Carson City Planning Commission keeps tattoo parlor recommendation

The Planning Commission decided Wednesday to stick with its initial recommendation concerning tattoo parlors after reviewing it at the request of the Board of Supervisors.

In November, the commission voted to recommend an ordinance change that would allow tattoo parlors as a permitted use in retail commercial zones. Currently, the businesses are allowed in limited industrial zones with a special use permit.

The recommendation went to the board in December and the supervisors referred it back to the commission, asking the commission to consider making tattoo parlors a conditional use, meaning the businesses would need a special use permit to operate, and to look at possible requirements that the parlors be set back a certain distance from schools and other buildings.

Discussion started with Hope Tingle, who said tattoo parlors should be not be singled out for separation restrictions as long as other businesses are not subject to the same requirements.

After some discussion, Candace Stowell said the commission should stick with its initial recommendation.

“I think our original decision made sense,” said Stowell. “I think they should be allowed by right.”

The commission then voted to make the same recommendation to the board by a vote of 5-1 with Daniel Salerno voting no. Charles Borders was absent.

The recommendation will go back to the board, which makes the final decision whether to amend the ordinance and what to include in it.

The commission also approved a special use permit for an RV storage business at 815 Industrial Park Drive. The 1.53-acre site in a limited industrial zone can store up to 53 RVs.

At its next meeting on Feb. 28, the commission will consider two items on Lompa Ranch. One is to approve a tentative subdivision map for 209 single-family homes on lot size minimums of 6,000 square feet. The map was submitted by Blackstone Development Group Inc., and is on a total of 58.5 acres, including 8.7 acres of open space and 18 acres of right-of-way.

Another Lompa Ranch item is for a planned unit development on the east side of the property, between I-580 and Airport Road. That plan includes both single-family and multi-family units.