Adult video and bookstores across Prince George's County are worried their businesses were handed a death sentence after the County Council voted unanimously to approve two bills that strengthen zoning and licensing restrictions for stores that sell adult materials.

The bills define adult video and bookstores as businesses where more than 10 percent of publicly accessible floor space is occupied by adult materials. The legislation requires such businesses to obtain a special license and adhere to county laws restricting the establishments to industrial zoning areas. The Maryland Coalition Against Pornography has pushed for the changes for several years.

Beltsville resident George Mazanderan, who lives near Wholesale Lingerie and Gift Center on Route 1, spoke in support of the two bills Sept. 9 at a public hearing attended by about 100 people prior to the council's vote.

Mazanderan said he often finds used condoms and drug needles in his driveway and witnesses prostitution activity outside his home.

"We have prostitutes, male and female, 24 hours a day," he said.

A man who answered the phone at Wholesale on Friday afternoon said the store had no comment.

At the council hearing, South Laurel resident Maria Agres said adult bookstores make it difficult for communities to maintain a family-friendly reputation. She said the current restrictions on adult businesses are "blatantly abused," and resident committees have advocated for stricter oversight for many years.

"This has been very frustrating and disappointing for us," Agres said.

In an interview with The Gazette, County Councilman E. Thomas Dernoga (D-Dist. 1) of Laurel, one of the bills' sponsors, said similar laws have been in place since the 1990s, but were unenforceable because of court challenges. He said the County Council has sought to avoid similar legal trouble with the new legislation by modeling it after restrictions the Supreme Court has upheld in other parts of the country.

Several book and video store owners opposed the bills. At the public hearing, they emphasized their stores' constitutional right to exist and said the legislation's requirements would in effect force their businesses to close, cost the county millions in lost jobs and tax revenue. The store owners emphasized that adult businesses have a constitutional right to exist.

Robert Carl, an owner of Video Plus in College Park, said relocating his store to an industrial area is not realistic.

"The areas they're talking about are not viable for retail establishments," he said. "So that's not an option for anybody."

Carl said he is considering taking legal action against Prince George's County or moving his store to another county.

Peter Beck, who owns a store in Clinton, said the legislation would effectively put his shop out of business. He asked the council to reconsider the measures.

"Otherwise, we're dead. If that's the intention here, then you've achieved it," he said at the public hearing.

Dernoga said the council does not intend to force any stores to close. Many adult book and video stores are destination businesses, he said, so they should be able to draw customers in industrial areas as well.

Dernoga amended the bills to eliminate a licensing fee and extend the deadline for businesses to achieve compliance with the new legislation.

"It's really about zoning and land use," he said prior to the vote. "It's not intended to deprive anyone of their business, although there may be some concerns that need to be addressed."

E-mail Caitlin Moran at cmoran@gazette.net.