Development Services Department Plans Meeting in Hastings

The City of Hastings Development Services Department invites the public to provide feedback during a public meeting for zoning updates related to adult establishments as well as short-term rentals.

The meeting will be 5-6:30 p.m., Thursday, July 23 at the Hastings Public Library, 314 N. Denver Ave. 

These two issues are being discussed together because statutes and court cases have addressed these zoning categories and Hastings City Code has limited language addressing them. 

Adult establishments are addressed in City Code as a Conditional Use Permit, but there are no districts where the CUP is allowed. 

The Development Services Department has proposed definitions for assembly and retail adult establishments but needs public input into how to regulate them.

Those proposed definitions are as follows:

The assembly adult establishment includes spaces for people to gather that includes matters of a sexual nature such as adult bookstores, adult movie theatres, and adult cabarets. These are not in state statutes however are required to be licensed with the state. Additionally, there are two U.S. Supreme Court cases that made determinations as to how a community can regulate these.

Retail adult establishment includes any business which sells products or services to clientele over 18 years of age such as tattoo parlors, cannabis dispensaries, bars, and liquor stores. These are also regulated by Nebraska licensure regulations, but not as strictly as the assembly types.

Any code addressing adult establishments or short-term rentals must adhere to state and federal decisions and cannot be zoned out of the community. 

Zoning changes are intended to address potential legal issues and provide consistency and clarity within the city’s zoning code.