Tattoo and piercing studios can now come to Maplewood.
The Maplewood planning and zoning commission approved tattoo studios in Light Manufacturing (LM) zones in the beginning of November, and after being tabled, voted on once and discussed in a work session, the city council voted on Tuesday to allow tattoo and piercing studios in Maplewood.
The studios will be restricted to Light Manufacturing (LM) and Arterial Business (AB). LM zones are along Hanley Road north of Manchester Road and near the intersection of Sutton and Greenwood boulevards. AB is along Big Bend and on Manchester Road west of Big Bend.
Planning and zoning originally approved tattoo studios only in LM, but some city council members thought the businesses should have more freedom to locate where they like.
Ward 3 councilman Shawn Faulkingham wanted to include the second floor of the Special Business District (CB1) as well as AB and LM.
“I don’t want to tell a business they can’t come here if it’s legal,” he said. “Tattoo shops aren’t what they were in the day, but some of them can be kind of shady; that’s why you put them in AB or LM.”
Faulkingham said he understands the councilmen who didn’t want them in the Special Business District. “We’ve worked really hard to build what it is now.”
The final vote was unanimous.