Calistoga puts brakes on adult-oriented businesses

By John Waters Jr.
Register Online

Before any sexually oriented business, could expose itself to Calistoga, the City Council Tuesday voted 5-0 to change a city ordinance requiring a conditional use permit to open any sex-related business locally.

“I need to make it abundantly clear that no one has proposed such a business in Calistoga,” said Mayor Jack Gingles.

Instead, he said, members of the Calistoga Planning Commission and the City Council had heard that local business persons were indeed interested in opening an adult bookstore. Essentially, the city had no legal recourse for not approving such an application, if it had been proposed.

Tuesday’s move will still let an applicant apply to open an adult-oriented business, but will require the Planning Commission to decide if such a business is appropriate for any proposed location in Calistoga.

All city council members and two members of the public spoke against allowing such businesses in Calistoga. Chief among all their concerns was the need to protect Calistoga’s children.

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