Eli Westerman, Darlene Casella protest before planned zoning vote.
Planet Venus won’t be landing by Jocelyn Square any time soon.
That’s because after weeks of community pushback, Peter Forchetti has withdrawn applications to place the planned strip club at 203 Wallace St., citing “family issues” to which he wants to devote more attention.
Deputy Director of Zoning William Long revealed this news at Tuesday night’s Board of Zoning Appeals hearing, during which board members had planned to decide on whether to approve plans for the club. Forchetti had requested to withdraw his application, Long said — one month after a heated zoning hearing on the matter and one day after a protest in Jocelyn Square.
Forchetti had applied for special exceptions to allow the Planet Venus club to operate from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. with alcohol, within 1,500 feet of another “adult business” (the existing Catwalk club), and with a reduced number of parking spaces.
This wouldn’t have been the zoning board’s first time weighing in on Planet Venus. The board had approved the plan in 2019, against the recommendation of city staff, but a superior court judge overturned the approval in 2021.
“There’s a lot going on in my life — some family issues,” Forchetti explained to the Independent after the meeting. “I have a son with a disability, and I need special time with him.”
Forchetti said he hasn’t decided whether he’ll apply for the special exception in the future and try to move forward with the Planet Venus plans. “We’re gonna regroup and figure things out,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jocelyn Square and Mill River neighbors rejoiced in surprise.
“I’m utterly stunned — happily so,” said Joan Cavanagh, one of the leaders of a community organizing effort against the nightclub and a longtime resident of the neighborhood around Jocelyn Square Park.
“I have a feeling that the amount of community outrage certainly influenced his decision,” Cavanagh said. “I think it does certainly show the power of people coming together and speaking out. It’s not something that we do often enough, but when something like this hits you in the face, I think it does galvanize people.”
Cavanagh noted that she remains wary that Forchetti may attempt to establish the club again in the future.
Eli Westerman, who also helped lead efforts against the club, said the organizing process brought the neighborhood closer together. “I’m looking forward to working with all the neighbors I met and now have begun friendships with to hopefully do some positive work around the neighborhood.”