The difficult question of where to put something the city doesn't want - adult businesses - will go before Cincinnati City Council next week.
One answer: Allowing sexually oriented businesses to set up shop only in part of Queensgate, was recommended Friday by the city Planning Commission.
But limiting strip clubs, porn shops and other such businesses to Queensgate, which is home to industrial sites, drew fire from the Cincinnati Museum Center and area businesses.
Council has three options:
- Pass the Planning Commission's recommendation, which would also limit the number of adult businesses in Queensgate to no more than 10.
- Extend for six months temporary regulations that expire Thursday. The regulations say such businesses can only locate in areas zoned for medium and heavy industry. Parts of Camp Washington, Winton Place, Winton Hills, Bond Hill, Oakley, Pleasant Ridge and Queensgate are eligible. The legislation was passed last year to give the city time to hammer out permanent laws.
- Let the temporary regulations expire. This would mean adult businesses could go in any area of Cincinnati zoned for business.
Councilman Phil Heimlich first proposed legislation to restrict where such businesses can go. He supports the Queensgate option. Richard Glover, president and CEO of the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, argued against that. The center is near the proposed area.
Mr. Glover said the area is the center's neighborhood. Among the residents: The 16,000 households who are members of the center; the million-plus visitors a year to the center; and the more than 125,000 school children who visit each year.
"Why are we second-class?" he asked.
Mr. Heimlich and others stressed that choosing Queensgate was the lesser among evils.
"I'd like to be able to keep these businesses out of the entire city, but the courts have ruled that they have a right to operate, but they don't have a right to choose their location," Mr. Heimlich said.
"What we're trying to do is to protect our homes, schools, churches and neighborhood business districts from these kinds of businesses. I understand the concern of the business owners in Queensgate, but that's the only area available to us that doesn't impinge on homes, schools, churches or neighborhood business districts."
Just because Queensgate is so designated doesn't mean businesses will set up shop there, Mr. Heimlich said, as tough licensing regulations council passed last year should keep them away.
A public hearing is set for 2 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall before council's Community Development Committee. The full council acts Wednesday.
