MEMORANDUM OPINION
Presently pending and ready for resolution in this case raising constitutional challenges to zoning ordinances is a motion to dismiss or, in the alternative, for summary judgment filed by Defendant Prince George’s County (the' “County”). (ECF No. 7). Also pending is a motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction filed by Plaintiff Nico Enterprises, Inc. (“Plaintiff’). (ECF No. 10).
I. Background
This action is one of a series of cases brought by adult entertainment establishments located within the County challenging two recent County ordinances (CB-46-2010 and CB-56-2011) restricting adult entertainment businesses (the “ordinances”). A recent opinion summarized the ordinances’ restrictions:
[CB-46] banned “adult entertainment” businesses from being located anywhere in the County but Zone 1-2, an industrial zone. §§ 27-461, 473. Additionally, adult entertainment businesses could only operate between 5:00 PM and 3:00 AM, must be located at least one thousand (1,000) feet from any school, or any other building or use providing adult-oriented performances, and at least one thousand (1,000) feet from any residential zone or land used for residential purposes in any zone. § 475-06.06. Establishments “providing adult-oriented performances lawfully established, operating and having a validly issued use and occupancy permit” at the time of CB-46’s enactment had until May 1, 2013 to conform to the new use and location requirements.
CB-56 was adopted by the County Council on November 15, 2011.... “Adult entertainment” remained permitted solely in the 1-2 zone, but CB-56 permitted “adult entertainment” businesses currently existing and operating with a valid use and occupancy permit in zones C-S-C and C-M (commercial zones), and 1-1 and U-L-I (industrial) to continue to operate as nonconforming provided they obtain a Special Exception. Applications for such an exception were due by June 1, 2012. CB-56 eliminated the May 1, 2013 deadline to conform. Based on Plaintiffs’ business locations, they were each rendered nonconforming by CB-56 and must obtain a Special Exception to remain in their present locations.
Maages I,
(7.1) Adult Entertainment: Adult Entertainment means any exhibition, performance or dance of any type conducted in a premise where such exhibition, performance or dance involves a person who:
(A) Is unclothed or in such attire, costume or clothing as to expose to view any portion of the breast below the top of the areola or any portion of the pubic region, anus, buttocks, vulva or genitals with the intent to sexually arouse or excite another person; or
(B) Touches, caresses or fondles the breasts, buttocks, anus, genitals or pubic region of another person, or permits the touching, caressing or fondling of his/her own breasts, buttocks, anus, genitals or pubic region by another person, with the intent to sexually arouse or excite another person.
(ECF No. 7-2, at 24).
On September 21, 2015, Plaintiff filed a complaint seeking a declaratory judgment that CB-46 and CB-56 are unconstitutional under the First and Fourteenth Amend
a. The ordinance unconstitutionally abridges freedom of speech and expression and imposes an impermissible restraint on constitutionally protected expression;
b. The ordinance is irrational, arbitrary, and capricious because it does not further a substantial governmental interest;
c. The ordinance is not narrowly tailored to further any governmental interest substantial or otherwise;
d. The ordinance was enacted without relevant empirical information to support it;
e. The ordinance was adopted without any valid evidence upon which the County could rely to show adult entertainment in general and Plaintiffs business in particular cause adverse secondary effects;
f. The laws were adopted without any evidence that the County’s existing zoning law was inadequate or insufficient, to address any perceived adverse secondary effects;
g. The ordinance does not all[ow] ample alternative avenues of communication;
h. The vagueness and subjective definitions of the ordinance would lead human beings of common intelligence to necessarily guess as to the meaning of these terms and differ as to their application;
i. The ordinance deprives the Plaintiffs of their right to equal protection of the laws;
j. The ordinance does not define the word “premises” in paragraph “A”;
k. The ordinance contains terms that are unconstitutionally vague and do not provide adequate guidance to law enforcement officers, board members or any other agent of the County who themselves would have to necessarily guess as to the meanings of the terms and differ as to their applications thus leading to differential application of the law; [and]
l. The subject legislations are unconstitutionally vague and [are] thus null and void ab initio.
(Id. at 9-10). On October 30, the county filed the pending motion to dismiss. (ECF No. 7). Plaintiff responded (ECF No. 8), and the County replied (ECF No. 9).
On April 1, 2016, the County issued a cease and desist letter to Plaintiff and other nonconforming adult entertainment businesses within the County. (ECF No. 10-1, at 3-15). The letter ordered that Plaintiff “cease and desist all adult entertainment activities no later than 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 8, 2016.” (Id. at 3). On April 27, Plaintiff filed the pending motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction. (ECF No. 10). To date, the County has not taken enforcement action against Plaintiff beyond sending the cease and desist letter and has represented that “it would take no action to disturb the status quo pending this Court’s resolution of all outstanding motions for temporary restraining orders and/or preliminary injunctions.” (ECF No. 12 ¶ 2).
II. Standard of Review
The purpose of a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) is to test the sufficiency of the complaint.
