Springfield shuts down massage parlors for ordinance violations - newschannel20.com

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill (WICS) — Businesses closed down for ordinance violations.

Springfield shut down eleven massage parlors after officials said they violated a new ordinance passed last year.

This is a list of those businesses: Cozy Cabin Spa, Healthy Spa, Capital Spa, Jade Spa, Illinois Relax Spa, Q2 Asian Massage, Royal Massage, Sunshine Massage, Sunflower Massage, Red Bean Spa and Fitness Massage.

The owners are accused of not applying for the necessary permits to operate within city limits or not having a licensed massage therapist on-site during inspections.

The city ordinance requires massage parlors to both register with the city and have licensed massage therapists on-site during inspections.

According to the city, those eleven establishments did not meet those standards.

According to the city, Cozy Cabin Spa, Healthy Spa, and Capital Spa all failed to respond to the city's attempts.

The other eight...Jade Spa, Illinois Relax Spa, Q2 Asian Massage, Royal Massage, Sunshine Massage, Sunflower Massage, Red Bean Spa and Fitness Massage failed to correct ordinance violations.

Corporation Counsel Greg Moredock said the city can fine businesses up to 50,000 dollars.

"So we've already given them plenty of chances. What we will seek when we file an administrative court is for fines. If we're successful, they'll be given 35 days to pay those fines,” Moredock said.

Violators face fines between 250 and 750 dollars per offense.

Each day the violation continues is a separate offense.

The city will be able to fine both the business owners and building owners for ordinance violations.

Mitchell Flynn, the building code official for the city of Springfield, said building and zoning looks for anything that could violate the ordinance's standards.

"Anything from deficiencies in the structure, life safety issues, and zoning typically looks for signage and other different parts of the ordinance depending on which ordinance it is that we're there to inspect for,” Flynn said.

The ordinance states massage parlors must have clearly visible entrances that aren't blocked out in any way. Moredock said the inspections on Friday found most of the massage parlors were being used as a mixed-use space.

"But at the establishments that we were dealing with, that we reinspected on Friday, we had a lot of zoning concerns and housing concerns where it appeared as though these businesses were being used as a residence,” Moredock said.

While the ordinance does state that massage parlors are allowed to have living quarters, they must be separate from the business and properly zoned and authorized for residential use.

Flynn said the inspection teams also checked that licensed therapists were present.

"And a lot of those were to see if the individual whose name is on the license was actually present during working hours. Because that's part of the ordinance that was put forward. And in this case, a lot of the cases--they weren't present,” Flynn said.

The ordinance also limits operation hours from 8am to 9pm. It bans any advertisements, pictures, or statements that might imply sexual services are performed at the parlor.

Moredock said the eleven massage establishments will be taken to court. We’re still waiting on when those court dates will be decided and released.

This makes a total of twelve massage parlors the city of Springfield has shut down for ordinance violations, joining 88 Relaxing Massage, which was shut down a few weeks ago.