EVERETT — The owners of a controversial adult video store on Everett Mall Way hope a good fence will make good neighbors.
An attorney for Taboo Video’s owners, Seattle-based JVN Corp., announced Thursday evening that the company plans to install a fence around the property and security cameras to monitor Taboo’s parking lot.
According to a statement released by attorney John Neeleman of Lane Powell Spears Lubersky in Seattle, the fence and cameras are an effort to mitigate the protests of neighboring residents and businesses.
The statement from JVN says the safety of Taboo’s neighbors is its highest priority and that the company is "happy to report" that crime statistics show that "our stores do not create a public safety issue."
"We at JVN believe in the importance of community. Our goal is to be a good neighbor, and (we) intend to give back to our community," the statement says. "And like any good neighbor, we listen and respond to the concerns of our neighbors in a reasonable way."
"So?" said Kim Borgatta, owner of Starbright Early Learning Center across Seventh Avenue SE from Taboo Video.
"That’s fine that they’re doing that, but it’s not good enough for me. I want them to go away."
Until Taboo’s signs went up last week, Starbright teachers and parents were unaware what sort of store was moving in across the street. They are upset because Taboo’s sign is visible from the preschool playground and because of the sort of clientele the store might attract.
Other neighbors and businesses have spoken out against Taboo Video moving to the area, some of whom picketed in front of the store last weekend and are circulating petitions.
Protestors called on the Everett City Council to require a 1,000-foot buffer between adult stores and schools, day care centers, churches and homes.
The council will discuss the issue at its Wednesday meeting.
Borgatta said she is part of a formal group that is taking shape to study the issue and promote the buffer.
That group’s initial research shows that Everett is the state’s only city that doesn’t differentiate between adult businesses and regular businesses, Borgatta said.
"I do not believe that our approach is unique to Everett," city spokeswoman Kate Reardon said.
Reardon said the city is in the difficult position of making sure both the rights of the store owners and the rights of its neighbors are protected.
The company said it wants to build the tallest fence allowed by the building code. City code may not allow a fence to "encase the entire property," Reardon said, but the city will work with Taboo Video to find out what fencing is allowed.
"By them making this announcement today, it obviously looks like the business owner is interested in at least making an effort to find some kind of compromise with the community," Reardon said.
But for Borgatta and others protesting the new store, the only neighborly response they are interested in is one in which Taboo Video leaves the area.
"It’s not appropriate for them to have a business this close to ours, I don’t care if there’s a screen there or a video camera," Borgatta said. "If anything, it just makes it even creepier to me."
Reporter Jennifer Warnick: 425-339-3429 or jwarnick@heraldnet.com.
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