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Blue Springs lets body‑art shops locate downtown, raises cap and requires state license; approves microblading shop permit
Summary
The Blue Springs City Council on May 19 approved amendments to the Unified Development Code to allow body‑art services in downtown mixed‑use and commercial buildings with conditional use permits, raised the city’s ratio of permitted body‑art establishments, and separately granted a conditional use permit for B Lash Inc. to offer microblading at 103 Southwest 7 Highway Unit E.
The Blue Springs City Council on May 19 approved changes to the city’s Unified Development Code to allow body‑art services in downtown mixed‑use and commercial building types with a conditional use permit and to loosen the city’s cap on the number of body‑art establishments. The council also granted a conditional use permit to B Lash Inc., a downtown microblading studio at 103 Southwest 7 Highway Unit E.
City planning staff told the council the amendments revise two code sections: 404.240(e)(2) in the downtown development code, which would permit body‑art services in mixed‑use or commercial building types with conditional use approval, and 405.050(a)(33), which adjusts the city’s limit on the number of establishments and adds a requirement to provide evidence of state of Missouri licensure. Mike Mallon, speaking for the city, said the code currently does not allow body‑art services as a downtown land use and that the proposed ratio change would reduce the residents‑per‑establishment threshold from 15,000 to 6,000 (based on the city population adopted annually) or adopt other council‑approved ratios discussed by staff and commissions.
Applicant Britney Manning, who identified herself as owner of B Lash Inc., told the council the studio provides semi‑permanent makeup and microblading services and described her clientele as largely older adults and medical‑need clients. "I am the owner of B Lash Inc located in Downtown Blue Springs. I offer a microblading service," Manning said when sworn in.
Council discussion focused on the change to the numerical cap and on enforcement of the added requirement that applicants supply state licensure. Council member Erickson asked whether the draft language should require evidence of license from both an establishment and individual providers; Mallon said staff added the language to "cover all the bases" in case providers operate in ways the state regulates per provider or per establishment. Council member McCaleb sought clarification on timing: staff said existing businesses with current city business licenses issued under previous rules would not be required to show state proof until the next business‑license renewal cycle in early 2026.
The Planning Commission recommended the proposed amendments and suggested lowering the ratio to 1 establishment per 5,000 residents; the Development Advisory Commission recommended removing the numeric limit entirely. The council voted to approve the ordinance amending the Unified Development Code (bill 5315), which was assigned ordinance number 5418 on adoption.
Separately, the council considered a conditional use permit (bill 5316) to allow B Lash Inc. to operate microblading services in the T5 downtown zoning district within 500 feet of a church and residential uses and to grant alternative development standards (a waiver of the 500‑foot separation). Planning staff recommended approval with two conditions. The council approved the CUP on second reading and assigned it ordinance number 5419.
What passed and next steps: the UDC amendment (ordinance 5418) changes where body‑art services may locate downtown and requires evidence of Missouri licensing for establishments or providers when issuing city permits; the B Lash CUP (ordinance 5419) authorizes that specific business to operate at the stated downtown address under the conditions in the permit. Staff told the council the amended code would apply to new business licenses and to renewals after the ordinance takes effect; current businesses with licenses issued before adoption would be required to produce state establishment licenses at their next city license renewal in early 2026.
Why it matters: the changes open downtown to regulated microblading and related services while adding an explicit state‑license proof for city permitting; council members debated whether the new numerical cap would create more supply than current demand, and whether the city can reliably enforce state licensing requirements.
