Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010

Cary to consider land-use changes

Rules for strip clubs, daycares could tighten

Strip clubs and other adult businesses that want to open shop in Cary may soon find their location options more limited.

The Town Council on Thursday will consider several land-use regulation, including revisions that'll prevent adult video stores, massage parlors and strip clubs from operating outside of Cary's industrial zones.

If approved, adult businesses must still acquire a special use permit from the town but are also limited to non-residential districts such as some of the areas near Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

Cary occasionally receives inquiries from adult business owners curious about the town's rules, staff said.

The requests led to a new look at the town's regulations last fall.

Staff reviewed other municipal ordinances and court decisions before deciding on the new zoning rules. The proposed amendment will accommodate constitutionally-protected building uses while also maintaining property values and preventing "secondary impacts" of having such businesses around, such as blight, traffic, litter and crime, according to the town's report.

Under current law, adult businesses are not be allowed within 2,000 feet of each other or within 1,000 feet of any church, school, daycare center, public park, house, or residential zone. These rules would not change with the new zoning guidelines.

Meanwhile, the council may also vote on other issues at the meeting, including:

Reducing the number of children in small daycare homes from eight to six. If adopted, the amendment would also require home-based daycares to acquire a special use permit for keeping more than six children in their home at any given time. The current rule requires large daycares to retrieve a special permit for watching more than nine children.

The proposed change was sparked by complaints about traffic and noise generated by small day care homes.

The Town Council will hold a public hearing on the issue Thursday and could vote to instate the new rules.

Allowing 13 acres of land southwest of the I-40 and Trenton Road intersection to be used for solar panels. Reedy Creek Investment wants to install solar panels in a vacant area of land that's currently zoned for residential use.

The Town Council will likely move this forward to a public hearing Feb. 25.

The Town Council meeting will take place Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Town Hall, 316 N. Academy Street.