Suit seeks to block strip club reopening

• By JOHN MCMILLAN
• Advocate River parishes bureau
• Published: Nov 13, 2008 - Page: 4B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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PRAIRIEVILLE — Can an Ascension Parish strip club change ownership and still operate in accord with parish ordinances?

An attorney representing the plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the right of the parish to issue the license says no.

The parish attorney representing the Planning Department says yes.

Both attorneys say a 23rd Judicial District Court judge will decide who is right.

The strip club or “adult cabaret” in question is Escapades, at 17378 Airline Highway, Prairieville.

Escapades closed in either late May or early June, attorney Jean-Paul Robert said. And since that time, it was sold, said Robert, who represents Louis and Kathryn Goppelt, who are Ascension Parish residents.

The suit names Council Chairman Pat Bell as the defendant.

The disputed new license was issued to Sandra Barton, who operates S. Barton Enterprises LLC, doing business as Silhouette.

Prior to the issuance of the new license, the licensee was Theron Ladner Enterprises Inc., and the club was operated by Be Van Tran, of Gonzales.

The lawsuit asks that a new license to operate the club be declared null and void and that a sexually oriented business be prevented from operating at the site.

Robert contends parish government looked at the zoning ordinance and is ignoring the sexually oriented business ordinance, known as an SOB.

“There’s a general zoning ordinance and a specific SOB ordinance, and they ignored the specific ordinance,” Robert said.

“The SOBs have to be 3,000 feet from churches, schools, day cares and Escapades is not,” Robert said.