City Council Votes to Consider SFV 'Adult Business' Moratorium

LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously today to draft a proposal by Councilwoman Nury Martinez that places a moratorium on the issuance of new permits for a variety of "adult-oriented" businesses (including liquor stores) in parts of the San Fernando Valley as a way to fight the blight of prostitution that Martinez claims is plaguing sections of her district. Martinez's motion, which was submitted last month, was addressed at today's 10:45 a.m. Special Council Meeting, which was called by the council president to consider two Martinez-related items. Specifically, the council voted on whether to approve the following recommendations: 1. INSTRUCT the Department of City Planning (DCP), in consultation with the City Attorney, to: a. Prepare and process an ICO, to prohibit the issuance of demolition, building, grading, and any other applicable permits to prevent any future adult entertainment or adult oriented uses including strip clubs, topless bars, massage parlors, dancehalls, and liquor stores, for the properties fronting or abutting: Sun Valley - Lankershim Boulevard from Roscoe/Tuxford to San Fernando Road Sun Valley - San Fernando Road from Sunland Boulevard to Branford Street Van Nuys - Sepulveda Boulevard from Oxnard Street to Rayen Street b. Include an Urgency Clause making it effective upon publication, and consistent with California Government Code §65858, the ICO shall run for 45 days, with a 10 month and 15 days extension by Council Resolution, and can be further extended for an additional 1 year, or until the adoption of the appropriate land use regulatory controls have been prepared by the DCP, adopted by the Council and become effective, whichever occurs first. 2. DIRECT the DCP and the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety to establish a Zoning Information File so that all City staff and any member of the public can be made aware of this action. The council voted to approve despite the fact that "neither the City Administrative Officer nor the Chief Legislative Analyst has completed a financial analysis on this report," according to the hearing agenda. The Los Angeles Times reported, "City staff members will prepare an ordinance for final consideration by the council. If approved, the restrictions would initially last 45 days and could be extended up to two years. Temporary rules would give the city time to judge whether the restrictions reduced crime, Martinez said." The Times article also included comments from adult industry attorney Alan Gelbard, who expressed his reasons for opposing the Martinez moratorium. "It's an unhealthy conflation between illegal sex trades and adult businesses which are legal and run responsibly and professionally," he said. "If there's a strip club that has a high incidence of prostitution in it, then the laws are in place to shut it down."