Tighter San Jose Strip Club Regulations Proposed

With the prospect of a strip club in downtown San Jose looming -- and with the proposed Gold Club already possessing some of the proper permits -- a San Jose city councilman is proposing tighter rules around "gentlemen's clubs."

San Jose City Councilmember Sam Liccardo, a former prosecutor of sex crimes at the District Attorney's Office, is proposing regulations that would have any such clubs close at midnight, prohibit patrons from touching performers, and mandate minimum lighting standards as well as a mandated distance between performer and patron.

The San Jose Police Department is "strapped for resources," Liccardo said, and a "poorly regulated club" would tax the department further, he said in a release issued Tuesday.

The Gold Club is seeking to open at W. Santa Clara and Market streets, a few blocks from City Hall and a block away from Ballet San Jose, Liccardo said.

The club is also in close proximity to a $130 million residential tower, and a strip club uld hurt such an investment.

Liccardo also wants the club to close at midnight. A hearing on his proposal is scheduled for next month.