DAPHNE, Alabama (GCN)— Lynn Cook is trying to open a business in Daphne. The city, however, isn’t so sure it wants Cook’s business.

Cook’s planned business would be part of a regional franchise called “Lucy’s Love Shop” that sells lingerie for women and adult novelties.

At a city meeting last week, Cook said that her new business should not be covered by a six-month moratorium of “adult” entertainment and tattoo shops.

In February, the City Council placed a six-month moratorium on the issuance of business licenses for adult shops and tattoo parlors in order to have time to put wording into the Land Use and Zoning Ordinance that would restrict the location of such businesses. The issue is being taken up now as city lawyers work up some recommendations on how to deal with these types of businesses.

Although the city’s general ordinance does include a description of what an adult business is, the zoning ordinance does not address the subject nor provide guidelines of where such shops should be located.

The city is now considering adding language to the zoning ordinance that will restrict where adult shops and tattoo parlors can be located.

Cook believes that her store inventory is “safe” enough to be excluded from the current moratorium.

“Seventy-five percent of what we sell is lingerie and shoes,” Cook told the Ordinance and Code Enforcement Committee. “We do have adult novelties, like for bachelorette parties or that type of thing—the same type of thing that Spencer’s sells in the mall. It’s a romance couple’s store and we don’t sell anything X-rated at all.”

An Internet search of articles involving the company showed that unless the Lucy’s chain recently stopped selling some items, the “toys” can get a little racier than Spencer’s. Vibrators and other “personal massagers” are also sold at the store, according to that information.

Cook also told the committee that her store would be restricted to 18-years-old and up, and that customers would be carded at the door. Pictures and information gathered on other Lucy’s store locations show the business to be regarded as a “classy” alternative to other adult shops in those areas.

Council President Ron Scott asked at the meeting if it was possible to just put a ban on those types of establishments altogether, and that they be kept out of the city. A city lawyer responded that doing that would most likely not be in the city’s best interest, as it could easily bring a lawsuit that would be hard for the city to win.

“I thought that rather than letting time pass and (Lucy’s) find a location that might work for them, I would rather bring this to you guys and say ‘let’s just stop right now’ and evaluate where we want to go with it,” Community Development Director Adrienne Jones said to the committee.

The members of the committee thanked Cook for coming in but didn’t give her much direction in what would be happening with her business. The debate will continue on as the committee tries to strike some balance on the issue.

“I don’t want anything to do with a seedy place. There are plenty of those down by the beach,” Cook said. “I’m not interested in that kind of clientele. I want to open in Daphne because I live here. We have found locations in Loxley: they want us; Robertsdale wants us; Orange Beach wants us. But we want to be here.”