Weston, Florida Bans Nightclubs, Dance Halls, Skating Rinks

There are just certain things that neighbors don't prefer in their backyards. Nightclubs tend to be one of them.

In a decision that's drawing comparisons all over the internet to that famed Kevin Bacon-vehicle Footloose, the city council of Weston, Florida voted to ban nightclubs, dance halls and skating rinks, ABC News reports. Officials in the family-friendly community said they made the decision in an aim to reduce crime and big crowds.

Do nightclubs actually actually increase violence? A study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found factors that increase the risk of fights include "smokiness, noise, temperature, dirt, darkness, crowding, poor ventilation, the presence of competitive games (e.g., darts, pool), bouncers, and more male than female employees," according to a summary.

Taking the step to ban entire industries may seem excessive, but Weston is actually one of many towns to try and rid itself of seedier businesses. Holly Hill, Florida has mulled banning thrift stores, pawn shops, flea markets and other businesses from its main commercial street, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports. Nearby Daytona Beach passed a similar measure last year.

In the suburbs of Jackson, Mississippi, officials banned tattoo, nail shops and other "undesirable" businesses in 2009, the Jackson Free Press reports. And Monrovia, California passed an ordinance earlier this month putting a 45-day moratorium on tobacco stores while the city mulls banning new head shops all together.

But the trend of banning businesses dates back longer than just in recent years. Plantation, Florida officials rid their town of check-cashing stores in 2000 by closing a zoning loophole, according to the Sun-Sentinel.

Still, at a time when struggling cities are forced to deal with declining revenues some are trying to hold on to any businesses that they can. The mayor of East St. Louis, Alvin Parks, has said for example, that nightclubs bring his city much-needed tax dollars, according to Stltoday.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article misidentified Alvin Parks. He is the mayor of East St. Louis.

Comments

[MRC2012]

12:46 PM on 05/02/2012

Weston Florida is the city with the largest increase in home prices in the country in the past two years. It is a great city to live in. It has the best schools in Florida, wonderful parks and recreation areas for families, great athletic and sports fields, restaurants and lovely town center. Nightclubs and dance halls are only minutes away in Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Weston is South Florida’s best kept secret. Come visit us if you are in the area.

[Bklein153]

01:02 PM on 04/18/2012

Some need to call Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer. hell Kenny Loggins hasn't worked in years!

[fishinwithtom]

10:12 AM on 04/18/2012

There are a lot of different Floridas. There's Miami (God's waiting room) Beach, there's the Redneck Riviera on the Gulf, Little Habana ( 8 different opinions, each with a handgun) and many, many more. Some of these places aren't fun, never have been. But surely recent events have shown that FLA is unto itself and doesn't give a flamingo butt what anyone else thinks until some story like this appears. Even then it's meh.....

[Razpooten]

09:30 PM on 04/17/2012

And to make sure everyone is happy and safe, fun is forbidden as well.

[GraphicMatt]

10:32 AM on 04/18/2012

You speak as if you are familiar with the city of Weston? If they banned youth soccer I'd be concerned. You have zero idea how much of a non-issue this is. You are aware that Weston is part of one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country right? The Hardrock is 15 minutes away, and at last count they had no less than 5 different nightclubs. Then of course you have Ft. Lauderdale and Miami, each one no more than a 30 minute drive.

[Megan Mullins]

02:55 PM on 04/18/2012

You are right, I have no idea where Weston is. However, I can see Night clubs being banned....maybe. But skating rinks? I do not know about Weston, but where I am from and grew up, skating rinks were a place kids and teenagers could go and socialize. They actually provided a safe location where kids could have fun without getting in to trouble or crime. So, in my opinion, Weston has opened itself up for more vandalism, gang activity, loitering, etc because you have banned something that actually occupied children's time. Oh, and skating is excercise! With child and teen obesity on the rise, I would think responsible citizens would applaud any venue that gets kids off the couch, computer, Xbox and actually gets them moving.

