On Sept. 14, the Campbell Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve David Dixon's application to establish a new fitness kickboxing gym at 1282 White Oaks Road.

"As the culinary school will help satisfy the palate for appetite, we will help satisfy the palate for fitness," said Dave Dixon, owner and operator for the soon-to-be opened Industrial Strength Kickboxing.

The facility will occupy part of a two-story industrial building located near the intersection of Highway 17 and Camden Avenue.

Describing his business as a corporate "fitness boutique," Dixon said Industrial Strength would offer not only kickboxing, but classes in self-defense, Pilates, yoga, qigong and tai chi. It will not offer, however, any kind of strength conditioning with weights or weight training.

When the center opens in October, Industrial Strength will be one of a half-dozen martial arts gyms already operating in Campbell. And at 10,000 square feet, it will be one of the largest.

Nearby resident Rene Mus said she isn't looking forward to having such a business so close to her home and voiced her concerns to the members of the planning commission.

Because Dixon applied for operating hours until 10 p.m., Mus, who lives on Hoffman Road, about 100 feet from the martial arts center, said she was worried that noise from the facility would create a late-night disturbance.

She added that she was expecting loitering in the parking lot as the students finished up their workouts, and she feared that the owners would install brighter lights in the parking lot, which would shine too strongly at night.

"I've lived here for 20 years," she said, "and I know this kind of facility will become a problem. It's unreasonable to ask us property owners who've been here for 20 years to have something like this to agonize over."

After hearing her concerns, Campbell Planning Commissioner Michael Rocha questioned Dixon about the issues Mus raised.

"Most of my clientele will be housewives and businessmen," Dixon said. "In my experience, when class is over the students leave quickly. It's amazing how fast they disappear in their SUVs."

Because of this clientele, loitering shouldn't be an issue, he said. He also noted that from a safety standpoint, there was no need to put in additional lights in the parking lot, so stronger lighting was not a potential concern.

Campbell Planning Commissioner Joseph Hernandez, however, asked Dixon what he thought about the planning commission possibly restricting his hours until 9 p.m., instead of 10 p.m.

"It would be a tight squeeze," Dixon said.

He indicated that he could reduce the hours in the interest of keeping the community happy, but he asked that he at least be given a chance to demonstrate that his business could be a good neighbor under his current request.

"About 90 to 96 percent of our clientele will be housewives," he said. "I'm pretty sure I can control the noise. I don't think it'll be an issue."

He also said the classes held later at night would be the slower, quieter activities, like tai chi and yoga. And all classes would be finished by 9 p.m. anyway. The extra hour would be used solely for cleanup and preparing for the next day.

The planning commission granted his request and approved his plan with the condition that if problems did arise in the future the director of community development could be able to review and modify the business's use.