Bath extends ban on adult biz

By ROB PRICE THE COURIER-ADVOCATE

BATH - Bath town officials last week extended by 90 days a moratorium on new adult-oriented businesses, citing ongoing efforts to wrap up a comprehensive plan to guide future development in the municipality.

The 90-day extension could be extended another 90 days if necessary, town Supervisor Fred Muller said after the meeting. The town passed its original moratorium on adult stores in January 2006 and has maintained the moratorium since.

Officials meanwhile continue work on a comprehensive plan, the first draft of which was submitted late last year by an ad hoc committee charged with reviewing land use issues. Councilwoman Robin Lattimer said the committee would work through June on a final draft, although the plan would not go before the full board in July due to expected absences of individual board members.

"I'd like to have everybody on board when we look at this," Lattimer said, adding the plan would probably be submitted to the board at its August meeting.

Town residents will be able to view the next draft on-line through the Steuben County Planning Department's website, Lattimer said.

Work on the plan continued in the wake of a public hearing in which the town's revision of the original comprehensive plan came under heavy criticism for its deletion of specific recommendations drawn up by the ad hoc committee. Officials are now working to reincorporate at least some of those recommendations, according to Muller.

The town supervisor last week instructed town attorney Jeffrey Squires to begin drafting legislation regarding the location of any adult business using the original recommendations drafted by the ad hoc committee. Those specifics include a minimum distance between any adult use business and churches, schools and public parks.

The eventual legislation will become either an amendment to the town's current Site Plan, which was passed in 2006, or be approved as a local law regulating land use, Muller said.