The Athens Planning Commission revised parts of the ordinance that could restrict zoning requirements for future sexually-oriented businesses.
The ordinance defines several sexually-oriented businesses and stipulates distances that these kinds of businesses must be from certain buildings and areas ' such as parks and religion-oriented buildings ' yesterday.
Revisions included expanding the ordinance to include all religious buildings used for religious activities instead of just churches and synagogues.
Sexually-oriented businesses also would not be allowed in planned unit development areas, such as University Estates, according to the revised ordinance.
City council will review these revisions Monday and must pass the ordinance for it to take effect.Code Enforcement Director Steve Pierson laid out a partial map of Athens to show where sexually-oriented businesses could go if the ordinance is passed.
Businesses will be able to go on Columbus Road by Days Inn and on East State Street by the Holzer Clinic; however, most of these areas are already developed, he added.
This shows (the ordinance) is not exclusionary
said Christine Fahl, vice chair of the commission.
Mayor Paul Wiehl also suggested discussing city codes that stipulate distances of eating and drinking establishments from residential zones for a future commission meeting.
In addition, the terms restaurant, roadhouse, bar and drinking need to be defined in city codes, Pierson said.
If these city codes are changed, the Stimson Avenue location that might become a strip club could be affected.
Demetrios Prokos, owner of the property and Pro Rentals, Inc., said yesterday he would rather put in a restaurant and apartment complex if city codes change before the strip club is put in.
We're going through with one thing (the strip club) until we get a green light (on the new plans) Prokos said.
No new zoning applications or drawings have been submitted by Prokos, Pierson said.
The new ordinance would only add value to the strip club by making it one of the only sexually-oriented businesses in town, Prokos added.
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Brigitta Burks
