Cocoa Beach Bans Clusters Of Tattoo Studios
By R. Norman Moody
Published : August 21, 2009

COCOA BEACH, FL – The City Commission on Thursday voted to prohibit tattoo studios and body-piercing salons from locating close to existing ones.

In a 4-1 vote, the commission decided to prohibit these businesses from being within 2,000 feet of similar businesses. It also prohibits tattoo studios and body-piercing salons in multi-family professional, oceanfront residential and transient building zones.

Commissioner Don John voted against the ordinance.

Former mayor Janice Scott said the city should have placed more restrictions on where the business could locate.

“I just don’t think this is a very classy business,” she said. “I’m sorry that my town has spent so much time discussing this.”

Mark Longenecker, who runs Endless Summer Tattoo Studio, said families come into his business. “There’s nothing shady going on,” he said.

He said he is worried about being able to reopen his business if he was forced to move.

The new ordinance allows existing studios to apply to relocate within the 2,000 feet if they lose their lease or the use of their building through no fault of their own. But the business would have to have been established as of Thursday, and the property they want to move to would have to be compatible with adjacent property uses.

Some Cocoa Beach tattoo business owners said they were not against the measure because it restricts the number of salons that can cluster in one area. That benefits existing businesses.

There are six tattoo studios that have applied to open in the city. Three of the existing studios are in the downtown area and three others are in the area of State Road 520 and State Road A1A.

Former City Commissioner Tony Sasso told the commission they should be doing more comprehensive planning for what business they want in the city, not just looking at one kind.

“We’re focusing on one thing rather than looking at the big picture,” he said.

Source : Florida Today