LAGUNA HILLS : Ordinance Limits Sites of Adult Businesses

The City Council this week unanimously approved an emergency ordinance limiting adult businesses such as strip bars and adult bookstores to commercial properties close to the Laguna Hills Mall, near freeway traffic.

The previous zoning ordinance had allowed such businesses in three additional small areas, including lots zoned for local-oriented businesses, said City Planning Director Mike Thiele.

“The ordinance we inherited from the county had some problems with it,” Thiele said. “So we want to take a look at it and come up with a revised plan that protects First Amendment rights while also protecting the city.”

Laguna Hills does not have any adult businesses that would be affected by the ordinance.

Under the emergency ordinance, an adult business may not locate within 500 feet of houses or within 1,000 feet of churches, schools, parks, and other adult-oriented businesses.

The ordinance will be in place until Jan. 6, when the council may decide to extend it another 10 months. The young city expects to have a new comprehensive and permanent zoning code in place by next June that would cover all development in the city.

Other South County cities have taken similar preemptive measures to limit openings of adult businesses while not banning them outright. Courts have deemed a total ban to be an infringement on free speech.

Firms wishing to open an adult business here must obtain a conditional-use permit and a special city license that lists the names and addresses of all the business partners. The company must not have had an adult business license revoked in the last two years.