Virginia- The City of Alexandria’s Planning Commission elected not to move forward on a proposal that would have regulated the opening of adult stores and threatened one existing shop with closure.

The board voted 5-1 not to initiate a proposed amendment to the city’s zoning regulations, according to deputy director of planning and zoning Barbara Ross. The measure would have required adult-oriented businesses to be more than 1,000 feet away from each other, and for such stores not to exist in Alexandria’s historic district.

Planning Commissioner John Komoroske voted in favor of the amendment, while Commissioner Eric Wagner was absent from the vote, which occurred at a meeting Thursday evening.

Two shops currently exist in the historic district, including Lotus Blooms, which opened in October, and Le Tache, which opened a year ago. Both are located on King Street.

Had the regulations passed, Le Tache would have been grandfathered in at its existing location, but Lotus Blooms would have had 18 months to recoup its investments before closing.

“We had support from many people,” Lotus Blooms co-owner Ann Ile said of the hearing.

The board did direct planning staff to work on an amendment which would limit sexually-oriented materials from being displayed in store windows, according to Ross, but no timetable was set for such legislation.