ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — St. John’s city council has two controversial votes on its agenda for the regular Monday meeting.
First, council will vote on lifting the moratorium on massage parlours that’s been in place since 2015. To do that, council will make a text amendment to the development regulations, adding adult massage parlour as a permitted use in various commercial zones throughout the city.
A public meeting on the matter was held Nov. 6, at which a term to describe the massage parlours was discussed.
“Following the public meeting, council agreed to facilitate a public opinion survey to seek direction on an appropriate name for this land use,” reads the decision note to council from city staff.
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“The term ‘massage parlour’ was a concern for registered massage therapists, who have experienced confusion by potential clients. City staff proposed ‘body rub parlour’ a term used in Toronto, Vancouver and other municipalities in Western Canada.
“However, at the public meeting, this term was described as inappropriate and disrespectful. The results of the public opinion survey were inconclusive. There were 58 respondents, who suggested a wide range of names, including ones that were descriptive as well as ones that were pejorative or insulting or vague.
“Even among survey respondents (only six people) who identified themselves as working in this business, there was no agreement on the best term.”
Staff is suggesting council use the term ‘adult massage parlour’ as a compromise.
“There seems to be no good alternative to ‘massage parlour’ other than adding ‘adult’ to emphasize that the city will not facilitate any land use that would lead to the sexual or physical abuse of minors,” the decision note says.
“These massage facilities are not prohibited by law, so we feel bound to accommodate them while being respectful of the neighbourhoods in which they may operate.”
City staff is recommending that council lift the moratorium and allow adult massage parlours in commercial zones within the city.
$1M budgeted for Rawlins Cross
Council will also vote on making the controversial unsignalized circular traffic configuration at Rawlins Cross permanent.
While some like the configuration, saying it makes driving through the intersection a smoother process, others — especially pedestrians — say the intersection is dangerous and worry that someone will be killed.
A preliminary vote on the matter at a committee of the whole meeting on March 11 showed council did not, at that time, favour making the pilot project permanent — city staff’s recommendation was shut down in a close 5-4 vote.
A provisional budget of $1 million has been identified to address changes required to make the configuration permanent, should council vote to do so.
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