The Coldwater City Council voted 5-2 on Monday evening to permit tattoo parlors within the Central Business District, lifting previous location restrictions.
The decision followed a recommendation from the Coldwater Planning Commission, which had tasked Planning Director Robert Hawley with drafting an amended ordinance to allow tattoo parlors as a permitted use in the district.
Council members Jim Knaack and Travis Machan voted against the proposal, while Council members Emily Rissman, John Petzko, Randall Hazelbaker, and Scott Houtz, along with Mayor Tom Kramer, supported the change.
Council members Chad Johnson and Michael Beckwith were absent during the vote.
Originally, the ordinance would have prohibited tattoo parlors on U.S. 12 and Monroe Street. However, Branch County Economic Growth Alliance Director Audrey Tappenden submitted a letter to the Planning Commission, expressing opposition to these specific restrictions. Tappenden noted that the Downtown Development Authority (D.D.A.) also opposed limiting tattoo parlors to certain areas within the district.
The discussions surrounding the ordinance began in February when Jason Salinaz approached the Planning Commission with plans to open a tattoo business at 87 West Pearl Street, located directly across from the U.S. Post Office.
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