Sorry. Cheap reference. But I felt compelled …
It would appear that a feared spectre of wickedness has been shooed away from our newly-established city of Johns Creek. Barring an unlikely stay from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, Fulton County’s Finest will descend upon the Love Shack at the corner of Jones Bridge and States Bridge Roads at 3pm this afternoon. I have no doubt that they will be accompanied by camera-wielding members of the local media, because nothing says “hard hitting news” like footage of cops carrying boxes of vibrators.
So I’m of two minds about this situation. On the one hand, I’m hating how this decision is already being portrayed as some kind of victory of morality, as if the newly-crowned Mayor of Johns Creek himself has run a proverbial “Harold Hill” of sex shops out of town on a rail. On the other, I can do nothing but shake my head at how poorly this location was chosen. Setting up shop in JC was such a bad decision.
But thank you, AJC, for providing me with the best line I’ve read all morning. I’d quote it alone, but context is key here.
U.S District Judge Thomas Thrash rejected claims by John Cornetta, owner of the Love Shack, that the 10,000-square-foot adult-themed store complied with Fulton County’s rules and should be treated as a regular retail store.
“It appears clear to me that the plaintiff is operating an adult business and it is operating illegally,” Thrash said. He said Cornetta had failed to obtain proper permits and to meet zoning requirements from Fulton County.
But then Thrash warned Cornetta that if he stayed open with a “significant” amount of adult material, then Cornetta was in danger of being in contempt of court. Thrash refused to define what he meant by significant when asked by Cornetta’s attorney, Louis Sirkin of Cincinnati.
Thrash agreed to allow the Love Shack at Jones Bridge and State Bridge roads to remain open until 3 p.m. Thursday to give Cornetta time to appeal and seek a temporary stay from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Cornetta was putting in rush orders Wednesday night to dilute his adult inventory by adding lingerie, children’s movies, and sportswear and hats.
Hats. Sexy, sexy hats.
Look, sell what you want. Other shops in Atlanta sell all manner of adult curiosities and make all kinds of bank. Even in the face of mid-90s decency campaigns by former Fulton County commissioner Mitch Skandalakis, they bent ever so slightly to the will of law and therefore remain open. In addition to laughably labeling most of their inventory as “For Novelty Use Only” and ensuring the of-age status of their clientèle, these shops picked locations that were amenable to their business. That’s probably key.
Mr. Cornetta, on the other hand, decided to set up shop in the middle of unincorporated, outwardly-conservative, ultra-suburban Fulton County (now Johns Creek). Sharing the same corner with his latest Love Shack is a QuikTrip, a Kroger, a Petco, a Blockbuster Video, a McDonalds. And right across his own parking lot is a very popular dance studio, one that serves mostly little wanna-be ballerinas from the surrounding subdivisions.
Isn’t it just good business sense to “know your audience?” Was the prospect of 10,000 square feet of retail space just too much for him to ignore the ramifications of opening? Or maybe he’s been courting controversy all along?