[LJIESQ]

06:51 PM on 04/17/2012

Is the whole state of Floriduh going stark raving mad?

[ILoveGreatDanes]

06:12 PM on 04/17/2012

This is what happens when people go to church too much.

[Razpooten]

09:32 PM on 04/17/2012

Guess they'll be boozing it up at the church bazaar.

[69superbike]

05:09 PM on 04/17/2012

So Florida is trying to be the new Cuba, they have a corrupt dictator running things too.

[blackhole2008]

04:51 PM on 04/17/2012

Pilgrims.

[Peace Walker]

04:33 PM on 04/17/2012

Welcome to the 1950's; lets hope that its 1959 and the 60's are just around the corner..

[Earl Gray]

04:30 PM on 04/17/2012

For the most part, local governments like this are pretty close to their constituents.

Most of the "races" are either unopposed or bring out only a few hundred voters.

If the citizens of this berg object to this law, it won't take much to get rid of those responsible. If they support it, God bless 'em.

What if the "problem" businesses were large scale waste management companies recycling tons of possibly contaminated waste materials? What if it was to be a natural gas fracking well in the center of town? Or a rendering plant?

Why CAN'T a community band together and decide what their Main St. should be like?

[AngryMonkey]

03:25 PM on 04/17/2012

stupid government regulations :-)

[The Nuh Uh Chronicles]

11:36 AM on 04/19/2012

People convinced stupid people to elect them. Then elected people, with the voters' sanction, passed stupid regulations because they could. People made those governments that made those stupid regulations. Either way - ya don't like 'em.....vote 'em out. Change the regulations by changing people making them.

Anything else and....all you're doing in whinning! The time for talking has passed! ;-]]

[Birdman 49]

03:21 PM on 04/17/2012

The City I live in is a large one in Kansas. It has banned erotic book stores, you won't find one in the city. The one that was here, the owner of the building raised the rent to high it forced the store to close.

I sware, some of these people holding public office are so tight, you would have to brake them to get the stick up their butts.

Heck you can't even park your car on your own grass, you will be ticketed if you do.

Yes this city is CRAZY.

[mjredder]

03:16 PM on 04/17/2012

Baby Boomers. It was fine for them, but now it's bad for you. Sweet Jebus, talk about a whole generation I can't wait to see drop dead.

[Jim NLN]

02:29 PM on 04/17/2012

Wow, finally, a place in Florida that Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum would feel comfortable retiring.

[Earl Gray]

04:06 PM on 04/17/2012

I do hope you're not suggesting that they take up together and live there in s-i-n!

I'm pretty sure the Town Fathers discourage that sort of thing, too.

[GraphicMatt]

04:14 PM on 04/17/2012

You really think either of them would retire in Debbie Wasserman Schultz's congressional district?

[psnyder325]

01:57 PM on 04/17/2012

I've noticed that there seems to be a "War on Youth" going on lately. The "get off my lawn" crowd wants to keep teens and young adults at home, watching TV or doing homework 24/7. The "zero tolerance" laws in the schools, the bans on "loitering," and the various bans of things that younger people like to do when they're young seems to be sending a message that 6th graders on up need to act like 50 year olds. We need to remember when we were young and needed outlets to party, see friends and let off steam, and not deny our young folks today the same options. BTW, I'm now 56.

[brinniewales]

02:19 PM on 04/17/2012

Although this is a bid jaded, it seems as though an entire generation has been raised with zero consequences for their bad or vulgar behavior. Businesses cannot afford to have them as customers or as deterrents to actual paying customers. Communities would do well to provide places for kids to go for recreation, dancing, sports, studying or just hanging out, albeit with adult supervision. Parents would do well to teach their kids that they after age two, they are not the center of the universe, that there are penalties - sometimes severe, for misbehavior, and that the 'golden rule' still applies, even in the 21st century.

[artfish]

06:11 AM on 04/18/2012

“Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers.”
― Socrates
Born c. 469 BC