It’s discouraging to contemplate how long it has taken city officials to remedy a situation they began to address about eight years ago.

In late 1999, Lawrence city commissioners began receiving complaints about a sexually oriented novelty store that had located in the 1700 block of Massachusetts Street. They agreed that this was a poor location for the business, known as Naughty but Nice, and went to work on an ordinance to curb such operations.

In 2000, commissioners approved regulations that would allow such businesses to be located only along a state highway. Massachusetts Street is not a state highway and Naughty But Nice was given five years – until July 31, 2005 – to vacate the premises.

Five years seems like a generous grace period for the business, but rather than leave gracefully, the owner of the business dug in. So here we are, some seven and a half years after the regulations were approved and more than two and a half years after the novelty shop was supposed to be gone, and, just this week, the owner of the building occupied by Naughty but Nice was able to announce that the business was gone.

It is hoped that future violations of this ordinance won’t be allowed to linger for so long. There seems little point in having laws like this one if the city is either unable or unwilling to enforce them in a reasonably timely manner.