Holly Ridge club installs pole for dancers, town residents concerned

HOLLY RIDGE — A new feature at a Holly Ridge hot spot is causing a stir in the small town. An establishment called Squeaky’s installed a pole for dancers. Now residents are concerned it’s a night club turned strip club.

Squeaky’s received a permit from the town, with the promise that the club wouldn’t feature nude dancers. Some residents of Holly Ridge say nude or not, it’s not something they want near them.

Holly Ridge Police Chief John Maiorano said, “We’ve received numerous complaints last week. I think the town has received several. It’s kind of the talk of the town.”

It may not be just the town that’s talking. Squeaky’s, or as it’s called on the social networking site MySpace, Squeaky’s Naughty Night Club, has gone global on the world wide web. On the site it pictures ladies in lingerie and suggestive photos.

The club also says it has its own dancers, and it all started with a pole. Squeaky’s calls it a stripper’s pole online.

Employees went to town hall to get a permit for it and it is legal for it to be there, so the permit was granted, with the promise that dancers would keep their clothes on.

David Nunn owns a business right across the street. He said, “Since they’ve put out that there’s not going to be any nudity, it’s just a wait and see thing I guess.”

Other residents say with clothes or without, the club will attract an element they say is dangerous to the small community.

Holly Ridge resident James Stansberry said, “Usually with strip clubs comes drugs and crime, and you know they’re just other things going on that don’t need to go on in a little town.”

The area on Ocean Drive where Squeaky’s sits is zoned for neighborhood business, so the pole is in, and dancing is well within town ordinances.

Police say they’ll monitor the club, just as they would any other establishment..

“The only thing we’re going to be doing as a police department is watching the facility,” Maiorano said.

Police say since asking for the permit last week there have been no problems at Squeaky’s.

The club is closed on Mondays. No one answered the number posted on the door. We’ll continue to try and contact them for comment.