COZAD, Neb.—The owner of a nude juice bar near Cozad plans to open the doors Friday despite attempts by Dawson County officials to keep the business out.
Dan Robinson of Lincoln is opening Shaker’s West south of the Interstate 80 interchange south of Cozad, about 128 miles east of the Colorado line.
The club will be a sister operation to the Shakers club northeast of Lincoln at the edge of Waverly, just off Interstate 80.
Officials hunted in vain for zoning regulations that might require the business to apply for special approval from the county.
But Chief Deputy County Attorney Kurt McBride told the board earlier this month that the zoning codes don’t differentiate between the type of commercial use.
An agriculture business and an adult-oriented businesses are the same under the letter of the law, McBride told the board.
Because the businesses don’t sell alcohol, they don’t fall under liquor laws that require entertainers to be partially clothed. Customers 18 years old and older can visit the bars.
Commissioner Linda Benjamin said she had received numerous e-mails, letters and phone numbers from people who opposed the business as well as a petition signed by “hundreds” of people.
“I’ve met with Mr. Robinson. I didn’t welcome him to Dawson County. I asked him, ‘Why?'” Benjamin said Friday.
The Dawson County Board of Commissioners will try to stop similar businesses from opening through zoning regulations.
“We’ve heard what we can’t do, but we haven’t heard what we can do in the future,” Benjamin said.
The County Commissioners approved a motion directing the County Planning Commission to review the zoning regulations in an attempt to be able to address future sexually oriented businesses.
Benjamin said the other 92 counties in the state are watching because of their own interest in the issue.
But any regulations wouldn’t apply to Shakers, which will be grandfathered under old rules.
Robinson said he was looking to open a juice bar in western Nebraska when he found the property near Cozad.
It used to be a pizza restaurant and the land was going to be turned into an RV park. That deal fell through when the would-be park developer couldn’t get financing.
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On the Net:
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Information from: Kearney Hub,
