Following an eight year battle, yesterday the city won a ruling that will strengthen its ability to keep adult video, theater and bookstores in check. Around 125 establishments catering to the triple-X set may be forced to close if they can't go legit.
What constitutes "legit" in this corner of the X-rated world? The Daily News explains that some businesses "sought to sidestep a 1995 zoning law by devoting 60% of their floor space to non-adult material. The city tweaked the law in 2001 to go after those shops, saying their compliance with the 60/40 zoning rules was a sham because their main focus was porn." Under the latter law, stores with over 40% of space devoted to adult entertainment were prohibited in residential neighborhoods.
So now, the city has permission to shut down any adult biz that took advantage of the old loophole because they were operating as a predominantly adult-oriented business. The city's criminal justice coordinator, John Feinblatt, told the Real Deal, "It is obvious to community residents and the city alike that many of these so-called '60/40' establishments are shams created by adult businesses in an attempt to avoid complying with the law." Let's all just click our metal-studded black leather heels together three times and go back to the good ol' days.
