ARCADIA, Florida — Following the county’s lead, the Arcadia City Council this week unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance suspending the processing of applications for adult entertainment permits for 180 days.

“At our last meeting, the council enacted an emergency ordinance imposing a 60-day moratorium,” City Attorney David Holloman told the council. He said he now believed it would take more time to consider the particular land uses involved and asked the council to enact a 180-day moratorium to give the city council more time to study the matter.

The 180-day moratorium would take effect following expiration of the 60-day moratorium.

The ordinance proposed by the city states that zoning regulations, land development regulations and Section 22 of the city code “do not presently allow sufficient conditioning and oversight of such uses (adult entertainment) and it may be necessary to revise the zoning regulations, land development regulations and Section 22 of the city code.”

Last month, DeSoto County passed a similar 180-day ordinance, when County Attorney Howard Holtzendorf told the commission board the county might be receiving adult entertainment applications soon. He noted the county could not “out and out” ban adult entertainment.

“We have no land use regulations that deal with adult entertainment in the LDRs,” he said. He said the county needed some time to look at its ability to control adult entertainment constitutionally. “Other counties have done so successfully,” he added.