Allenspark is a small mountain town near here. Tourists on rented ATVs would be a huge public nuisance in our lovely mountian setting.



Business owners say switch to porn gallery forced by permit denial

A sign on the former Eastin Gallery and Studio at 14863 Colo. 7 in Allenspark, advertises the “Patterson XXX Porn Gallery.” Owners Jeff and Vicki Mead say they’ve been forced to go into the pornography industry after the county shut down their ATV rental business.

But some nearby neighbors say plans by Jeff and Vicki Mead to open the “Patterson XXX Porn Gallery” by mid-August are aimed at causing more controversy in the small mountain town. One neighboring couple, Glenn and Margie Patterson, says the gallery is even named after them because of their criticism of the ATV business — a charge the Meads denied.

The shop of pornographic merchandise and artwork will take the place of the former Eastin Gallery and Studio in a two-story log cabin at 14863 Colo. 7, Jeff Mead said Tuesday. A sign recently went up outside the business, advertising the future porn shop.

“Allenspark is the most pornographic place I’ve ever seen,” Mead said. “It’s a town where half the people are paying attention to the other half’s business. I thought it would fit right in.”

The Meads own and operate an ATV rental business out of a Lyons office, and had illegally rented out the vehicles from the building that also houses their Allenspark gallery until the county forced a special-use review earlier this year.

The commissioners denied the application in April amid concern from some nearby residents about the noise and environmental impact of the machines.

“Every time you turned around, it was some new issue,” Vicki Mead said of the county’s decision. “Here we are now with ... a half-million-dollar building.”

A statement about rights

The Eastin Gallery was open for 16 years, and the site was purchased by the Meads in February 2007 for $428,000, but the couple said pornography is a much more profitable business venture.

“It’s probably going to be what is was before — some smaller items for sale and maybe some more expensive types of artwork,” only with a very adult twist, Vicki Mead said. “We’ve had several companies that do the porno thing say businesses outside of the city tend to do very well.”

Because the building has been zoned for business, and the new use will be in line with the old use as an art gallery, the county can’t tell them what to do this time, the couple said.

“To a large extent, it’s a statement about freedom and personal property rights,” Vicki Mead said. “It’s not a business I jump into lightly.”

Dale Case, Boulder County land director, said there’s nothing in the county land code that would prevent the couple from migrating to pornographic art.

“If it’s being used as a gallery, and it has pre-existed, then we look at the overarching use” and it would be allowed, Case said. “If they start mixing uses and that sort of thing, like retail, then it could be a change of use and it could need some kind of review.”

Boulder County Commissioner Ben Pearlman said it’s not up to the county to determine what business it prefers, only what the code allows. A pornography store, he said, is allowed.

“We know our code has to be neutrally applied,” Pearlman said. “It’s economics that will determine if that’s a successful business, if he decides to move forward with it.”

Pearlman said he was prepared for the move, since Jeff Mead essentially warned the county the porn shop was coming during the April 22 use-review hearing for the ATV business. Mead testified then that he had connections with an adult-industry company that would back him in the event the county or residents tried to block their proposed pornography business.

‘It doesn’t faze us’

Glenn and Margie Patterson, the neighbors who have been vocal critics of the Meads’ ATV business, said they “hope the county doesn’t take the bait” and go after the couple’s new plans.

They also said they think the adult store is being named after them out of spite.

“He wants to take us with him by putting our name on it,” Margie Patterson said. “He’s trying to get back at us, but it doesn’t faze us and we don’t take it seriously.”

The Meads deny the claim, saying the shop will be named for First Amendment activists, like New York Gov. David Paterson, even though the governor’s name has only one T.

Glenn Patterson said the proposed porn shop is the talk of Allenspark, and that “most of the people we’ve talked to take it with a chuckle.”

“I don’t think they expect to turn a profit selling pornography in Allenspark,” he said.

Stan Huntting, another longtime resident, agreed.

“It sounds like a great idea to make a small fortune smaller,” he said. “There’s no business up here.”

Vicki Mead said she and her husband are prepared to deal with residents who are unhappy with the shop.

“I’m sure there are people who are offended,” she said. “My biggest concern is offending the people who actually didn’t mind the ATV business. I can only say, ‘Direct your attention to the people who chased us out of there.’”


© 2008 Estes Park Trail-Gazette.