Commission forced to delay action on sex shops

Lacking a quorum, the Regional Planning Commission was unable to take action Wednesday on a proposed ordinance regulating sexually oriented businesses in Yakima.

The ordinance prohibits stores that specialize in the sale of pornographic movies or magazines, sex toys and other adult accessories from being within 500 feet of schools, parks, churches or residential neighborhoods. It also would prohibit such businesses from being within 1,500 feet of each other.

The draft also includes a clause that allows existing businesses to stay where they are, in essence, grandfathering the businesses in under the ordinance.

But only three members of the commission — chairman John Hodkinson, vice chairman Bernie Kline and Jerry Craig — showed up for the meeting.

That meant the commission didn’t have enough members on hand to vote and forward the matter to the City Council. The commission has seven members, and it needs at least four to have a quorum.

Absent were Charlotte Baldwin, John Gehlsen, Ted Marquis Jr. and Rockey Marshall.

The commission is expected to take up the matter at its monthly meeting in November.