Planning Commission recommends zoning text changes for EV chargers and artisanal production; council raises concerns about removing CUP for tattoo parlors

Bobby Tahan, a city planning staff member, updated the City Council on three proposed zoning text amendments that the Planning Commission recommended by a 5-1 vote: allowing tattoo parlors, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and artisanal production as permitted uses in specific commercial and overlay districts. He said the proposals grew out of a Planning Commission retreat to streamline certain uses.

The matter matters because the proposed changes would remove conditional-use-review requirements for some categories of businesses or make them permitted uses in more zoning districts, changing when council or neighbors get a formal review opportunity.

Tahan described the tattoo-parlor proposal as intended to allow tattooing "by right" in community commercial, regional commercial, light industrial and certain pedestrian commercial overlay districts while keeping tattoo parlors as conditional use in most downtown zoning districts. He said similar tattoo-related services are already permitted by right when provided by licensed physicians or licensed beauty salons. Tahan told the council that since the (year given in the transcript) applications for tattoo parlors had been requested, "8 have been recommended for approval by the Planning Commission and 8 have been approved by City Council." (Transcript phrasing unclear on the reference year.)

The electric-vehicle-charging proposal would recognize EV charging stations as a principal use by right in selected districts and as an accessory use to existing sites in others, with performance standards. As an accessory use, the proposal limits charging stations to no more than 35% of a site's required parking. Tahan said the changes align with the city's environmental and sustainability initiatives and that some large-site proposals (he cited the IKEA project under construction) prompted the review.

The artisanal-production proposal would permit on-site small-scale production and sale of hand-fabricated goods in community and regional commercial districts and certain PCO districts; it would cap such facilities at 15,000 square feet to exclude large industrial operations.

Council members debated whether tattoo parlors should remain subject to conditional use permits (CUPs). Councilwoman Doyle said she supported the EV and artisanal proposals but recommended keeping tattoo parlors in the CUP process so councilmembers and nearby residents have a review opportunity; she said additional public outreach was warranted. Other councilmembers noted limited opposition historically to tattoo parlor applications in areas such as Ocean View but said neighborhood context varies.

Planning staff provided letters of support from the Ghent Business Association, Riverview Business Association and the Downtown Norfolk Council and said one downtown group submitted a letter of opposition for downtown-specific allowances. Tahan also said one Planning Commissioner had requested additional public outreach specifically on the tattoo-parlor amendment.

The transcript records council direction to separate the tattoo-parlor amendment from the other two proposals for further socialization and neighborhood outreach. The Planning Commission's 5-1 recommendation was for approval of all three text amendments; the council did not take a final vote on these ordinances in the recorded discussion.