The Fayetteville City Council on April 21 will hear the final reading of an amendment to the sexually-oriented business ordinance. The proposal, intended to update the original ordinance first adopted in 1998, adds a number of new conditions, restrictions and definitions.

The proposed amendment is being recommended to address several current issues pertaining to various types of adult businesses, said city senior planner Linwood Robinson.

The proposal includes limiting sexually-oriented businesses to the light and heavy manufacturing districts, clarifying certain definitions in the ordinance and providing the findings of a number of studies associated with adverse secondary effects of sexually-oriented businesses in communities in the United States, Robinson said in an April 7 memo.

Included in the proposed amendment is the definition of the “substantial business purpose” of a sexually-oriented business and its “adult items” where one or more of certain criteria are met.

Those include at least 25 percent of the displayed merchandise, at least 25 percent of the wholesale value of displayed merchandise, at least 25 percent of the retail value, at least 25 percent of revenue from sale or rental or at least 25 percent of the floor space for sale, display or rental of adult items.

Also included in the criteria are businesses than maintain at least 500 square feet of floor space for adult items, those that regularly sell or rent at least 2,000 adult items, those that regularly sell and advertise adult items or those that maintain an adult arcade.