Ms. Conte's Comments at Zoning Meeting 4/19/10

Hello Truthseekerfp:


Thank you for this forum, I found it very informative.  I know your space is limited, but I wanted to give you the speech I presented last night to the zoning board - as it looks like you might be interested.  Just a little background so it will make more sense - as a licensed massage therapist in Illinois, before we can even get our license, we are subjected to finger printing and a background check through the FBI database to make sure we don't have a criminal record, and have never been arrested for prostitution.  Any massage therapist will tell you how detrimental it is to our business every time some prostitution ring is discovered under the guise of "massage".  So, naturally, an ordinance that allows for hiding services away from the public sends up warning signals like crazy!

Here is my speech:


The original amendment was worded to allow for a super-retail/spa, but this new exception allows for any retail business that fits the criteria can offer at least one type of personal grooming service.  How much space does someone need to do a manicure or cut hair? 4ft by 5ft square?  Will this exception require a separate license from the village, or fall under the category of retail?  Even if the Village doesn't require a license, any space offering personal grooming is still subject to state licensing.  I didn't see anything in the amended exception that addresses any sort of window advertisements, so I can only assume that this would be allowed, which, I stated in my testimony in March, would still make the retail store look like a spa, and not keep with the look of the street.  What will shoppers think when they walk into stores to find every other one has some sort of personal grooming in the back.  This situation is happening on North Avenue right now, where these services are not regulated.


The other issue I have with this exception is that the treatments will be in back rooms, away from public view without any type of regulation.  As a licensed massage therapist, store fronts that offer massages in back rooms for purposes of prostitution is what we have been fighting against for years.  I'm in NO WAY saying anyone here would do that, but what about a new business run by people who may interpret the rules to their liking.  What's to stop someone from saying they offer "personal grooming services," but are actually offering something criminal.  The zoning enforcement is already under scrutiny here, and unless the Village plans to police this, this amended exception would provide the option to hide from view something illicit.  For example, in the 31st ward in Chicago, they are currently reworking the massage zoning laws.  The originally proposed ordinance suggested forcing all massage establishments out of retail zoning and into industrial zoning, so that "car dealerships that are open late at night could keep an eye on them and make sure they're not prostituting."  Obviously, their police do not have the resources to watch over these establishments.  The government would be naive in thinking Forest Park wouldn't be in a similar situation in the future.  That type of activity would hurt every legitimate business, and would ruin the reputation of the downtown.


On another note... back in 2007 when we were in communication with the village about Team Blonde's spa activities, we were given the message from the Village Administrator at the time that if we continued to question the issue concerning their zoning violation, the Village would SHUT US DOWN.  We now know that for a Village employee to threaten a legally operating business is not only an abuse of entrusted power, it is illegal.  But, at the time, we only know our livelihood had been threatened, and we immediately ceased all communication with the Village.  Had this issue been handled properly by the Village back in 2007, we would not be here now, trying to clean up the mess.


Thank you.  Lee Conte