The Peekskill City Council has discussed potentially lifting the ban on tattoo studios in the city for more than a year, but has not determined which zone would be most appropriate for such a business.
At last night's City Council work session the mayor and council decided that the following zones would not be considered for a tattoo studio:
- Residential Zones
- Downtown Business District Zone
- Commercial Zones with a significant mix of Residential use
- Planned Commercial Development Zone
The Council directed the staff to consider the following zones:
- Industrial Zones
- Manufacturing/Industrial Zones
- Commercial (Shopping Center) Zones
These three zones include the area along Central Avenue and the waterfront, Beach and other shopping centers, the Hat Factory area, among others. See attached map. The areas in blue, purple and yellow are where the city may allow a tattoo studio.
While all council members and the mayor were supportive of bringing a tattoo studio back to the city, they had mixed opinions on where it should go. Allowing a tattoo studio in the city means the Council will have to approve a zoning change.
“The challenge becomes once you prohibit something and (want to bring it back) people live in the area and they have a lot of voice,” Mayor Mary Foster said, referring to the fact that downtown is a mixed commercial and residential area and some residents have the lift on the tattoo ban.
Councilman Darren Rigger emphasized what he saw as a business owner’s perspective that the downtown would be most attractive place to open a studio. Councilwoman Kathleen Talbot, while she said she would never get a tattoo herself, emphasized that tattoo art is not seen the same way as it was when she was younger and that the downtown seemed like a good location for a studio.
“This is considered art these days not like when I was a kid and motorcycle guys would line up for tattoos. Everybody seems to have a tattoo except for me…I think it should be someplace where it can be seen,” Talbot said.
The officials ultimately directed staff to consider the industrial, manufacturing and commercial areas and possibly look into splitting up the outlying downtown area or waterfront area zoning to come up with a location with which everyone would feel comfortable.
Patrick Conlon, the Peekskill tattoo artist who hopes to open a studio, has said that and not in industrial or manufacturing parts of the city.
The council will hold a public hearing on tattoo studio zoning in coming weeks.
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The claim that many had spoken against is overwhelmingly refuted by the fact that so many more spoke for it. The poll here from months ago showed 230 persons of 291 were solidly for it, another 20 persons said yes but only for commercial areas, and just 41 were opposed. Have there ever even been that many respondents to a poll on this forum before? I see a lot of people in town through my business the Bruised Apple and I've met no one who was opposed to this. I also like the irony, mentioned here in a previous article on the subject, that the Italian Festival fundraiser for the nearby downtown Assumption Church had a fake tattooing parlour. Congratulations to the new council members Rigger and Talbot who, it seems from the article, were in favor of the tattoo studio in the downtown. Scott Sailor
Keith Zahra was a tattooist as well as a painter and muralist. Because of Peekskill's anti-tattooing stance he went instead to Beacon when he was ready to expand and open a first floor gallery space. His studio there was popular, dynamic, and intrumental in Beacon's fast rennaissance. This is a good example of why Beacon has attracted so many more young artists, fresh talent, and boutique shops in a time frame much faster than Peekskill, which is ironic considering Peekskill was promoting itself as an artist district for far longer. Peekskill is perhaps more of an artist's retirement community. It has been sad to have seen so many interesting arts related and boutique shops, as well as people, leave Peekskill over the years due to uncool restrictions like this. Scott Sailor
Impeach Fary Moster!
Perhaps it's more sinister than that. Where's the economic development staff? Isn't Peekskill supposed to be the city of artists? Tattoo studios are no longer unclean, mob-run places serving up Hep-C. Keeping a local artist-resident from opening a legit (not to mention artistic) business downtown just drives that artist to open in another town with a more business-friendly local government. If Peekskill's government moved more quickly, even despite the continued recession, the rebranding of the town as an arts community wouldn't be limping along.