Fountain Hills residents push back on proposed teen club

A Fountain Hills couple want to open a non-alcoholic teen nightclub to give teens a place to have fun, but parking issues and complaints from some nearby residents have created obstacles.

Stan and Marina Zakirova, who own a home health-care business, are seeking a special-use permit from the town to open Teen Hotspot in a commercial building at 17225 E. Shea Blvd., between Saguaro Boulevard and the Beeline Highway.

The club would be open 6 to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays for dancing, and 5 to 11 p.m. on Wednesdays for karaoke.

“The purpose for this business is to allow teenagers ages14-18 to have a place to meet with friends and have fun,” Marina Zakirova said.

The couple have two teenage daughters and have lived in Fountain Hills since 2008. The town has no movie theater and few places for teenagers to go out and have fun, Zakirova said.

“We have no life after 6 p.m., no place to go out,” she said. “It’s two times a week, why not?”

In her letter to the town, Zakirova said the club would include supervision by security and the Sheriff’s Office, and video cameras for the safety of the teenagers.

The Planning and Zoning Commission will have a public hearing on the permit request Nov.14. It will go before the Town Council on Dec. 5. It originally was scheduled to be considered by the commission earlier this month but was delayed because of parking issues.

Bob Rodgers, the town’s senior planner, said the zoning ordinance parking requirements specify that a place of assembly provide one parking space per three patrons. The commercial center includes 110 spaces, and the property manager has said the club cannot use all of the parking, he said.

The club would have to significantly reduce its anticipated capacity, from more than 300 to no more than 150 patrons, to meet parking requirements and that likely wouldn’t generate enough revenue to stay financially afloat, he said.

Options include finding additional offsite parking or another location for the venue, Rodgers said.

“The parking regulation allows for some shared parking and creative parking solutions to be found or had, but they have to actually have something to work,” he said.

Earlier this week, Mayor Linda Kavanagh said she has received complaints from two nearby homeowners with concerns about allowing the club to open at that location.

“We were all disappointed when the movie theater wasn’t built,” she said. “It is important for the future of Fountain Hills to attract young families. Being able to offer teen amenities is part of that attraction.”