Several Norfolk businesses, including "Satya Yoga Studio" and "With Lavender and Lace" decided to celebrate the holiday season by hosting a party with some dancing at their establishments. Sounds harmless enough. However, the Grinch better known as, the Norfolk Fire Marshal decides to steal Christmas by visiting the establishments to enforce a ridiculous Norfolk city code. Apparently, their holiday parties violate Section 5-27 "Lewd, indecent, etc., dances, etc, which in laymen terms is a public dance hall ordinance. The ordinance considers any place a dance hall that uses more than 10 percent of the facility for dancing.
Shortly after Satya Yoga Studio posted a flyer of the event on Facebook, Norfolk Fire Marshal showed up and stated that the public dance hall ordinance requires that they must have an entertainment AND nightclub permit in order to have dancing. (Obviously, Satya Yoga Studio has a snitch on their Facebook page).
Also, With Lavender and Lace holiday party was cancelled too.
To make matters worse, the Norfolk Fire Marshal inspected both establishments and fined the owners for their cancelled parties and the inspections.
The owners of With Lavender and Lace refuses to take this lightly, they plan to enforce change.
A Facebook page has been created to help "Legalize Dancing in Norfolk."
Source:
Several Norfolk businesses not allowed to host holiday parties due to ‘dance hall ordinance'; by Holly Henry and Jessica Larche; WTKR.com
Tags: Virginia, Norfolk, dumb laws, Norfolk Fire Marshal, fire marshal, stupid laws, yoga, Satya Yoga Studio, nightclub permit, public dance hall ordinance, Norfolk ordinance, Norfolk laws