Saugus residents worried over strip club’s intentions

SAUGUS – Residents concerned a strip club could be moving into the old Route 107 Atlantic Lobster site have another month to await their fate since the hearing has been put off until the first week of February.Attorney George Gregson, representing property owner Pamela Avedisian, asked the Board of Selectmen to postpone the hearing until some details could be worked out with the plan.The preliminary plan for the property, according to Gregson, includes a function hall. The concern circulating through Precinct 10, however, is that The Foxy Lady, a Rhode Island-based strip club, will actually try and open on the property. Representatives from the club looked into a piece of property in the area over a decade ago and residents have been worried ever since that one day the club will succeed in opening there.Gregson told the board during a previous meeting that his client was only interested in a function hall. The Fire Department had questions for Gregson regarding the plans and declined to support the project until it had more time to study it. The Plumbing Inspector, according to Gregson, is also concerned about the building’s septic system.Gregson said the property does have septic as well as water and sewer. He acknowledged that the town received the plans late and blamed the confusion on the holidays. He said he is prepared to bring experts in to answer the Fire Department’s questions on alarms and sprinklers but also said he had no problem putting the project off for another month.”If we do succeed in obtaining the (liquor license) transfer we would then start work but we’re not going to spend a million dollars until we know how you intend to go,” he told the board Tuesday. “Even if we got the transfer today we wouldn’t start the work until June-ish.”Later during another portion of the selectmen meeting Precinct 10 Town Meeting member Peter Manoogian asked the board why there was no public comment on the project.”I know you delayed the public hearing but you never opened it up to the public to speak,” he said.