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King George officials revamp adult-oriented business ordinance before Feb. 20 hearing. Date published: 1/20/2007
King George County supervisors have written more restrictive regulations on sex shops in the rural locality.
Supervisors increased the proposed distance required between sexually oriented businesses and residential areas from 2,000 to 5,000 feet. This new measurement would require the shops to be just under a mile from churches, schools, playgrounds, day-care facilities, nursing homes, hotels and other residential facilities. Supervisors would still have to grant special exceptions for shops to move into industrial zones. Supervisors also agreed to limit the businesses to 12 hours of operation a day and 72 hours per week. Sex shops could not open earlier than 9 a.m. and must close by 9 p.m. "I think having regulations on the hours of operation would be a significant addition," Supervisor Stephen Wolfe said. In addition, supervisors extended from 1 to 5 feet the distance required between patrons and nude or seminude employees of the shops. Supervisors also reduced the maximum height of store signs from 5 feet to 4 feet. The 8-square-foot maximum measurement for signs was left alone. Residents had called on county officials to increase distances in the ordinance at a recent Planning Commission meeting. A public hearing on the revised plan is set for Feb. 20. The ordinance would affect nightclubs, movie theaters, bookstores, video stores, modeling studios and strip clubs. No such stores exist in King George, but supervisors see the ordinance as a preventive measure. Some residents have urged county officials to outlaw sex shops altogether, but officials say that could invite legal challenges under the First Amendment. "I'm trying to walk the line," Supervisor Joseph Grzeika said. "I want to have enough restrictions in here to have some protection." To reach COREY BYERS:
Why would anybody living or visiting a Nursing Home care about the wares in a sex shop. Whoever put that one in sure wasn't thinking. Every time I visit a nursing home I see nobody asking me to bring them something from a sex shop. How stupid.
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