Tattoo Studio Just A Few Feet Away From Joliet's New Dome Of Unity? City Manager Recommends Approval

JOLIET, IL —The Joliet City Council will take a vote on Tuesday night regarding city manager Beth Beatty's recommendation to approve a special use permit for a proposed tattoo studio at 81 North Chicago Street. That's the four-story building just a few feet away from the new City Square and the Dome of Unity.

According to Beatty's memo for the Council, the petitioner and business owner, Joseph Spillie, is requesting a Special Use Permit and Variation of Use to establish a tattoo studio at 81 N. Chicago Street. The business would operate from an existing four-story multi-tenant building in downtown Joliet. The tenant space subject to these requests is located on the third floor of the building and the space in question is approximately 870 square feet in area.

Beatty noted that the proposed studio will consist of a waiting area, a utility and janitorial room, and a private tattooing station. Restrooms are shared with other commercial tenants in the building. The studio would be by appointment only and would not have walk-in clients, which would allow the petitioner to control the number of people and maintain client privacy.

At its April 16 meeting, the Zoning Board of Appeals approved a variation request to allow the proposed tattoo studio to be within 1,000 feet of the Ottawa Street branch of the Joliet Public Library. Beatty explained "that the staff found that the variation of use and variation requests did not meet the criteria for hardship or practical purposes. Tattoo studios are allowed in the B-3 general business and Industrial zoning districts by Special Use Permit approval. However, staff did find that the proposed tattoo studio would not alter the essential character of the area with its small size, the location on the third floor of the building, and serving clients by-appointment only. The proposed use will also not impede the use and enjoyment of other tenant spaces due to these factors."