning in St Paul's Department of P^^ ^ Economic Development This study summarized testfoiony presented to the Wanning Commission regarding neighborhood problems: Residents in the University/Dale area report frequent sex-related harassment by motorists and pedestrians in the neighborhood. Although it cannot be proved that the harassers are patrons of adult businesses, it is reasonable to suspect such a connection. Moreover, neighborhood residents su^^mit^ evidence to the Planning Commission in the form of discarded pornographic IHerature allegedly found in the streets, sidewalks, bushes and alleys near adult businesses. Such IHerature is sexually very explicit, even on the cover. -11-