Paper Moon, a Springfield strip club that has operated under Fairfax County’s microscope since it opened a year ago, is asking a judge to reverse the county’s recent crackdown on it.
As one of only two gentleman’s clubs in Fairfax, Paper Moon’s activities have been the subject of extraordinary scrutiny by authorities, who in December cited the club for a handful of parking and occupancy violations. The county has told the Amherst Avenue establishment to correct the problems or shut its doors.
Some neighbors and revitalization groups are hoping for the latter outcome. They see Paper Moon’s presence as a hindrance to economic development in an area desperately in need of it. Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay, a longtime critic of Paper Moon, denied it was being singled out, however.
“I don’t care what kind of business they’re operating; if they’re in violation of our county codes and ordinances, then they deserve to be in court,” McKay said. “There are laws in our county, and if you break them, we ought to be taking you to task for them.”
The contention stems from the club’s peculiar legal situation. Its predecessor, the Dauphine Steakhouse, was grandfathered as a “commercial nudity establishment” when the use was prohibited in the area in 1980. Paper Moon inherited that exception — but, because it must retain Dauphine’s exact footprint, the club is not allowed to expand in any way.
Paper Moon, in a circuit court filing challenging the Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals, says the citations are unwarranted. County authorities say the building exceeded maximum occupancy of 104. The club claims it can legally hold twice as many people.
Paper Moon is the only business on its lot but is only allowed a limited area in which its patrons can park. McKay said inspectors found patrons parking in spaces outside that area — spaces designated for tenants that have since closed up shop — resulting in another citation.
Paper Moon has kept a low profile as a business and has maintained the “curb appeal” of the property, said Nancy-Jo Manney, executive director of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce.
“Is it a desired business in the community? No, it is not,” she said.
Officials with the business in Springfield and at the chain’s headquarters in Richmond did not return calls for comment.
