Bellevue In Uproar Over Adult Clubs -- Hundreds Complain, But City Can't Ban Businesses

Sexual dancing drew two crowds in Bellevue last night: one a clubful of women cheering male strippers, the other an outraged crowd of protesters at City Hall.

While men danced in G-strings for the first time at Babe's cabaret in Factoria, 200 residents jammed City Council chambers to express their determination to keep such "filth" out of their city.

The council adopted extensive changes in the zoning, adult-entertainment and lewd-conduct ordinances to make the city standards clearer and more legally defensible. But attorneys for the city stressed that court interpretations of the U.S. and Washington state constitutions don't allow the city to ban sex-oriented businesses outright.

It was the third time the laws have been changed since fall 1993.

Many of the protesters were members of Westminster Chapel concerned about reports that the former Papagayo's Cantina at 2239 148th Ave. N.E. may soon reopen with nude or topless women dancers half a mile from their church.

A third club, Deja Vu, holds an adult-cabaret license under which it can feature nude dancing in the Hunan Chef building on 116th Avenue Northeast.

"We would like to believe that belongs somewhere else, not in a place we call home," said the Rev. Gary Gulbranson, pastor of Westminster Chapel. "We would like to say, along with the Seattle SuperSonics, `Not in our house.' "

Terry Miller, representing a Denny's restaurant near Papagayo's, held a sign reading, "No topless in our area" as he presented the City Council with a petition bearing 500 signatures.

Several citzens vowed to step up community pressure against the clubs. "This is inappropriate, and anything we can do our church is going to do, and if the last resort is picketing, I guess that's what we'll have to do," said the Rev. Dave Kersten, pastor of Highland Covenant Church.

Sarah Howe, a Bellevue Community College student, said she would circulate petitions "and go in front of these establishments and say, `Huh-uh, no way.' That is a promise and it will be done."

Among the protesters was Marilyn Colacurcio, who said she "was appalled when I found out that Papagayo's had been bought and that the Colacurcios were involved in it." A lifelong Bellevue resident, she is the estranged wife of Sam Colacurcio, who was sent to federal prison in 1988 for skimming profits from topless taverns in Arizona.

Sam's nephew, Frank Colacurcio Jr., is one of the new owners of the Papagayo's property on 148th Avenue Northeast.

The only voice raised in defense of erotic-dance clubs last night was that of Babe's attorney Gilbert Levy, who objected to a city ordinance that sets interior lighting standards and forbids private dances within four feet of customers.

When Levy called the rules a "business-killer" that prevents adult clubs from turning a profit, one woman exclaimed, "Amen!"

Several City Council members seemed every bit as frustrated as citizens over the legal difficulties in regulating sex-oriented entertainment.

"I guess I feel like the architects of the Constitution would literally roll over in their graves if they knew what we were doing with the First and Second amendments," said Councilwoman Margot Blacker.

Ron Smith said council members "are outraged and we are frustrated and we will continue to fight this thing within the legal limits we can within the Constitution."

Given the limits of what city governmnt can do, he urged citizens to "unite enough to let them know that they're not welcome here."