The Peachtree Corners City Council recently passed two ordinances related to sexually oriented businesses.
In the past the city considered the negative secondary effects of sexually oriented businesses when evaluating zoning and licensing. The city sites legislative records supporting the adverse secondary effects of sexually oriented businesses including things like increased crime, human trafficking, prostitution, illicit drug use, litter, public indecency, sexual assault and negative impacts on surrounding properties.
The ordinance addressing definitions of sexually oriented businesses and guidelines for licensing of such establishments states, “there is documented evidence of sexually oriented businesses, including adult bookstores and adult video stores, manipulating their inventory and/or business practices to avoid regulation while retaining their essentially ‘adult’ nature.”
The new ordinance very specifically defines what is allowed to obtain a license and states the legal precedence regarding adverse secondary effects for the city’s decision-making.
The zoning ordinance amendment aligns with the revised definition of sexually oriented businesses.
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