ZEELAND — A sex shop in downtown Zeeland lasted just 23 hours before city officials shut it down.

Patrick Cooper, who owns Z.ink tattoo shop at 36 N. Elm St., said he opened Grimlock’s Emporium for the Misbehaved Lady in a suite next door to Z.ink at 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20.

Cooper said he wasn’t going to sell any pornography, but did have light bondage supplies, crops, assorted sex toys, novelty gifts and more in the store.

On its Facebook page, the store advertised "Oodles and Kaboodles of Noodles and more at reasonable prices!"

Just before 9 a.m. Friday morning, Zeeland’s community development department director contacted Grimlock’s Emporium for the Misbehaved Lady and told Cooper he wasn’t allowed to operate what was considered to be an adult bookstore in the downtown area.

Zeeland zoning ordinances don’t allow for adult bookstores downtown, but such a store would be allowed in a heavy industrial zone.

Cooper said he did read the city ordinance about adult bookstores before planning to open the new store, but said he didn’t think what he was selling would be a problem.

“I will not sell any kind of pornography,” he said. “But a vibrator shouldn’t be a problem.”

Cooper said after his conversation with the city official Friday morning, Zeeland’s chief of police came by the business at 2 p.m. Friday and forced him to close the doors to Grimlock’s Emporium for the Misbehaved Lady.

If Cooper reopens the business, he said police warned him he could be fined up to $500 a day for violating the ordinance.

Before the shop was closed, Cooper said the grand opening was a success.

"People were so thankful and happy, these women are almost in tears they were so thankful for something like this in Zeeland," Cooper said. "I expected to have a little blowback because I know where I am, but to have the chief of police show up, that was so intense over fake plastic penises.

"They made me clear out all of my shelves, including the non-sexual stuff like handcuffs. Cops have handcuffs too, but they made me clear it all out. They came at me with everything they had."

Zeeland City Manager Tim Klunder said he hadn’t personally been to the new store, but that city officials became aware of the store via social media.

“Any business should check to make sure it’s in an appropriately zoned district for what they want to do,” Klunder said. “They did not do that, and by our definition, it’s an adult bookstore. That’s not allowed in our central business district.”

Klunder said the chief of police was asked to go along to the business because “things like this are always controversial.”

“I don’t think women should be ashamed of this,” Cooper said. “There’s nothing wrong with what I have here and there should not be any reason I can’t be here. If I opened up a gun store, they wouldn’t have a problem. I could sell a gun but not a (sex toy).”

Should Cooper want to stay in his current location, Klunder said the business owner could apply for a use variance through the planning commission or appeal the zoning administrator's interpretation of the ordinance through the zoning board of appeals.

“This is purely based on the fact it doesn’t meet our zoning requirements for where that business is located, it has nothing to do with the type of business it is,” Klunder said. “We have to enforce the ordinance.”

Zeeland city code defines an adult bookstore as: "an enclosed building used for the sale of motion picture films, videocassettes, magazines, posters, and other printed material, or tapes, or sex objects for other than contraceptive purposes, distinguished or characterized by an emphasis on matter depicting, describing or relating to specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas, as defined in this ordinance, for sale to patrons therein."

Cooper said it wasn’t his intention to create controversy.

“Anyone who has followed me on Z.ink is well aware of my support of being able to be who you are and that was my intent with Grimlock’s. I’m well aware of how oppressive toward women this community can be and this has been really eye-opening,” Cooper said.

Cooper has started a GoFundMe page to raise funds for an attorney to help him keep Grimlock's at its current location. He is seeking $10,000.

— Contact editor Audra Gamble at audra.gamble@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @SentinelAudra.