The city of Athens can regulate the operations of sexually-oriented businesses following City Council's approval at their regular meeting Monday.
These regulations put into place regulations and definitions regarding sexually oriented businesses, said Councilwoman Debbie Phillips, D-4th Ward. The ordinance states that council desires to minimize the secondary affects a sexually-oriented building might have on the city. The ordinance is modeled after a Wooster ordinance that has stood up in court.
The ordinance defines a sexually-oriented business as any adult arcade, adult bookstore, adult novelty store, adult video store, adult cabaret, adult motel, adult motion picture theater, adult theater or semi-nude model studio. Regulations include necessary cleaning schedules, using non-porous materials on all surfaces and maintaining the distance a topless employee must be from a patron.
Council also introduced an ordinance amending the zoning codes to include zoning regulations for sexually oriented businesses within the city of Athens. It defines sexually-oriented businesses and puts restrictions on where they can be located.
There are two places the Code Enforcement Office found a sexually-oriented business would be able to go: on Columbus Road by Days Inn and on East State Street near Holzer Clinic. Phillips said it was important that there were places a sexually oriented business can go because it would be illegal to zone them out of the city.
There will be a public hearing regarding this ordinance on April 7.
These ordinances come about a week after the Athens City Board of Zoning Appeals turned down a proposed West Stimson Avenue strip club.
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Andrea Golby
