New parlors on hold as officials massage rules - Valley Sun

[massage]

Businesses offering massage services will not be able to open or expand for at least 45 days, while officials figure out new rules to regulate them, according to an urgency ordinance passed Monday by the La Cañada Flintridge City Council.

The 2009 state law that previously regulated massage parlors expired on Jan. 1, while a bill approved by Gov. Jerry Brown last year placed governance back in the hands of local municipalities after several cities complained of not being able to regulate the negative impacts of a swiftly growing industry.

Now La Cañada lawmakers must craft their own policies to guide the establishment and operation of businesses that, in other locales, have been associated with prostitution and human trafficking.

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Currently, 21 local businesses offer some form of massage inside city limits — including chiropractors' offices and hair and nail salons — although no legal complaints have arisen from their activities, according to Community Development Director Robert Stanley.

"There's a number of them around here," Stanley said. "And a number of cities will put distance requirements and things of that nature. But I think it might be impractical for our city in our circumstance to do that. So we're looking for the appropriate way to regulate these uses."

Council members voted unanimously to adopt the 45-day moratorium, which took effect immediately after the vote. The length of the prohibition could be extended to as long as 22 months and 15 days, subject to a public hearing and 4-5 vote, Stanley said.

During the moratorium, no permits, licenses, approvals or entitlements may be issued. The city is also barred from accepting applications for new businesses, or the expansion or relocation of existing ones.

City Attorney Mark Steres said the idea was to give lawmakers a little time to research the new law, see what's being done in other cities and draft a comprehensive regulation specific to La Cañada.

"The purpose of the moratorium isn't because you had complaints; it's to give you breathing room," Steres explained. "Existing businesses aren't impacted from this, so we're not taking away someone's established business. All we're saying is that we're not going to create more of them during this period."

Before 2009, La Cañada's municipal code laid out policy regarding certification requirements, zoning and business practices. That was before the state established the California Massage Therapy Council, a certifying body for massage technicians, and restricted the ability of cities to apply zoning regulations to such businesses.

Furthermore, the state required municipalities to zone the establishments in the same vein as other personal services, including medical, dental and law offices. Under the new law, cities may restrict massage businesses to specific zones.

Councilwoman Terry Walker requested the city contact those businesses that currently offer massage services, to inform them of the moratorium and how it may apply to them. In their comments, other council members expressed their approval of having time to draft meaningful rules.

"It's a big problem in other cities," Curtis said. "I'm glad it's not a problem in La Cañada, but let's nip it in the bud before it becomes a problem."