Businesses that book semi-nude dancers and provide escort service could find it tougher to operate in Salt Lake County soon.

The county plans to restrict the zones in which the two types of businesses are allowed under the sexually oriented business ordinance. The proposed change would require semi-nude dancers and escort booking agencies to get a conditional use permit and would restrict them to C2, C3, (community and regional commercial) and M1 (light industrial) zones.At present they can operate in the RM-1 and C1 zone, which permits commercial uses such as professional offices.

The proposed change also would require new booking business to be located 300 feet from a residential zone boundary and 1,000 feet from a school, church or public park.

The county proposes to exempt booking offices from a requirement that sexually oriented businesses be 1,000 feet apart. That means the booking offices could be in the same building as a dance hall that employs dancers.

Some residents who attended a Planning Commission hearing Tuesday said they feared that could concentrate sexually oriented businesses in some locales. But that's unlikely because the businesses employing dancers still must be 1,000 feet apart, said deputy county attorney Kent Lewis.

The residents also said the proposed changes don't go far enough. They want booking agencies kept far from residential neighborhoods.

View Comments

Lewis said the county has gone about as far as it legally can to restrict the booking and escort service businesses. In fact, escort businesses apparently find the county's ordinances tough to meet.

There are no escort businesses in the county, according to County Planner Glenn Graham. There are currently four businesses that book semi-nude dancers.

The businesses already are in buildings that house clubs with semi-nude dancers.

The Planning Commission will vote on the proposed zone change at its Jan. 10 meeting. Then the changes must be approved by the County Commission.

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.