County eyes new limits on adult stores

Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2001 | 11:05 a.m.

Clark County commissioners will consider introducing an ordinance Wednesday to make it much more difficult to put adult bookstores or adult video stores near residential users.

The ordinance would require a 1,000-foot separation from homes, public library or church, up from 500 feet now.

For the first time, the ordinance also would require a 1,000-foot separation from a public park, playground or day care center and 1,500-foot separation from a school.

The county rule would conform to a standard created last year by the city of Las Vegas, "promoting the goals of regional uniformity," the ordinance read.

The rule "would strengthen protections in a meaningful way," said commission Chairman Dario Herrera, who asked for the ordinance.

Herrera said he has met with numerous residents who asked that more be done to keep adult video or book stores and other sexually oriented businesses out of their neighborhoods.

The issue has bedeviled the County Commission because such uses are now broadly permitted in any M-1 zone, a use generally associated with manufacturing and light industry. As a result, commissioners have often squeezed manufacturing zoning requests into the less intensive M-D zones, usually by including special-use permits with the approval.

The M-D zone does not allow adult uses, but isn't designed for some purposes such as automobile assembly. As it stands now, someone who gets an M-1 zoning to build cars could turn around later and try to establish an adult book store or strip club.

Herrera said that the new rules will give breathing room for residents who may live near industrial areas, but don't want sexually oriented businesses at the end of the block.