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Jan 01, 2024

Virginia Beach loosens its grip on tattoo parlors

Virginia Beach may see a wave of new tattoo parlors opening soon, since the city

Virginia Beach may see a wave of new tattoo parlors opening soon, since the city loosened its rules on where they can set up shop.

Easing its grip on tattoo parlors to allow more is a big step, considering that less than two decades ago the city didn't allow the shops at all. It took a court order to change that.

In January, the City Council got rid of the rule that tattoo parlors have to be at least 600 feet from a residential district, apartment district or school. But they still must be 600 feet apart from each other and apply for a conditional use permit in the B-2 community business district.

"It just became apparent to us that that restriction wasn't working any longer; it was too tight," said Karen Lasley, the zoning administrator in Virginia Beach.

Staff initially recommended getting rid of both restrictions – on where they are allowed to be and how close they can be to each other. But planning commissioners had concerns about "the potential for a proliferation of tattoo parlors/body piercing establishments in any single location."

Since changing the ordinance, City Council has approved two new places, and two more are on the Planning Commission's April agenda. A few more have inquired about opening, but have not submitted applications, Lasley said.

Councilwoman Barbara Henley brought the issue to City Council.

"Since there have been no issues, it seemed we could relax some of the restrictions as far as distance between schools and that kind of thing," she said.

The ban on tattoo parlors was a carryover from the Great Depression and the early 1950s, when they had a bad reputation, Lasley said.

She has worked for the city for 30 years and remembers the fight around 2000 to allow tattoo parlors to open. At that time, the council was "not real excited" about it but had to comply, she remembers.

Over the years, 24 tattoo parlors have been approved, but it's unlikely all of them are still open today.

Fears have subsided since they were initially allowed to open. Lasley and Henley said there haven't been problems with the existing parlors.

Tattoos have become more accepted in society in recent years; and in some subcultures, they’re even more common.

"There are a lot of folks who have them, and I think it's perfectly fine for anybody who wants them," Henley said.

An October 2015 Harris Poll showed that about 3 in 10 Americans have at least one tattoo, up from 2 in 10 four years ago. Among those with any tattoos, 7 in 10 have two or more.

There's at least one person who is not thrilled about the idea of more tattoo parlors coming to town: J.D. Crowe, who sued the city to be able to open his shop.

He sees it as more competition.

"The restrictions kept us from having 80 tattoo shops," he said.

When they couldn't open up all over the city, it cut down the number of shops that would open.

"The whole thing is, now they have no control. The city has no control," he said.

He said he plans to move his shop, which is currently in an industrial park, to a better place, now that he is allowed to.

Location wasn't an issue for him before.

"It didn't matter where you were because there were so few to choose from," he said.

He said with new ones opening up, it’ll be harder for the existing ones to keep up. Repeat customers tend to be more loyal to the tattoo artist than the shop itself, he said.

"It's going to be tough for a lot of guys to keep the rent paid and the lights on," he said.

The shops open had more value, he said.

"Now anybody with two months rent and a willing landlord can open a tattoo shop," he added.

He also thinks Virginia Beach relaxing its regulations will attract business owners from other cities who still have strict rules.

At its March workshop and then meeting, the Norfolk City Council also discussed loosening regulations about where tattoo parlors can be. They’re allowed in certain areas, but they must be 100 feet from any residential district and 1,000 feet apart from each other.

In Chesapeake, tattoo parlors must have a conditional use in the M-1 light manufacturing district and in the M-2 heavy manufacturing district. They must be 1,000 feet from any other tattoo parlor, school, day care center, public park, residential district and religious use.

In Suffolk, one of the restrictions is that the hours of operation are limited from 9 a.m. to midnight. There are no separation requirements, but they are only allowed in the B-2 general commercial district with a conditional use permit.

Newport News, Portsmouth and Hampton also don't have separation requirements.

Robyn Sidersky, 757-222-5117, [email protected]

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