YAKIMA, WA — For years, businesses that sell merchandise of an erotic nature have been pressing upon the moral sensitivities of churches in the Yakima, WA area – but no longer! After a number of contentious issues were resolved, the Yakima City Council is set to vote and expected to pass new zoning regulations that will protect those who wish to worship at least 500 feet away from the sale of vibrators, flavored lubricant, or saucy DVDs. “The underlying piece is that those kinds of things – adult businesses – become offensive to those particular parts of our community,” Mayor Dave Elder explained to the Yakima-Herald, concerning churches and schools. “But the other part of it is that historically, there’s been a real concern from neighbors about what it will do to their property values.”
While Elder did not present evidence that the existence of adult businesses in any particular community had actually resulted in the lowering of property values, he did assure currently existing shops of an erotic nature that they may continue as they have, since the final draft of the zoning grandfathers them in.
Those who oppose the introduction of new sex-related shops say they can live with that.
The close proximity of Grapevine, a shop that specializes in adult videos and novelties, to churches resulted in citizen complaints, its city assisted but forced relocation and the development of the new zoning rules.
Elder believes that the new regulations will avoid the confusion and inconvenience experienced by Grapevine and assure communities of stability.
Once the new restrictions pass, shops may not locate within 500 feet of schools, churches, public parks or residential areas. Additionally, they may not be established within 1500 feet of one another, thus avoiding the perception of a “red-light district” in the city.
