It looks like Alexandria is getting a tattoo shop.
The Alexandria Planning and Zoning Commission voted on Sept. 16 to allow tattoo studios in the city’s highway commercial zone as permitted use, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The item was then discussed at city council meetings on Oct. 16 and Nov. 6, when it was approved.
The city council attempted to vote on the ordinance at its Oct. 16 meeting, but three members were absent, and the vote ended 3-1 in favor. Alexandria City Attorney Mike Duncan said that enacting a zoning ordinance in the city requires a majority of the body to vote yes, which would be four yes votes.
The council then voted to table the item until Nov. 6, when it was unanimously approved.
The idea of allowing tattoo studios in the city first came to the planning commission after the city determined it couldn’t ban them altogether. Duncan said that since tattoo shops are a lawful, regulated use under Kentucky law, if the city did not exclude them by including them in some place, then the risk would be that they could go in any type of commercial or business zone.
Alexandria residents Jesse Hughes and his partner Jada Reynolds attended the planning and zoning and the city council meetings. They said they took a “huge risk” by signing a lease at 7923 East Alexandria Pike, where they plan to open a tattoo studio, before the Sept. 16 and Nov. 6 votes for approval.
“We decided to sign a lease on that and cross our fingers that we could make something happen,” Hughes said during the planning and zoning meeting.
Reynolds and Hughes’ risk paid off, as the building they leased is within the highway commercial zone.
“Just like any other industry, we want to have some regulations as to where they go and where they fit, just like restaurants and barbershops and everything else,” said Alexandria Councilmember Stacey Graus at the Oct. 16 meeting. “I think the highway commercial designation is appropriate. People have to understand tattoo shops are a regulated industry.”
Alexandria Councilmember Tom Baldridge, who initially voted no at the Oct. 16 meeting, said he wouldn’t support the motion because it isn’t in the city’s comprehensive plan, as something residents stated they wanted. Baldridge changed his vote to yes during the Nov. 6 meeting.
The planning and zoning commission also included in its approval that tattoo shops located within the highway commercial zone may not be located within one mile of each other. This is similar to what the city has done with vape shops.
The Northern Kentucky Independent Health District administers the requirements for the shops. It will conduct physical inspections to ensure compliance with licensure requirements, which will be required for each tattoo artist. Some of the limitations on artists include not tattooing anyone under the age of 17. If an individual is 17, they must have parental consent, and that parent must accompany the minor to the appointment and have a valid ID.
Anyone who receives a tattoo must have a valid ID. Those wishing to be tattooed must not be under the influence of any substance, among other things that are regulated.
