heartoflesh
Puritan Board Junior
From Mpls/St.Paul Star Tribune 12-21-2005
A request to bring a tattoo shop into Little Canada riled at least the 120 residents who petitioned against it.
Was their response based on antiquated stereotypes about the tattoo business? Or did it stem from legitimate concerns about location and a need for further study?
Maybe a little of both. Even though there are already several tattoo shops in the suburbs, some people expect more expansion as tattoos continue to make their way into the mainstream. Expect renewed debate over their appropriate place in a city near you.
The discussion in Little Canada began when Brandon Heffron, who works at a tattoo shop in White Bear Lake, wanted to start his own shop at 2760 Lakeshore Av. in Little Canada.
Space was available in a center zoned for business that includes a thrift store, a pizza place and a dentist's office. The strip is near Little Canada Road and a residential neighborhood.
City code doesn't specify what zoning areas a tattoo shop fits into, which is one reason the City Council denied Heffron's request last month. Little Canada officials are studying the issue so that they can spell out acceptable locations in the future.
Neighbors attending a City Council meeting had a range of concerns.
A tattoo shop would have a stigma that doesn't fit the image of the area, they said. Some complaints: There's a bus stop nearby, and the neighbors want positive influences for children. It threatens neighborhood values and ways of life. Property values might decrease. Adult-only businesses don't belong near neighborhoods.
Neighbor Rockne Waite, who said he has nothing against people with tattoos, attended the meeting.
"I don't care that there's a tattoo parlor. It's just not a good neighborhood for it," he said. "Coupling [the thrift shop] with a tattoo parlor would again bring in people that think a little differently than people around here. There's not a lot of people around here who are heavily tattooed."
Artist says attitudes outdated
Heffron, the tattoo artist, emphasized that he and his wife are devoted Christians. He thought some people's responses were defensive and based on stereotypes. He didn't like how they mentioned "good morals."
"We are reputable, we are just like any other business, and to see the discrimination is sad," he said. "We tattoo very prestigious business people, doctors, lawyers, grandmothers, anyone you'd see that goes into a dentist office. Nowadays it's more of an art form than anything else."
Heffron said he wants to minister through his work by having an inviting and positive atmosphere and sharing the gospel if the chance arises.
Little Canada Mayor Bill Blesener said the unanimous vote to deny the request was nothing against Heffron. Blesener said the city wanted more time to study the issue and figure out where a tattoo shop fits within zoning rules.
Other council members wanted more information about licensing tattoo shops and monitoring sanitation. Some said adult services should not be near residential areas and that a more strictly commercial area would be better.
Cities expect more of the same
Although it's too late for Heffron -- he's now on track to open Beloved Studios in St. Paul -- Little Canada city planner Steve Grittman and others are gathering information for future tattoo shop zoning.
"They are becoming more common. Some cities have grouped them with what they call personal services like hair cutting and tanning salons," Grittman said. "It's one of those uses suburban cities are just starting to deal with."
Suburban cities are less likely to have something on the books, he said.
As tattoos' culutal role has evolved, said Columbia Heights city planner Jeff Sargent, "It's more of a trend and it's more accepted, and with that said I think more tattoo businesses would want to expand beyond the city borders of Minneapolis and St. Paul."
Heffron agreed "there are more businesses popping up." He said that even though there are plenty of tattoo shops in the suburbs and there are objections from people in any city, including Minneapolis and St. Paul, "usually the only time you run into a problem is when the cities don't have any amendments or regulations on tattooing."
A request to bring a tattoo shop into Little Canada riled at least the 120 residents who petitioned against it.
Was their response based on antiquated stereotypes about the tattoo business? Or did it stem from legitimate concerns about location and a need for further study?
Maybe a little of both. Even though there are already several tattoo shops in the suburbs, some people expect more expansion as tattoos continue to make their way into the mainstream. Expect renewed debate over their appropriate place in a city near you.
The discussion in Little Canada began when Brandon Heffron, who works at a tattoo shop in White Bear Lake, wanted to start his own shop at 2760 Lakeshore Av. in Little Canada.
Space was available in a center zoned for business that includes a thrift store, a pizza place and a dentist's office. The strip is near Little Canada Road and a residential neighborhood.
City code doesn't specify what zoning areas a tattoo shop fits into, which is one reason the City Council denied Heffron's request last month. Little Canada officials are studying the issue so that they can spell out acceptable locations in the future.
Neighbors attending a City Council meeting had a range of concerns.
A tattoo shop would have a stigma that doesn't fit the image of the area, they said. Some complaints: There's a bus stop nearby, and the neighbors want positive influences for children. It threatens neighborhood values and ways of life. Property values might decrease. Adult-only businesses don't belong near neighborhoods.
Neighbor Rockne Waite, who said he has nothing against people with tattoos, attended the meeting.
"I don't care that there's a tattoo parlor. It's just not a good neighborhood for it," he said. "Coupling [the thrift shop] with a tattoo parlor would again bring in people that think a little differently than people around here. There's not a lot of people around here who are heavily tattooed."
Artist says attitudes outdated
Heffron, the tattoo artist, emphasized that he and his wife are devoted Christians. He thought some people's responses were defensive and based on stereotypes. He didn't like how they mentioned "good morals."
"We are reputable, we are just like any other business, and to see the discrimination is sad," he said. "We tattoo very prestigious business people, doctors, lawyers, grandmothers, anyone you'd see that goes into a dentist office. Nowadays it's more of an art form than anything else."
Heffron said he wants to minister through his work by having an inviting and positive atmosphere and sharing the gospel if the chance arises.
Little Canada Mayor Bill Blesener said the unanimous vote to deny the request was nothing against Heffron. Blesener said the city wanted more time to study the issue and figure out where a tattoo shop fits within zoning rules.
Other council members wanted more information about licensing tattoo shops and monitoring sanitation. Some said adult services should not be near residential areas and that a more strictly commercial area would be better.
Cities expect more of the same
Although it's too late for Heffron -- he's now on track to open Beloved Studios in St. Paul -- Little Canada city planner Steve Grittman and others are gathering information for future tattoo shop zoning.
"They are becoming more common. Some cities have grouped them with what they call personal services like hair cutting and tanning salons," Grittman said. "It's one of those uses suburban cities are just starting to deal with."
Suburban cities are less likely to have something on the books, he said.
As tattoos' culutal role has evolved, said Columbia Heights city planner Jeff Sargent, "It's more of a trend and it's more accepted, and with that said I think more tattoo businesses would want to expand beyond the city borders of Minneapolis and St. Paul."
Heffron agreed "there are more businesses popping up." He said that even though there are plenty of tattoo shops in the suburbs and there are objections from people in any city, including Minneapolis and St. Paul, "usually the only time you run into a problem is when the cities don't have any amendments or regulations on tattooing."
