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The adult entertainment scene in Augusta has dwindled in recent years. But that may change in the near future.
The City Public Service Commission unanimously approved the permit last month. Ministry of Planning and Development Review and recommend updates to the City Code section related to adult entertainment.
Commissioner Ben Hassan said he made the request because “several” people had recently contacted him, saying the code was “restrictive” for adult entertainment. He asked the Department of Planning and Development to look at the city codes for Savannah, Atlanta and Columbia, South Carolina, for reference.
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When asked for specifics on Nov. 2, Hassan said their advice would depend a lot on what other cities are doing and what works for them, but it’s them “getting things done” Opportunity.
The committee is expected to hear some updates and recommendations at its Dec. 6 meeting.
What is “adult entertainment”?
Augusta’s guidelines treat most businesses of a pornographic or sexual nature as “adult entertainment,” with the exception of some stores that sell lingerie or sex “toys.”
Specifically, adult video stores or bookstores (businesses that sell pornographic images) are considered “adult entertainment”, such as the X-Mart adult supermarket on Gordon Highway. Not so with stores like Spencer’s Gifts or Seduction by Tiffani that only sell clothing and accessories.
Adult entertainment and alcohol
One decree from Augusta that has been a major point of discussion for the past few years is Sec. 6-2-27, Businesses are not allowed to hold both alcohol and adult entertainment licenses.
That’s part of what led Augusta’s last two strip clubs, Discotheque Lounge and Joker’s Lounge, to ditch their adult entertainment licenses and switch to a model that sells alcohol and costumed dancers.
Although the law was changed in 1997, the clubs were able to continue operating under the grandfather terms granted to their former owner, James “Whitney” Leicester. But when he died in 2019, the city refused to transfer the permit to his family, so they filed a lawsuit.
They lost the case in September 2021, filed an appeal almost immediately, and lost the case in October.
Atlanta’s ordinance restricts “adult dance hall” drinking, but it provides six exceptions, the first on the list being the easiest; it exempts businesses with fewer than 100 residents. Colombia’s regulations only prohibit the sale of alcohol to minors in “sex-oriented businesses.” Savannah’s statute states that liquor license holders may not allow nudity or anyone who is clothed to “expose any part of a female breast below the top of the areola or any part of a male or female pubic hair band, anal fissure, vulva or genitals.” .
location, location, location
Any changes to alcohol ordinances likely won’t change the fortunes of discos and clowns, as another early zoning amendment would only allow adult entertainment in the Augusta area, which is classified as light or heavy, which would exclude city ​​center.
The last open adult entertainment business in Augusta, the X-Mart Adult Supermarket, is located on Gordon Highway and Doug Barnard Parkway. However, if Augusta’s alcohol regulations are changed, it could allow new strip clubs to open in permitted areas.
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Augusta, Savannah, Atlanta and Columbia restrict adult businesses to a certain distance from schools, places of worship, etc. However, only Augusta has designated a specific area, while regulations in other cities focus on not allowing adult businesses to be too close to specific businesses or public facilities.
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