Neighbors Angry Over Hustler Hollywood Store Opening Soon In Arden Arcade
ARDEN ARCADE (CBS13) – Hustler Hollywood advertises lingerie, apparel and sex toys. It was approved to move here because the county does not consider it an adult novelty shop, but critics call that ridiculous.
"Annoyed is a polite way of putting it," said longtime Arden Arcade resident Suzanne Seaman.
Seaman isn't too happy about pornographic publisher Larry Flint's Hustler Hollywood chain opening up nearby.
"Why is it going there closer to us?" Seaman said.
She and other neighborhood activists say the county is allowing the area to be filled with too many businesses that are bringing the area down.
"It just seems like we're being dumped on with not so many great places," Seaman said.
The Hustler Hollywood store sits next to Mattress America, whose owner says he had no idea it was coming in. He says an agent told him it would be a clothing store.
He says he doubts his business will gain in any way from the store's opening.
"I'm just worried it's going to bring more problems around our area and our store," said an employee of a nearby Goodwill store.
Supervisor Susan Peters, whose district covers the Arden Arcade area, says she's disappointed about the store's location.
Her chief of staff went on to say:
"Unfortunately, Sacramento County does not have the ability to prevent the planned opening of the store," Howard Schmidt said. "The store does not fall into the category of an adult entertainment business, which can be regulated and would be barred from this location."
According to the county, Hustler Hollywood isn't considered a novelty store because less than 25 percent of the floor space features adult toys. So it didn't have to go through public review.
Critics wonder if the store were slated near their supervisor's home if it would have been given the green light.
"I just know if it were within blocks of her home somehow there would be something they could do about it."
Critics say community pressure can sometimes make a difference, but in this case they learned too late. And with the store set to open in January, they believe they may be out of luck.
