Trustees approve special-use permit for piercings at Bell Tower Plaza with restricted hours

The Village of Homer Glen Board of Trustees approved a special-use permit on March 12 for a body-piercing studio at 15738 South Bell Road in Bell Tower Plaza (case HG2504SP). Trustees voted to approve the permit and attached a condition limiting hours of operation to 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The permit clears the way for Rising Phoenix, a tattoo and piercing business that the applicant said already operates in Addison, to open a piercing-only studio in Homer Glen. Applicant Sarah Lazaro told the board she and her family live in Homer Glen and that Rising Phoenix has been in operation since 1998 and under her ownership since February 2013. "We are residents of Homer Glen, and we are looking to secure a special use permit to open a piercing studio in Bell Tower Plaza," Lazaro said. She told trustees the business holds an Illinois Department of Public Health license and has "a 100% clean record with no violations." She also said, "Our mission is to provide a safe piercing experience in a family friendly environment." Lazaro said she works part time in an operating room and that her husband is a former firefighter and paramedic.

The planning commission recommended approval 5-0 before the board hearing. Trustees said they had discussed the application at length in committee and cited the applicant's industry experience and the reduced potential for disruption compared with the prior tenant at the location. Trustee comments noted the applicant had voluntarily limited proposed hours from those allowed by code; the board imposed a condition requiring operating hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and recorded the condition in the motion approving the special-use permit.

Trustees did not add other conditions tied to staffing, sanitation or equipment beyond the standard licensing and health-department requirements; the applicant told the board she already contracts with a sterilization-monitoring company and a medical-waste disposal firm for sharps. The board also noted that, as with all special-use approvals, the business must comply with applicable village zoning and licensing rules and must maintain any required state and local permits.

The board voted on the amended motion after discussion and recorded all trustees present as voting in favor. The permit will be effective as documented in the village's permit records and is subject to ongoing compliance with health and village licensing rules.