WESTBROOK – A southern Maine city brushed aside an all-out ban on convicted sex offenders after being told it wouldn’t stand up in court.

But an ordinance restricting where sex offenders can live and work – even tougher than what was first proposed – won the Westbrook City Council’s initial approval. Several other Maine communities have adopted sex offender ordinances during the past year.

In Westbrook, the council Monday gave its unanimous OK to a law that would bar sex offenders from living or working within 2,500 feet of schools, day care centers, city parks and recreation areas.

The restriction also applies to many other private sites where children gather, such as playgrounds, sports fields, movie theaters, bowling alleys, libraries, gyms and places for musical instruction.

The law would apply to sex offenders who have been convicted of crimes against minors and are required to be on the state sex offender registry for life. Some offenses require registration for 10 years.

An initial proposal would have imposed 2,500-foot zones around schools and 1,000-foot zones around day care centers. Even that proposed ordinance was more restrictive than ordinances adopted in other communities.

Forty offenders now live or work in the city of 16,500 people. Most of the offenders were convicted of crimes against victims younger than 14, primarily unlawful sexual contact and gross sexual assault.

Some city residents expressed interest in a citywide ban on sex offenders, but city solicitor Bill Dale said that option likely would not withstand a court challenge.

Ray Richardson, a resident and radio host, urged councilors to consider an all-out ban even if it meant a “showdown” with the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.

“If it required a few extra taxes to keep these monsters out of town, I’d be willing to pay them,” Richardson said.

Councilor Drew Gattine said he felt encouraged that large parts of the city would be protected by the restrictions, but said he was concerned about the areas that were left out.