Zoning Board wants updated zoning law

The CNMI Zoning board is pushing for changes or revisions in the Saipan land use plan to “update” it and make it responsive to the present needs of the community.

“It will be a general update to the Saipan Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Saipan Zoning Law, which was developed in 1993. We need to update it soon. We don’t want to impose something that is not reasonable to today’s conditions,” said Zoning Board administrator Steve Tilley in an interview.

He said any changes will be made public.

“We want to work with local communities,” he said, noting that the agency intends to meet with various groups in different villages to discuss the matter.

He said there is a vast difference now in terms of development on the island. These changes, he said, have become inconsistent with the law.

“The 1993 law had restrictions on developments and places. …There’s much less development then that now. Now, we have commercial, industrial uses that don’t hold to the plan,” he said.

Tilley said the Zoning Board will tackle this matter during its meeting on Dec. 20.

Another pressing agenda during the meeting will be the proposed amendments to the Saipan Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Saipan Zoning Law relating to adult businesses and licensing for adult businesses.

He said the board would decided what to do with the proposal—whether to submit it to the Legislature, hold more public hearings, or make changes and send it to the lawmakers.

As present, the proposed amendment is widely opposed by affected business tenants.

The proposed amendments want to contain adult businesses in two type of zones: overlay parks and business park.

New adult businesses will be allowed to locate only in these zones while existing adult businesses outside the two zones will be considered “nonconforming users.”

As nonconforming establishments, they will be asked to stop operations within one year unless an extension is approved.

The proposal defines adult businesses to include adult arcades, adult cabarets, adult motels, adult motion picture theaters, adult theaters, escort agencies, massage parlors, nude model studios, sex shops, and sexual encounter centers.

The proposed legislation shall be enacted by the Saipan Local Delegation as an amendment to the Saipan Zoning Law.

The Zoning Board also seeks to establish rules for managing the outdoor activities and appearance of adult businesses. The board says that signs for adult businesses should not advertise specified sexual activities, and any labels should always be in English.

Adult businesses should also be designed so that the merchandise and activities cannot be seen from outside.

Several problems, including aggressive solicitation of patrons, explicit signage, and the placement of adult merchandise in view of minors, have been associated with adult businesses on Saipan.