GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – The Clay County Board of County Commissioners has delayed a final decision on where adult novelty stores can be located and how they will be regulated.
A final vote was expected Tuesday night, but after more than three hours of public comment, commissioners decided to have a final decision by next April, saying the issue needs further scrutiny and review.
There will be a meeting Nov. 6, and a workshop will be held to answer the community's questions and to reach a solution.
Clay County banned sexually oriented businesses back in 1985. But the current county attorney said the ban violates the First Amendment right to free speech.
Since then, county leaders have identified 28 sites they deem acceptable locations for adult entertainment operations.
The proposed ordinance would regulate how these businesses would run in addition to restricting public nudity and providing boundaries as to where they are located.
More than two dozen people voiced serious moral concerns about allowing what they called "porn" into the area, and how close these types of businesses could be to schools, playgrounds, daycares and bus stops.
Others told commissioners they did not want to cluster these shops and create a "red light district" in Clay County.