CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Tattoo and piercing studios could soon be coming to Charleston’s East End.
Charleston City Council’s Committee on Urban Renewal passed a bill Wednesday night allowing tattoo and piercing businesses on the East End. Earlier this year, the committee voted to allow such businesses in downtown Charleston, which eventually passed the full council.
“It’s sort of an extension to a different geographical area,” said Councilwoman Keeley Steele, who introduced the bill. “We had to write a separate bill for it. But it mimics quite closely the bill that was already written for the downtown business district.”
The committee passed an amendment to the bill that two businesses could not be located within 800 feet of each other, a provision that was originally 500 feet.
“I just want business on the East End quite frankly,” said Steele, who owns Bluegrass Kitchen and Tricky Fish in the neighborhood. “Other businesses, retail businesses, anything that will bring foot traffic in. We are sort of an arts district as well, so it seems to be fitting.”
Steele said she introduced the bill because after the ordinance passed for downtown Charleston, she had gauged interest about whether tattoo parlors would be permitted on the East End.
“It’s about making the East End open for people who might want to open businesses,” she said. “After the downtown bill passed, I had several inquiries about whether the East End was included in that bill and I had to tell them no. So we’re preparing for people if they might want to open a tattoo parlor.”
The bill also limits hours of operation to run between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., and does not allow tattooing or piercing to be performed in a way that can be viewed from the public street.
The bill will be up for passage at the Charleston Council’s next meeting on Monday, April 18.