Have prissy old church ladies really infiltrated the Reno City Council? Who will the morality police come for next?!? We’re one step away from The Handmaid’s Tale, if this is allowed to stand! What’s wrong with a little grit and grime downtown in a city? It’s part of its character and charm! If they can run this type of business off their land, they could do it to anyone!

I’m embarrassed to say that probably would have been my reaction (back when I was young and knew everything) to the news that the Council voted this week to impose regulations which will rid downtown Reno of its strip clubs. I’m glad the City Council showed more foresight and wisdom than I would have back then.

Before reading on, take a moment to think of the view from your home’s front door. What if it was different? Imagine that instead of the neighbor’s house, it was a McDonald’s. Or a dive bar. Or a Wal-Mart. Or a meat packing plant.

How fast would you be talking to a realtor?

Now imagine you’re looking for a new home, and keep getting shown the ones next to Wal-Mart, or the meat packing plant?

How fast would you be talking to a new realtor?

Any large community with a healthily diverse economy will have all of these types of businesses, and many more. They should be allowed to operate whether some portion of the population has a “moral” objection or not. (I’m looking at you, Wal-Mart haters.)

But there is nothing wrong with carving out spaces where neighborhoods can thrive as neighborhoods, without worry that a Taco Bell will pop up in the cul-de-sac. Chemical plants ought not set up shop next to a row of restaurants. The XXX Theater marquis doesn’t need to be visible from a third grade classroom window, or anywhere else children are likely to frequent. Zoning regulations like this have been common for nearly a century, and their constitutionality is firmly established.

The adult businesses would have the city look more narrowly, and consider only raw crime statistics within some narrow radius of physical distance, or property values generally (confusing “because of” with “in spite of”). To some degree, the city took that bait, arguing about “secondary” negative effects surrounding such businesses in general, national studies. But this argument (deliberately) misses the larger point.

City planners can and should consider not just space and safety, but the aesthetics, culture, and character of the community. If revitalizing a neighborhood – or a city center infamous for blight and smut – is a priority, then considering what new businesses are willing to relocate given the current versus proposed character of the area is a legitimate concern.  The conclusions of the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN), that these clubs are holding back even more robust downtown revitalization, make rather obvious sense.

And let’s face it – sexually explicit businesses are unique. Whatever consenting adults want to do in their bedroom (or the Champaign Room, or the Chat Room) is no business of mine. But intentionally exposing children to pornography is a crime in certain circumstances, and for good reason. If the Wild Orchid’s infamous digital sign with running video advertising its human wares on a busy street corner isn’t porn, it’s certainly the next best thing, and I cringe every time I happen to drive by it with my kids in the car.

The Orchid tried to tone it down the last year, realizing belatedly they were sowing the seeds of their own eventual ouster. That was good. This week, they pinky-promised to tear it down altogether. That’s better. But kids can still read “FULLY NUDE GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS!!!” while we’re trying to watch a classic car parade, even on a non-digital sign.

Reno has some great events downtown, but that sort of thing makes me think twice about going at all. I’m looking forward to not being embarrassed to bring my family – or visiting friends’ families – to what should be the showpiece area of my adopted hometown.

Some more traditionally conservative voices, such as the Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce, actually opposed these regulations, worried about a slippery slope of the government showing “undesirable” businesses the door. They are right to be vigilant when elected officials start making decisions that affect other people’s livelihoods, and to insist that the council’s decisions not be arbitrary or capricious or based on the mere whims of prudish busybodies.

But that is an argument against zoning laws altogether, not about this particular set of regulations. The Chamber should protect the rights of adult businesses to operate. But that organization should also recognize the clubs’ current locations are holding back the full potential of other downtown shops, and Reno’s economic development generally.

Last week, I argued in this space that the Reno City Council (and government in general) ought to keep a light hand on the economic tiller, and this is true. But in moving to move strip clubs out of downtown Reno, the City Council made the right call.

Properly constructed zoning regulations serve not as an enemy to a free market economy, but as a promise to businesses, developers, entrepreneurs, and citizens alike – that while there will be plenty of space for a “grittier” experience for anyone who wants it, the heart of the city we all share will be a welcoming place every member of our community can enjoy and be proud of.

Orrin Johnson has been writing and commenting on Nevada and national politics since 2007. He started with an independent blog, First Principles, and was a regular columnist for the Reno Gazette-Journal from 2015-2016. By day, he is a deputy district attorney for Carson City. His opinions here are his own. Follow him on Twitter @orrinjohnson, or contact him at [email protected].