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DEL.ICIO.USJohns Creek fires salvo in adult business battle
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Amid cheers from an appreciative audience, Johns Creek City Council delivered on a promise to crack down on adult businesses as soon as the newly incorporated city became official.
At the end of its first meeting, the City Council by a 5-0 vote adopted a stop-gap measure prohibiting distribution of obscene material. Earlier this year, the federal 11th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down Georgia’s obscenity law. The Johns Creek ordinance corrects the flaws the high court found in the state law, said Mayor Mike Bodker.
An adult video chain called the Love Shack tried in August to open a mega-store in the heart of Johns Creek, prompting howls of outrage from much of the citizenry. Fulton County refused to issue the chain a business license and the issue is now before the federal appellate court.
The ordinance passed Tuesday is largely symbolic. It won’t be effective until Dec. 1 when the city starts delivering services, and it will be superseded by a new state law expected to sail through the General Assembly when it convenes in January.
Other, meatier ordinances addressing adult entertainment will be adopted after the city enacts zoning laws in December. In addition to regulating what can be depicted, cities are empowered to dictate where adult businesses can locate.
Jeri Colton, a 42-year-old homemaker applauded efforts by the city to fight adult entertainment.
“I’ve been involved with a group of friends to convince the city to hire a national attorney to fight the Love Shack,” she said. “One way we can tell if the city is successful is by committing the best talents with the issues the city faces, like the Love Shack.”
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