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ALEXANDRIA CITY COMMISSION THROW OUT ADULT VIDEO STORE REGULATIONS
By: Jeff Livingston, Staff Writer - 11-23-09 - 1:00 a.m. PDT
The City of Alexandria’s Planning Commission elected not to move forward on a proposal that would have regulated the opening of adult video stores and threatened two existing adult video shop with closure.The commission voted 5-1 not to initiate a proposed amendment to the city’s zoning regulations, according to deputy director of planning and zoning Barbara Ross.
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If the he measure had passed, it would have required adult-oriented businesses to be more than 1,000 feet away from each other, and for such stores not to exist in Alexandria’s historic district.
Planning Commissioner John Komoroske voted in favor of the amendment, while Commissioner Eric Wagner was absent from the vote, which occurred at a meeting last Thursday evening.
Two adult video stores currently exist in the historic district, including Lotus Blooms, which opened in October, and Le Tache, which opened a year ago. Both are located on King Street.
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Had the regulations passed, Le Tache adult boutique would have been grand fathered in at its existing location, but Lotus Blooms would have had 18 months to recoup its investments before closing.“We had support from many here in our community,” Lotus Blooms co-owner Ann Ile stated to the press after the hearing.
The board did direct planning staff to work on an amendment which would limit sexually-oriented materials from being displayed in store windows, according to Ross, but no timetable was set for such legislation.
I personally wonder if a gay adult video store or a gay adult boutique were to apply for a license, would it be granted? That is a question that I could not find anyone to answer.
Rest assured though, retailers aren't going any where any time soon. The amount of tax revenue and permit revenue the city and state makes from adult oriented establishments are something that city officials simply cannot ignore.
