Roswell places moratorium on business licensing for spas

90-day hold will allow officials to fill loopholes in city ordinance.

Roswell has placed a 90-day moratorium on business licenses for spas while officials work to close loopholes in city ordinances.

Last year, the City Council approved stronger regulations for spas with an amended city ordinance to prevent owners from moving to another location for illegal business, but that has not been enough to stop ‘illicit” activity, City Attorney David Davidson said.

Some spas that were closed due to activities that include human trafficking have been able to reopen within 48 hours under new ownership, according to Davidson.

Owners of the closed spas are partnering with established businesses with hybrid operations of legal and illegal activity, Police Chief James Conroy said.

“They’re adept at finding loopholes in the ordinance,” Conroy said. “As soon as we go in and make a case they’re trying to change ownership of the establishment to circumvent those rules.”

There are dozens of spas in the city.

Roswell City Council approved the 90-day moratorium during a recent council meeting. The city is not accepting business license applications for new spas, or related occupational tax certificate applications.

Last year’s changes to the city ordinance included requiring massage therapists who are not licensed by the state to obtain a permit from the city of Roswell.

Spas cannot be within 300 feet of a church or school, or more than 300 feet from a state route and hours of operation must between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.

In September, Roswell Police worked with the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office and law enforcement agencies across metro Atlanta to arrest individuals managing a human trafficking network at spas in several local cities, including four locations in Roswell.

“This moratorium is a continuation of our efforts to eliminating illicit activities within massage parlors and spas and stop human trafficking in our community,” Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson said.