Adult entertainment establishments in Damariscotta could only operate in two areas of town if voters adopt a draft ordinance.
According to Damariscotta Town Manager Matt Lutkus, the draft ordinance includes a 1,500-foot buffer between adult entertainment establishments and any school, day care center, recreational facility, church, or park.
“It does not prohibit them to build in our community,” Lutkus said during a Damariscotta Board of Selectmen meeting Feb. 18.
The ordinance would limit adult entertainment establishments to the commercial area of Biscay Road and the commercial area adjacent to the intersection of Business Route 1 and Route 1, according to Lutkus.
No adult entertainment establishment will be allowed downtown, in any residential area, or in any rural zone, Lutkus said.
“It’s restrictive, but we feel it meets the intent of various court interpretations of the Constitution,” Lutkus said.
The draft ordinance will be on the warrant for a special town meeting March 18. A public hearing will take place March 4.
