COVINGTON, Ga. —A pair of tattoo artists and a downtown landlord petitioned the town council to think about revising its downtown space ordinances to permit tattoo parlors to function on a case-by-case foundation by requiring a particular use allow.
On Feb. 2, the Covington Metropolis Council voted 4-2 to permit the town to provoke the ordinance revision, however the vote doesn’t imply that the matter is settled. The subject will go earlier than the planning fee earlier than being dropped at the town council as soon as extra. This can present the general public with a number of alternatives to talk for or in opposition to the concept earlier than a remaining determination is made.
Jennifer Hartman, the proprietor of the Social Goat Tavern, Billy’s Bites and a number of adjoining downtown suites, launched the council to Jessica and Austin Sells at Monday evening’s assembly. Hartman stated that the tattoo artists have expressed an curiosity in opening a parlor on the vacant 1111 Church St. suite.
Hartman stated she helps the enterprise for a wide range of causes. For one, she stated that the structure of the suite is exclusive, making it ill-suited for a restaurant or retail institution. One other level was that introducing a tattoo parlor wouldn’t compete with any of the Sq.’s present storefronts.
“I did not need to put a dessert store there, which is among the folks that had contacted me, as a result of we simply put a brand new tenant in–FRIO [Rolled Ice Cream]—and I would not need to impede on their enterprise,” Hartman stated.
Councilman Travis Moore, who voted in opposition alongside Mayor Professional-tem Jared Rutberg, stated he fears setting a precedent for future companies petitioning the council for.
Moore urged the council to be cautious when listening to requests for zoning modifications, saying the aim of rezoning shouldn’t be to assist somebody’s enterprise enterprise.
“We enable it [tattoo shops] in M1 [light industrial] and CM [corridor-mixed use] already,” Moore stated. “However what I am referring to is simply anyone coming to us and saying, ‘Hey, I had quite use a enterprise determination so that you can change the zoning and add extra makes use of.’ That is not what zoning is supposed for. It’s not meant to handle nor repair your small business selections. It is meant for correct planning, sensible planning and sensible zoning.”
Moore expressed his concern that this might result in the town discovering itself on the finish of a lawsuit for selectively approving and denying these requests. Nevertheless, the town lawyer stated he doesn’t foresee this setting a precedent that may ultimately put the town in a poor authorized standing.
Jessica Sells, who’s presently a tattoo artist at Til Loss of life Tattoo on Tempo Avenue, stated that tattooing laws are intensive within the modern-day and {that a} store would attempt to be a constructive reflection of the local people.
“Tattooing at this time is very regulated as a career,” Jessica Sells stated. “We full annual bloodborne pathogen certifications, CPR, first support, hearth security, incident administration coaching, and the Division of Well being inspects our studio each six months.”
The petitioners added that the store can be sought out by vacationers and locals alike, with the artists noting that they already tattoo dozens of Vampire Diaries items every month from their location off the Sq..
“I am a enterprise proprietor, and I am right here to advertise the Sq., not simply my very own companies. I do not need an insurance coverage workplace that does not convey foot visitors,” Hartman stated. “…I do not need an actual property workplace that does not convey foot visitors. I need to see foot visitors on our Sq.. I need to see it vibrant. And I believe that there are only a few issues that convey foot visitors for leisure.”
Moore—who emphasised that his stance is unrelated to the enterprise of tattooing—reiterated his standpoint that this could be a transfer to edit zoning primarily based on somebody’s enterprise selections.
“And I am not it by way of an ethical or private—and once I say, enterprise selections, once I hear you say you will not enable a restaurant to go in there, or you realize, ‘hey, it is a troublesome structure’ or I hear, ‘hey I would quite not be 1 / 4 mile down the street the place it is already allowed, I would quite be on the Sq. to the place I’ve bought extra visibility,’ these are enterprise selections,” Moore stated. “And I simply do not know—I believe you’re headed on a slippery slope for those who begin altering your usages and your zonings primarily based on these issues, if that is smart.”
Councilman Dwayne Turner voiced his opinion about specializing in the long run versus the current applicant.
“Proper now, on Feb. 2, we’re speaking a couple of tattoo store, not different potential companies,” Turner stated. “…It isn’t the precedent, however we’re speaking a couple of tattoo store on the very second. We will deal with that going ahead.”
Turner additionally spoke in regards to the constructive suggestions he had acquired from one other Sq. enterprise proprietor in regards to the prospect and advocated to set the ordinance replace in movement to create house for extra public enter by way of the mandatory public hearings.
“That’s my opinion, but when we’re sending it to a public listening to, I’m a giant fan of letting the general public come up and communicate in opposition to and communicate for,” Turner stated. “That’s my private opinion.”
