Manhattan Beach city council puts hold on tattoo parlors
The Manhattan Beach city council voted unanimously last week to place a moratorium on the approval of tattoo studios.
The moratorium provides the Planning Commission and the city time to develop regulations for tattoo parlors. “We don’t have regulations on book at this point, so that’s why council asked us to have a look at it,” said Laurie Jester, the city’s planning manager.
The Planning Commission and the city will hold public hearings to listen to community concerns about bringing tattoo parlors into the city, and later draft and adopt an amendment to the zoning ordinance.
“We may look at distance requirements between types of land uses…we’ll probably look at schools, residential areas, parks, daycares,” said Jester. “We’ll throw out a lot of options and see what the Planning Commission is interested in, and get public input.”
While there currently are no applications pending for tattoo studios in the city, the city has received inquiries about potentially opening them.
The initial moratorium lasts 45 days and subsequently may be extended for up to almost two years.
Last year, Hermosa Beach attempted to put a ban on tattoo parlors in the city. A federal appeals court ruled the ban unconstitutional last September, citing that tattoos are a form of expression protected by the First Amendment.
The zoning amendment will soonest be considered in September or October, Jester said.