By Kathryn Reed

Plans for a strip club in the old Bill’s Casino at Stateline was effectively killed by the Douglas County Commissioners on Thursday when on a 3-1 vote they agreed to grant an adult business permit to a body paint company.

Douglas County Code 5.36.030 (E) says, “An adult characterized business shall not be located within 250 feet of another adult characterized business.”

“That provision means that there must be a 250-foot distance between the respective property lines of the businesses,” Douglas County Manager Michael Brown told Lake Tahoe News.

Less distance than that separates MontBleu and the old Bill’s site.

Brown said his interpretation of county code is that a strip club could not go into what was Bill’s.

Michael Laub, who bought the building for $5.22 million late last month, was not available for comment. His desire is to turn the facility into a strip club.

The only place zoned for a strip club at Stateline is in the casino corridor. However, to operate one the owner needs the adult entertainment license from the county.

When reached for comment the day after the meeting, Commissioner Nancy McDermid said she was not aware the board’s decision could preclude Laub from opening his desired business.

“I don’t know that that’s true. The sheriff’s department recommended approval of this license,” McDermid said of the body painting operation at Opal and Blu nightclubs. “In our meeting it was made very clear how this all came about in terms of MontBleu changing hands (last fall). Their people are the ones who called the county and asked if they needed any licensing and if they were in compliance. The District Attorney’s Office said,  “No you are not.”