WARSAW — The Warsaw Plan Commission met briefly on Monday, Aug. 14 to discuss the proposed revisions for the sexually oriented business ordinance.

The main changes to the ordinance include the following:

• Extending the minimum distance between a school, church, youth oriented business, residential zone, daycare and the Warsaw Technology park from 500 to 1,000 feet.
• Declaring a business as a S.O.B. when 25 percent of the inventory is sexually oriented.
• Limiting the hours of operation to 11 a.m. until midnight.
• Require proper licenses and permits.

The main concern of the evening was making sure board members read the related studies and understand the changes being made to the ordinance. Legally, the city does not need to conduct its own study as long as the ordinance is based off of related case studies.

“It’s vital from a defence standpoint that you understand the regulations and the reason why you’re making those regulations,” said City Planner Jeremy Skinner.

The board agreed to limit the number of studies included from 23 to three. This will allow board members to feel comfortable with knowing and understanding the material.

The draft was tabled until next month so that members will have proper time to read the studies. Once the plan commission recommends the draft it go before the city council for their approval.

While this was a public hearing, no residents or business owners were in attendance to make a comment. Anyone interested in revising the drafted ordinance can receive a copy at the Warsaw city planner’s office located in city hall.