Windsor Locks Topless Bar Application Returns

It was just one month ago that members of the Windsor Locks planning commission rejected an application to transform an Ella Grasso Turpike pool hall into a topless bar. Having been rejected on the grounds that he simply submitted the wrong type of application, Pool Table Magic owner Mark Kulungian is trying again, this time hoping his application is correct.

The Planning and Zoning Commission accepted the application this week — a formality that allows members to review and vote on the details of the request.

Still, Kulungian looks to face an uphill battle with regards to his application's approval.

The commission will gather Thursday night during a special meeting called to discuss the possibility of establishing a ban on adult-oriented businesses in town.

Since Kulungian submitted his initial application, he has seen little more than opposition to his plans.

Letters from local businesses pleading with town officials to reject Kulungian's request are filed alongside the application in the planning and zoning office. Some residents have banded together under the moniker "Windsor Locks Citizens for a Safe Community" (WLCSC) to oppose the plans and crime some say will accompany such a business on the turnpike.

First Selectman Steve Wawruck "doesn't fit the character of Windsor Locks," and referencing the possibility of increased crime in a town with more than 1,000 hotel rooms.

With problems like prostitution, drugs and human trafficking taking place in town, a gentleman's club would only make matters worse, possibly hindering local police efforts to curb crime, he said.

The Planning and Zoning Commission's special meeting to discuss an adult business-oriented moratorium in Windsor Locks will be held on Thursday, March 14, at 7 p.m. in town hall's Ella Grasso conference room.