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NORTHWEST ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS, INC. <br />4800 Olson Memorial Highway, Suite 202, Golden Valley, MN 55422 <br />Telephone: 763.2.31 .2555 Facsimile: 763.231 .2561 planners @nacplanning.com <br />MEMORANDUM <br />TO: Little Canada Planning Commission <br />FROM: Stephen Grittman <br />DATE: February 3, 2012 <br />RE: Little Canada — Adult Oriented Business Zoning <br />FILE NO: 758.10 — 12.01 <br />Background and Analysis <br />This reports provides an analysis examining the impacts of the City's change in <br />development patterns over time, combined with updates to its zoning ordinance and <br />map as they relate to the regulation of adult oriented uses. In summary, these changes <br />have raised the need to adjust zoning allowances and buffer distances to ensure that <br />the ordinance continues to meet legal standards in this area. <br />Little Canada's zoning ordinance provides regulations related to Adult Uses in Section <br />903.130, and also has an extensive set of licensing provisions in the general City Code. <br />The Zoning Ordinance currently provides for adult uses only in the B -2 district, and by <br />extension, the PUD districts. <br />Since it has been some time since the City conducted this type of analysis, planning <br />staff has provided a "Question and Answer" format for City review. The regulation of <br />adult uses is often misunderstood, and due to first amendment issues, requires special <br />attention. <br />Q.1. Why does the City have an ordinance that allows these uses? <br />A.1. In a long series of legal cases, entertainment and arts - related activities have <br />come under the protection of the "Free Speech" clause of the first amendment — <br />perhaps more descriptively thought of as "Free Expression ". As a form of <br />expression with First Amendment protection, the City has limited ability to <br />regulate adult- oriented uses. <br />