Clermont debates "red light" district

How would you feel if adult businesses started setting up next to your child's daycare center, or your church? There's a fight going on to stop that from happening in one part of Lake County.

Kathryn Sutherin describes herself as a "tenacious" person.

"If something's not what I perceive to be logical I will pursue it with everything."

So when she found out the City of Clermont was about to allow adult businesses in Clermont Commons business park, where she runs a daycare center, she jumped into action.

"These are children in this area. Do we wanna expose that to them?"  With help from others in the community, Kathryn got the first ordinance stopped.  "Tuesday night felt good for about an hour!" But she says the city re-wrote the ordinance shortly after.

Federal law says that cities and towns cannot use ordinances and zoning restrictions to make it impossible for adult businesses to open. Kathryn Sutherin says the latest city ordinance in Clermont essentially violates the way it's written.

The ordinance has rules that say the adult businesses cannot be within 1500 feet of any religious institution, educational facility or residence.

Sutherin did a lot of research and discovered there are two churches plus two daycare centers in Clermont Commons and it is surrounded by neighborhoods.

She let the city know and it looks as if Clermont Commons will not become the the city's designated red light district. Adult businesses could end up in one of Clermont's other two industrial parks that fit the zoning profile.

The city zoning board meets Tuesday night to talk more about it. Clermont City Council meets two weeks later.