Baltimore County officials want to confine adult book and video stores to the county's sparse heavy manufacturing zones, along with new tattoo and massage parlors, in an effort to shield older commercial areas from decline.
The proposal, to be introduced at the County Council session Tuesday night, also would keep such businesses at least 1,000 feet from any home, school, place of worship, park or library, and would keep those stores at least 2,500 feet from other similar businesses.
Its introduction comes weeks after adoption of a similar, but less restrictive, law in Howard County and reflects fears that stores shunned in Howard or elsewhere might move to such places as Essex or Arbutus.
"You can't preserve the older neighborhoods without preserving commercial corridors," said Michael H. Davis, spokesman and chief policy aide to County Executive C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger.
County Council Chairman Stephen G. Sam Moxley agreed, adding that the county is spending too much money to build up older suburbs to allow adult entertainment stores to spoil those efforts.
"I'm not saying do away with these things, but certain zones are appropriate," Moxley, a Catonsville Democrat, said.
The proposal -- being introduced as a joint council-administration measure -- would require existing adult book and video stores to move to industrial land within one year. An adult video store is defined as any store with at least 20 percent of stock or floor space devoted to X-rated material.
The measure pleases some community and church groups in Essex and Arbutus fighting adult-oriented businesses in their neighborhoods.
"Whatever would move it away from the schoolchildren -- that's my primary concern," said the Rev. Robert L. Hartnett, pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church and school in the 1700 block of Old Eastern Ave. in Essex
He has been battling the nearby 104 Video store, which has large window ads for its sexually explicit videos. "Adults are going to make adult decisions," he said, "but children are going through moral formation."
WIDOW WARNING Store owners, however, complain that the proposal is unfair.
Morgan Wagner, owner of the adult video store near the church, concedes that the store's attention-getting signs might cause image problems for the neighborhood, but said, "As far as actually causing problems, [the store] does nothing."
Wagner's store and some stores along Southwestern Boulevard in Arbutus have drawn complaints and would be forced to move under the law.
The proposal is the latest in a series of efforts by the county to restrict adult-oriented businesses.
Last month, the county cited Southwest Video Store in Arbutus, a new 24-hour-a-day operation with videos, magazines, sexual paraphernalia and private viewing booths, for violating sign and occupancy permits and a law regulating striptease shows.
Attorneys for the store have filed a federal suit claiming the striptease law is unconstitutional.
In addition to placing restrictions on adult-oriented businesses, the bill being introduced Tuesday would allow tattoo and body piercing establishments and massage parlors not using licensed operators to stay where they are.
Pub Date: 2/11/98
