Opinion ID: 56307
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: starship’s retail store

Text: Starship operates retail stores that sell books, magazines, apparel, gifts, and novelties. Some of its inventory is sexually explicit. Starship planned to open a new store in Fulton County that contained less than 25% sexually explicit materials. Starship expressly wanted a store with less than 25% sexually explicit merchandise because then Starship would not be subject to Fulton County’s zoning regulations on the location of adult bookstores.1 Accordingly, on March 24, 2004, Starship submitted to Fulton County an application for a business license to 1 Fulton County regulates “adult” establishments, including adult bookstores, within its boundaries through a comprehensive scheme of zoning regulations contained in the Fulton County Zoning Resolution (“FCZR”). Specifically, the FCZR requires adult bookstores to acquire a special “adult use permit” before they can operate as a business. FCZR, § 19.4.1. The FCZR further mandates that adult bookstores, among other things, not be located within 1000 feet of any residential- or agricultural-zoned property, any public recreational facilities, or any public or private institutional use property, which includes churches, schools, libraries, and day care centers. Id. The FCZR defines an “adult bookstore” as any “establishment or facility licensed to do business in Fulton County having a minimum of 25 percent of its stock in trade” as sexually explicit merchandise. FCZR, § 3.3.1A. 2 operate a retail store with less than 25% of its stock in trade devoted to sexually explicit materials. Fulton County ultimately granted Starship a business license for a store with less than 25% sexually explicit merchandise. Starship placed its inventory in the store and applied for a certificate of occupancy. On September 27, 2004, Fulton County code enforcement personnel inspected the proposed location, at which time Starship’s counsel informed County officials that if they disagreed with the percentage of material considered “adult,” Starship would adjust its inventory. Two days later, Steven Cover, the director of the County’s Department of Environment and Community Development, sent Starship a letter stating that Cover had concluded that Starship’s proposed store was an adult bookstore and required a special use permit. Fulton County never issued Starship a certificate of occupancy. Further, at all times in this case Starship contended its merchandise was less than 25% sexually explicit and that it was not subject to Fulton County’s adult bookstore zoning regulations. Indeed, the City of Sandy Springs has now incorporated over the area where Starship’s proposed store was located, thereby divesting Fulton County of jurisdiction. Starship subsequently obtained a permit from Sandy Springs and is currently operating its store. Starship did not challenge Fulton County’s 25% determination either 3 administratively (through Fulton County’s Board of Zoning Appeals) or through the state courts. Starship did not apply for a special use permit to operate as an adult bookstore, because it always wanted to have, and contended it had, a store with less than 25% sexually explicit materials.