MADISON (AP) – A Saco businessman who hoped to open a topless coffee shop in this paper mill town is now having second thoughts.

Normand St. Michel said he was taken aback Thursday by the opposition that surfaced at a hearing before the Planning Board.

“I was all for it when I came here but now I am split down the middle,” he said, adding that his wife also was opposed to his plan.

Despite all the criticism, board members concluded that the proposal did not require their approval and that St. Michel could go forward as long as he met state and federal requirements.

St. Michel said he had been in similar establishments that were well-run and clean. He said the topless aspect was just a marketing ploy. “Go in and eat and the waitresses would be topless, that’s all,” he said.

But opponents said Madison doesn’t need a coffee shop that focuses on sex. Ann Harsh also expressed concern about the potential danger to semi-nude waitresses serving hot coffee.

AP-ES-02-20-04 0217EST