IRVINE : Plans for Limiting Sex Shops Criticized

Critics of a proposed law to regulate the location of sexually oriented businesses complained to planners last week that the restrictions would create a “red-light district.”

City planning commissioners held a public hearing Thursday on the proposed law, which would permit adult-oriented businesses--such as adult bookstores and peep shows--to open only in two industrial areas of the Irvine Spectrum. One of the areas borders Lake Forest and the other borders the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.

Officials from Lake Forest and the Marine base protested the concentration of the adult businesses near their homes and businesses. Several residents and business officials from Irvine and Lake Forest also complained about the regulations. Most asked the city to ban sexually oriented businesses from anywhere in Irvine.

“By designating a geographic area as the only place they could be (located), you create the perception of a red-light district . . . and will cause a blighting on the city and reduced property values,” said Robert Williams, an Irvine Co. vice president.

The Irvine Co. would rather the city spread out the allowable locations of adult businesses to all industrial areas of the city so one specific area isn’t pinpointed, Williams said.

Others wanted the city to go much further. Irvine should completely ban adult-oriented businesses from its borders because they will bring drugs and crime, five residents from Irvine and Lake Forest said.

“Fight for us--legally if you have to,” said the Rev. Bruce Sonnenberg, pastor of the Village Church of Irvine. “We don’t want these businesses here.”

By law, no city can completely ban adult businesses, Assistant City Atty. Jeffrey A. Goldfarb said. But a city can restrict the location of adult businesses in order to avoid such problems as drug dealing, prostitution and other crimes associated with such operations.

City officials drafted the restrictions after discovering that current city law allows adult-oriented businesses to open in nearly any commercial center.

After hearing complaints that shunting future adult businesses into just two industrial areas would cause problems, the Planning Commission voted unanimously Thursday night to modify the proposed law. Commissioners said they want the law to allow adult businesses in any industrial area and to make sure that other restrictions are applied to neighboring cities and the Marine base.

The other restrictions include preventing an adult business from opening within 1,000 feet of a home, school, church, day-care center, park or train station. The 1,000-foot restriction eliminates nearly all areas from the central city as potential adult business sites, said Lisa Heep, acting manager of the city’s development services division. That was why planners initially selected the two industrial areas in the Spectrum, she said.

The law also seeks to prevent adult businesses from concentrating in one area by requiring them to be at least 500 feet apart.

Planning commissioners asked planning officials and an attorney to explore increasing the 1,000-foot restriction if the move would not illegally restrict adult businesses. The proposed adult-oriented business law will go before the City Council for consideration Nov. 24.

If the council approves the law, it might not be the last word on restrictions placed on adult businesses.

The Irvine Co. is looking into whether the codes, covenants and restrictions that businesses in the city’s industrial areas agree to follow can be rewritten to ban adult businesses, the Irvine Co.’s Williams said. At least half of the businesses in existing industrial parks would have to agree to the modification, he said.

“It is our intent to assure the businesses in Irvine that we will do everything possible to make it difficult (for adult businesses),” Williams said. “We feel that we will have effective ways to deal with those businesses.”