At this stage, all well-pleaded allegations in a complaint must be considered as true, Albright v. Oliver,
III. Analysis
A. Claims Addressed in Maages
The County argues that this court’s reasoning in Maages is dispositive here and warrants dismissal of all of Plaintiffs claims other than its claims of overbreadth and vagueness. (ECF No. 7-1, at 4-6). In its response, Plaintiff concedes that its Equal Protection claim should be dismissed in light of Maages. (ECF No. 8, at 9-10). The plaintiffs in Maages brought challenges to the ordinances that were similar to Plaintiffs claims here. In Maag-es I, the court granted judgment for the County on the following claims: violation of the Equal Protection Clause, lack of required evidentiary support for the ordinances, lack of adequate procedural safeguards in the special exception process, vagueness, and unbridled administrative discretion. Maages I,
Here, Plaintiff puts forth multiple constitutional claims in twelve paragraphs within one count. Some paragraphs assert duplicative claims, and others assert one theory or portions of a claim. It is clear, however, that Maages I and II granted judgment for the County on claims identical to the ones Plaintiff brings, other than its assertion of overbreadth and vague
B. Overbreadth
Plaintiff asserts that the definition of “adult entertainment” in CB-56 is over-broad because it “will burden a multitude of mainstream musical, theatrical, dance productions, art work and even activities in private homes.” (ECF No. 8, at 17). The County argues that Plaintiff does not have standing to challenge CB-56’s overbreadth because “the challenged zoning ordinances are clearly applicable” to Plaintiff. (ECF No.' 7-1, at 6-7). The County also contends that the definition of “adult entertainment” is not overbroad because it is limited to activity that is done “with the intent to sexually arouse or excite another person” (the “intent clause”). (Id. at 9). The County notes that it “interprets this language to mean the primary purpose of the entertainment act [must be] to sexually arouse or excite another person, not [merely have] the incidental effect of sexually arousing or exciting another person.” (Id. at 11).
Plaintiff has standing to bring its overbreadth claim even though it does not argue that CB-56 is overbroad as applied to its - business. “The overbreadth doctrine constitutes ⅛ departure from traditional rules of standing.’” Giovani Carandola, Ltd. v. Bason (Garandola I),
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit addressed similar overbreadth challenges to laws restricting adult entertainment in the Carandola cases. The Fourth Circuit explained:
“[W]here conduct and not merely speech is involved.. .the overbreadth of a statute must not only be real, but substantial as well, judged in relation to the statute’s plainly legitimate sweep.” Broadrick,413 U.S. at 615 ,93 S.Ct. 2908 . “[A] law should not be invalidated for overbreadth unless it reaches a substantial number of impermissible applications. ...” [New York v.] Ferber, 458 U.S. [747,] 771,102 S.Ct. 3348 [73 L.Ed.2d 1113 (1982) ]. If an overbreadth challenge succeeds, “any enforcement” of the regulation at issue is “totally forbidding.” Broadrick,413 U.S. at 613 ,93 S.Ct. 2908 , Thus, the Supreme Court has famously cautioned that the overbreadth doctrine “is, manifestly, strong medicine” and should be used “sparingly and only as a last resort.” id. A court should invoke a “limiting construction” or employ “partial invalidation” before resorting to a finding of facial overbreadth. Id.
Giovani Carandola, Ltd. v. Fox (Carandola II),
“To withstand intermediate scrutiny, [the County] must demonstrate that a statute ‘materially advances an important or substantial interest by redressing past harms or preventing future ones.’” Carandola II,
A law is overbroad if it reaches a “substantial number” of impermissible applications such as artistic theater, dance, and musical productions. See id. at 1081 (citing Ferber,
The statute at issue in Carandola I prohibited, inter alia, the following from taking place at establishments permitted to sell alcoholic drinks:
(4) Any conduct or entertainment by any person whose private parts are exposed or who is wearing transparent clothing that reveals the private parts;
(5) Any entertainment that includes or simulates sexual intercourse or any other sexual act; or
(6) Any other lewd or obscene entertainment or conduct, as defined by the rules of the [North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control] Commission [ (the “Commission”) ].
Carandola I,
(a) No permittee or his employee shall allow any person to perform acts of or acts that simulate:
(1) sexual intercourse, masturbation, sodomy, bestiality, oral copulation, flagellation, or any sexual acts that are prohibited by law;
(2) the touching, caressing or fondling of the breasts, buttocks, anus, vulva or genitals;
(3) the display of the pubic hair, anus, vulva or genitals.
Id. The Fourth Circuit, in upholding the district court’s preliminary injunction, held: “The restrictions challenged here ... sweep far beyond bars and nude dancing establishments. They reach a great
As the Commission has conceded, the plain language of the restrictions prohibited] on licensed premises any entertainment that simulates sexual behavior, even if performers are fully clothed or covered, and even if the conduct is integral to the production—for example, a political satire, a Shakespeare play depicting young love, or a drama depicting the horrors of rape. The Commission has further conceded that the restrictions have the same prohibitory effect on much non-erotic dance—such as a ballet in which one dancer touches another’s buttock during a lift—and all nudity or simulated nudity, however brief, in productions with clear artistic merit—such as the Pulitzer Prize winning play, Wit.
