Politics & Government
City Strengthens Law Regulating Adult Retail and Entertainment
New regulations prevent clusters of adult retail businesses south of I-405.
The amended the city's on an "emergency basis" at Monday evening'a City Council meeting.
Until the Council's action earlier this week, the city's adult entertainment regulations were more than 20 years old.
"After reviewing the new and old court decisions, adult entertainment studies, and the recognized adverse secondary affects of sexually-oriented businesses (SOBs) the City needs to update its Adult Retail and Entertainment ordinance," according to a public information handout at the meeting.
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The old regulation banned adult retail and entertainment business from "within 1,000 feet of any residential zone, residential use, school, daycare, church or park."
The new law now says that these types of businesses:
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-must be at least 1,000 feet away from any other similar business;
-cannot share the same "street frontage" with another adult retail and entertainment business;
-may only operate on a major street; and
-restricts the opening of these businesses from any areas where children may be present - currently or in the future.
The main purpose of the new law is to maintain distance between these types of businesses, according to the public information handout.
Prior to the Council's decision on Monday night, a concentration of adult-orientented businesses could have cropped up in an area just south of Interstate 405, which is in an area zoned as the Employment Area Boundary.
Under the new regulations, these businesses cannot "cluster" into one area.
Earlier this month Community and Economic Development Department officials recommended that the Council hold an public hearing to review regulations on Renton's adult entertainment establishments and where the businesses can be located; however, no one from the community chose to speak on the issue.
The Council also adopted a "finding-of-fact" resolution, written by the city attorney, in support of the ordinance's new wording.
The amendments and finding-of-fact were both adopted by a unanimous vote.
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