HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-03-14 Mary Berg
Charlene Way
From:Mary Berg <maryaberg@msn.com>
Sent:Sunday, March 14, 2021 2:51 PM
To:City Clerk
Cc:Robert Simison; Liz Strader; Joe Borton; Brad Hoaglun; Treg Bernt; Jessica Perreault;
Luke Cavener
Subject:Oasis Objection
External Sender - Please use caution with links or attachments.
To Honorable Mayor Simison, Meridian City Council, and City of Meridian Planning & Zoning Commission,
We owe you a great debt of gratitude for the time, energy and personal sacrifice you dedicate to making the City of
Meridian a wonderful place to reside. We have much to be proud of and more to be grateful for. Personally, I stand
behind your vision make Meridian “the West’s premier community in which to live, work and raise a family” and believe
deeply that local communities are core to the future of the city, state and country that we live in.
I am writing today to express concern that a proposed business less than a mile from my home is not consistent with the
long-term vision of the great City of Meridian and will not lead to the stated goal. The proposed business is the Oasis
Nightclub which I believe is deliberately obscuring their business model and intentionally trying to deceive the City
Council.
The nightclub's business model is based on the objectification of women and they are deliberately hiding this fact. The
company website’s original statement (see screenshots below, including a screenshot from December 2020) regarding
the dress code for men was, "A minimum of a button up shirt and slacks are required." For the women, it said, "show us
your best sun dress or beach attire!" The idea is for well-dressed men to be drinking and dancing with women in
swimming suits. They have now changed that wording on the website which now generically states, “A minimum of a
button up shirt and slacks are suggested, upscale but still casual. Or show us your best beach attire! Sorry, shirts are still
required… These requirements are subject to change based on the event type and use.” The intent is clear, to avoid
mislead members of the community and the City Council and then change the rules to dehumanize and objectify women
once approvals are received.
I would submit that having a nightclub and bar where the entire business model is based on the objectification of
women within walking distance of hundreds of residential homes is not consistent with building the most friendly
community in which to live, work and raise a family. As a mother of 2 daughters, it's also not the message of
empowerment that I want the community I live in to be sending to our young women; that their worth, their value and
their utility is based on physical appearance to be objectified for patrons who are better dressed and paying more to be
in attendance. And, as a woman, I find this proposal very repulsive and degrading to women. I would certainly hope
and expect you would have respect for women and the integrity to uphold that respect and dignity.
Furthermore, there are other concerns regarding the actual development and the capacity of the property and
infrastructure to support the proposed maximum attendance of the venue as described in the application.
There are only 122 parking spaces available to the entire Wadsworth Complex.
The Oasis is not the only tenant of said complex.
The concert capacity is 900-1000 people, this would be an average 8.2 people per vehicle.
o Even if no other businesses in the complex had a single visiting patron and every single person who
attended The Oasis carpooled in a suburban, there still would not be enough parking.
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Traffic flow would have to be routed through N Cajun Lane to access Eagle Rd using a traffic circle in a residential
neighborhood.
A steady flow of patrons leaving this area between midnight and 2am playing music will be a disturbance to the
peace for the homes adjacent to the proposed location.
As members of the City Council, we, as citizens call on you to hold to your core value of Accountability to understand the
role you play in acting as a steward of the community’s resources, environment and relationships. The Oasis Nightclub
stands in stark opposition to the good of the environment and relationships that we hold valuable in Meridian and we
ask that you do not approve the application for permits for the Oasis Nightclub.
I request the Planning & Zoning Commission deny The Oasis’ Conditional Use Permit application and subsequently urge
the City Council to deny it as well should a review be requested.
Thank you for your consideration and ongoing dedication to the community we call home.
Mary Berg
Meridian Resident
1741 E. Summerridge Dr.
Meridian, ID 83646
Here is a photo of the old dress code showing the club's business model and intentions. Note that the entrance
fee for men was $15 and for women just $5.
Here is a photo of how the website reads as of the evening of 3/9/2021
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