A house serving as the beam point for the VoyeurDorm web site must obtain an adult use variance to stay in business, says the Tampa Zoning Variance Review Board.
That upholds a city decision. The house has 34 video cameras which monitor all daily activities of its six occupants, including sunbathing, dressing and undressing, showering, and other bathroom uses.
"The description of what constitutes adult use was very clear and, based on what we were told was happening in this home, we determined that it was an adult use," said Anna Wallrapp, vice chairwoman of the variance board, the body that denied VoyeurDorm's appeal for a business license.
Noting that the house was in a "nice, quiet subdivision," and was the women's primary residence during the school year, "I don't know too many people who live their lives with 30 video cameras watching them," Wallrapp said. "These women are basically taking their clothes off for profit."
While that's certainly true, according to Mark Dolan, attorney for the site, the real question is whether the business is actually being conducted in the home. "The problem is that this code was written before the rise of the Internet," he said. "Yes, there's entertainment, but nobody sees it in this house. They see it in their own homes."
"I get my tuition paid for, I get room and board, I get an allowance, and I get public recognition," says Alex, one of the VoyeurDorm dwellers. "I'm accomplishing a lot more goals than I have in the last 18 years."
Dolan will appeal the board's ruling.
