Residents ask Ogden to act after adult store opens near housing; mayor directs staff to review code and enforcement options

Two owners of a townhome complex near 30th Street and Harrison Boulevard told the Ogden City Council April 1 that the recent opening of an adult novelty retailer, Adam & Eve, has harmed tenants and lowered nearby property appeal.

Diane Chaston said the store’s public reputation and visible product display have alarmed tenants; she told council the shop’s own website emphasizes adult toys and that, in practice, the store has taken business space formerly occupied by a Family Dollar and is attracting customers who leave litter and create disturbances. Ty Chasen, a co‑owner, described heating‑and‑lighting and snow‑plowing practices that he says push debris and snow onto their private drive, block tenant access early in the morning, and create bright, intrusive lighting in second‑floor bedrooms.

Chaston asked the city to change the municipal code definition of a sexually‑oriented business (SOB) so that businesses whose primary sales are adult paraphernalia would be subject to SOB restrictions that would keep them out of mixed‑use or residential‑proximate C‑2 zones. Chasen requested immediate code enforcement help with lighting, plowing and litter.

Mayor (name given in the meeting as the mayor’s office) said he has asked the chief administrative officer to direct code‑enforcement staff to examine the site and explore options now under the city’s ordinances. He also said administration staff already are drafting updates to land‑use definitions as part of the general plan and development‑code overhaul and that those updates will include a review of the SOB definition. The mayor asked staff to follow up with the complainants and to bring potential enforcement steps forward.

Council members voiced sympathy and asked staff to investigate. Several council members said their own reaction to the photographs was concern and that they supported administration exploring both immediate enforcement remedies and longer‑term ordinance changes.

Why it matters: residents and property owners said the business’s proximity to housing and schools is producing negative secondary effects—litter, intrusive lighting and snow‑plow impacts—that they say reduce habitability and tenant retention. The administration said it will use existing enforcement options where available and will propose code edits as part of the ongoing general plan and code rewrite.

What’s next: the mayor’s office will forward complainants’ materials to code enforcement, staff will evaluate whether onsite violations (lighting, snow removal, signage, trash) exist under current rules, and planning staff will include a review and possible revision of the sexually‑oriented business definition in the broader land‑use updates. The complainants also were advised to provide photos and contact details directly to code enforcement for investigation.

Quotes: “If Adam and Eve were considered an SOB, it would not be allowed in the C‑2 zone or near other residential uses,” Diane Chaston told council. Mayor said, “I have already directed our code enforcement staff to look at that…we will use the tools that we have to do everything that we can.”

Clarifying details: complainants said the day care near the property moved out after the new tenant arrived; they said parking and private‑drive traffic patterns have changed; they reported that the business application listed the use as “lingerie clothing retail” though complainants say sales appear focused on adult toys; complainants provided photos to the council and to staff during the meeting.