Article: Beltsville wants a less-sexy image: Town wants to rein in sex shops, clubs, strip free-wheeling, prurient reputation.(Metropolitan Times)(Cover Story)

In Beltsville, it's not uncommon to see used condoms littering certain parking lots along the Route 1 corridor or men urinating late at night in local yards.

Brawls erupt outside strip clubs on weekends and, once in a while, the police blaze in to make arrests.

For years, the town has been a well-known haven of peep shows, bachelor parties and some 24-hour porn shops. It's a reputation residents and lawmakers have fought in council chambers, on the streets and in courts throughout Maryland.

"I found a leather thong in my yard a year ago," said a resident who lives 150 feet from an adult bookstore. "We have a nice residential area. We have ...

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