ABINGDON, Tenessee – County and town officials are playing a game of monkey see, monkey do with changes to their zoning ordinances.
Nearly two months after the Bristol City Council passed an ordinance limiting adult-oriented businesses, officials in Washington County and the towns of Abingdon and Damascus have done or plan to do the same thing.
This week, the Abingdon Town Council unanimously passed an adult-use ordinance on an emergency basis.
“If you do it on an emergency basis, you don’t have to have a second reading, which takes two months,” Town Manager Mickey Newman said.
The town does not have any adult-oriented stores, but the county does. Sugar ‘n Spice, an adult video, lingerie and novelty store, opened in the county outside town on U.S. Highway 58 in February.
The opening of that store, mixed with Bristol’s experience, made town officials realize they needed to act quickly, said Town Planner Al Bradley.
Bristol officials passed an ordinance limiting adult businesses after an adult novelty store opened on State Street across from a Christian bookstore and adjoining a neighborhood.
“It looked like the handwriting was on the wall,” Bradley said.
Abingdon’s ordinance prohibits adult bookstores, motion picture theaters, mini-motion picture theaters, motion picture arcades, model studios, drive-in theaters or massage parlors from opening within 1,000 feet of one other.
Such businesses also cannot open within 750 feet of a residential district, school, public library, educational institution, church, public park, playground, play field or day-care center.
The Damascus Town Council approved a motion this week at its meeting to have the town attorney look into drafting a new ordinance, said Town Clerk Tonya Triplett.
The county has been moving ahead with an ordinance as well. The county Planning Commission plans a public hearing on its measure on June 27.
The county ordinance would prohibit adult-oriented businesses within 1,500 feet of one other and within 1,500 feet of churches, public libraries, public or private schools, public parks, lodging houses, tourist homes, child day-care centers, hotels and motels.
Adult businesses also would be prohibited within 1,000 feet of seven zoning districts, including residential areas.