CERRITOS : Moratorium Placed on Adult Business Permits
The City Council has declared a 45-day moratorium on permits for pornographic bookstores, X-rated movie theaters and clubs featuring nude dancing.
The ordinance, which took effect immediately after a unanimous vote last week, will stall applications until Oct. 15 for adult-oriented businesses.
Assistant City Manager Dennis T. Davis said the council adopted the moratorium because officials have received about five inquiries into adult business permits in the last month, and the city has no zoning laws regulating such businesses. The moratorium will give city staff members time to determine appropriate sites for the establishments.
Mayor Paul W. Bowlen and Councilman Sherman R. Kappe indicated that they will vote to lengthen the moratorium. “The longer it is that we can extend this, the longer we can delay looking at applications,” Kappe said.
The council can extend the moratorium up to 10 1/2 months to research the matter. The city has not received any adult business applications in recent years, Davis said. “Word gets around that those types of businesses are not welcome here,” he said.
City staff will not recommend that the businesses be clustered into one part of town, which could create an undesirable adult entertainment district, Davis said.
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