Johns Creek Citizen says, "No reason for adult store to close"

"I live a bit over one mile from the Love Shack in Johns Creek. I've seen the area where it is located languish for more than five years. [Starting out with] a single large "beverage" warehouse, the area expanded to several other warehouse-style buildings and a couple of fast-food restaurants, off of main thoroughfares, nondescript in appearance.

A few years ago, a small apartment complex was dropped into an undeveloped piece of land, and today another warehouse building is being built next door to that complex. For anyone to suggest that the Love Shack has come in and detracted from the "neighborhood" is ridiculous.

While I live close to the Johns Creek Love Shack, by definition I am only a few miles from the Norcross store as well. I've asked several public officials and several contributors to the AJC to publish details on the crime rate both before and since these two stores opened. I'm pretty sure there hasn't been a major crime wave ignited by the presence of these businesses. Yet no one has taken the trouble to gather and publish the data.

I believe our elected mayor has taken the wrong side of this issue and cannot go back, unfair as it is to the business involved. It seems more of a personal conflict between [Mayor Mike] Bodker and [store owner John] Cornetta. Fortunately for the mayor, his pen writes the rules, so he has been able to define the competition to his advantage. I'd like to see a vote on the subject, and encourage anyone who has not driven past this business to do so before taking a position.

Lastly, I have not spent a single dollar at this new store, don't know anyone involved in the business, and have nothing to benefit from taking my position other than to see the Johns Creek tax base expanded."

SCOTT MADIGAN, Johns Creek