The City of Knox ordinance with regard to downtown tattoo parlors will not be amended at this time. Instead the city council, at the recommendation of Mayor Dennis Estok, has opted to refer the matter to the plan commission. He says they can develop a special use permit to allow tattoo parlors, which are essentially prohibited by the restrictive ordinance language currently on the books.
It requires tattoo parlor operators to receive a permit from the city. The ordinance further states, “The location shall be at least 500 feet from any property used for school purposes, licensed day care center, church, public park, or a place licensed for the sale of alcoholic beverages.”
Estok says members of the public he’s spoken to are pretty evenly divided on the issue. About half think it’s a good idea to bring business into the community, while the rest are concerned about the appearance of the shop interior and exterior. He says that can be addressed in the permit language and encouraged the city and plan commission attorneys to work together to develop a policy for the plan commission to consider.