Id. Thus, the Fourth Circuit agreed that North Carolina-impermissibly burdened a substantial amount of “mainstream entertainment.” Id. at 520.
In response to Carandola I, the North Carolina legislature amended the , statute restricting adult entertainment. The new statute prohibited:
(1) Any conduct or entertainment by any person whose genitals are exposed or who is wearing transparent clothing that reveals the genitals;
(2) Any conduct or entertainment that includes or simulates sexual intercourse, masturbation, sodomy, bestiality, oral copulation, flagellation, or any. act that includes or simulates the penetration, however slight, by any object into the genital or anal opening of a person’s body; or
(3) Any conduct or entertainment that includes the fondling of the breast, buttocks, anus, vulva, or genitals.
Carandola II,
The Fourth Circuit upheld the amended statute against an overbreadth challenge for two reasons. First, the Commission acknowledged that the “prohibition on simulated sexual acts only applies to performances that give the realistic impression or illusion that sexual intercourse [or masturbation, etc.] is being performed for the audience.” Id. at 1083 (alteration in original) (internal quotation marks omitted). Thus,- “[u]nder the Commission’s interpretation, the new statute [had] no prohibitory effect on non-erotic dance and would not apply to ‘other mainstream entertainment, including popular and award-winning musicals such as Cabaret, Chicago, Contact, and The Full Monty.’ ” Id. (quoting Carandola I,
The language at issue here falls between the two provisions in Carandola I and II. CB-56 does not contain the explicit excep
Plaintiffs analysis of CB-56 ignores the function of the intent clause and fails to understand its limiting effect. Plaintiff provides many examples of physical contact and nudity within the context of mainstream entertainment and art, but it does not argue that there is a “realistic danger” that CB-56 reaches such conduct. Plaintiff fails, to show how the intent behind such mainstream entertainment could be considered sexually to arouse or excite as opposed to further musical, artistic, or theatrical goals,.or otherwise provide entertainment. See MJJG Rest. LLC v. Horry Cnty.,
The prohibition against sexual contact applies only if the purpose of the contact is to arouse sexually or to gratify the other person. By its. own terms, [the prohibition] does not apply to contact done in furtherance of legitimate works of art for the purpose of conveying artistic meaning, such as the touching of an actor’s thigh in a play. Thus, mainstream works of art that merely suggest sexual activity will not be burdened.
Id. (emphasis added).. Therefore, the intent clause, in a practical sense, performs a similar function as the exception in Camn-dola II and prevents CB-56 from reaching a substantial number of impermissible applications.
Moreover, the County’s proposed reading of the intent clause to require that the “primary' purpose of the entertainment act was to sexually arouse or excite another person” is a “readily susceptible” limiting construction that further reduces any fear of CB-56 reaching impermissible applications. See Carandola II,
C. Vagueness
As a threshold matter, the County is correct that Plaintiff lacks standing to bring a claim asserting that the ordinances are unconstitutionally vague. Although a plaintiff may assert an overbreadth claim on behalf of others, “[a] plaintiff who engages in some conduct that is clearly proscribed cannot complain of the vagueness of the law as applied to the conduct of others.” Village of Hoffman Estates v. Flipside, Hoffman Estates, Inc.,
Even if Plaintiff had standing, however, the ordinances would still survive its vagueness challenge. “In assessing a vagueness challenge; a court must ask whether the government’s policy is ‘set out in terms that the ordinary person exercising ordinary common sense can sufficiently understand and comply with.’ ” Imaginary Images,
Plaintiff has failed to allege plausibly that the term “premise” is unconstitutionally vague, and it is clear that the ordinances do not regulate private conduct within a home. The restrictions in CB-46 and CB-56 were placed in the section of the County Code relating to commercial and industrial zoning, and it is apparent that the ordinances apply only to businesses or “establishments” offering adult entertainment. Perhaps the County could have been more precise in its definition of the term “premise,” but “unavoidable imprecision is not fatal and celestial precision is not necessary.” Bigg Wolf,
IV. Conclusion
For the foregoing reasons, the County’s motion to dismiss will be granted. Plaintiffs motion will be denied as moot. A separate order will follow.
Notes
. Plaintiff purports to bring this action on behalf of itself and John and Jane Doe, who are "representative patron[s] of Plaintiff[’s] businesses, and all those similarly situated whose rights have been violated by the vague and overbroad statute.” (ECF No. 1 ¶¶ 7-8). Plaintiff may not, however, assert a vagueness claim on behalf of a Doe plaintiff. See Maages Auditorium v. Prince George’s County, Md. (Maages 7),
. The County moves to dismiss or, in the alternative, for summary judgment. A court may, without converting a motion to dismiss into a motion for summary judgment properly "take judicial notice of matters of public record” and "consider documents attached to
. Although the court in Maages I entered judgment for the County on a claim of vagueness, Plaintiff here appears to allege a different aspect of the ordinances is vague. Accordingly, a more thorough analysis of the vagueness challenge is warranted.
. Plaintiff's discussion of Massachusetts v. Oakes,
The Supreme Court remanded the case to the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts for further proceedings to determine whether the original version of the statute, without the intent clause, was constitutional as applied to the defendant. Id. at 585,
