Moratorium Causing Concern for One New Business Owner

The intentions were good, but the new city's moratorium is wreaking havoc for at least one business owners trying to get her doors open by summer.

The new city of Peachtree Corners, which will officially become Gwinnett County's 16th - and largest city - on July 1, 2012, issued a 90-day moratorium while it gets organized and hire the necessary personnel in place to manage the city.

But it had unintended consequences according to a report aired on Channel 2 on Monday. The station's consumer investigator Jim Strickland spoke with new business owner Sheri Snyder who had planned on opening a summer art camp, Objet Gallery and Studio, in time to attract children out of school for the summer.

"I should have between 50 and 60 kids children a week here," said Snyder in the report. "And well, we're empty," she said. The new business is located in the Village at Peachtree Corners shopping center near The .

Snyder told the reporter that she had cashed in her 401K to fund the new business and missed the deadline to apply for a business license by one day before the moratorium went into effect.

Bill Riley, Peachtree Corners' city attorney, said the moratorium is designed to keep undesirable businesses such as adult entertainment stores and billboard companies from applying for business licenses before the city is established.

Some 48 business owners are waiting for their business licenses which are likely to be issued in late July. But Snyder fears it will be too late.

"The worst case scenario is if this goes on much longer, I'll be bankrupt before I even open my doors," she said.

Riley said the city is doing what it can to minimize the impact on the new businesses.