CYPRESS : Moratorium Voted on Adult Businesses

The City Council has imposed a moratorium on issuing permits for adult businesses.

The moratorium may be lifted in June. In the meantime, the council adopted a temporary ordinance, placing stiff restrictions on adult businesses.

Under the ordinance, any adult-only establishments including cabarets, bookstores, motels, theaters and escort and dating services would be allowed to open only between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. and prohibited from selling or serving alcoholic beverages.

In addition to receiving permission from the city to open adult businesses, applicants also would be required to obtain a business license and be located at least 1,000 feet from residential zones, churches, schools, parks or recreational facilities where children congregate.

That rules out most of the city except for a few commercial lots along Katella Avenue and Walker, Valley View and Holder streets.

City officials said the council adopted the temporary ordinance earlier this month because it realized it did not have strict guidelines to govern adult businesses. Officials said the city decided to draft the temporary law after receiving several inquiries by people who had expressed interest in opening such businesses.

On May 23, council members will decide whether to adopt the ordinance permanently or extend the current law and the moratorium for up to 10 1/2 months.

“We’re going to be putting in place an ordinance that we did not have previously,” Councilwoman Joyce C. Nicholson said.

She said the new law also gives the city some control over adult businesses. “We have specific (requirements) for all different kinds of businesses but until now, nothing to address adult businesses.”