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Council committee reviews outdated massage-parlor rules, tables ordinance changes
Summary
Committee discussion focused on outdated provisions in Chapter 7.35 of the Elyria Codified Ordinances; council directed law staff to draft revisions and tabled the item for future consideration.
Community Development discussed proposed changes to Chapter 7.35 of the Elyria Codified Ordinances, the city chapter that addresses massage-parlor establishments. Staff and the law director said many provisions date back to 1988 and may be inconsistent with current state licensure and modern salon practices.
Dawn Calvert, safety-service director (identified in the meeting as Missus Calvert), said the issue was raised at a zoning town hall by salon owner Shaquana Young, who described difficulty obtaining local approval to offer licensed massage services at her Studio 828 on Cleveland Street. Young told the committee the ordinance contained requirements she said were outdated — for example, rules limiting children on premises, an absolute ban on under‑18 customers, requirements for unobstructed windows into massage rooms, and separate dressing/locker-room requirements. Young said the city ultimately accepted an exemption once the practitioner was confirmed as state‑licensed, but she urged broader updates so other salon owners do not face similar hurdles.
Law Director Deary said the city could simplify its rules so that establishments employing state‑licensed massage practitioners would not need a redundant local permit, while preserving a local permitting process for businesses that do not employ state‑licensed providers. Deary said he would draft proposed ordinance language and bring it back to the committee. Committee members suggested balancing consumer privacy, safety, building and fire-code inspections, and business friendliness.
After discussion the committee voted to table the ordinance so the law director could return with draft revisions at a future meeting. The chair confirmed that tabling the item did not affect Ms. Young’s ability to operate; staff noted the current chapter contains an exemption that applied to her because the practitioner was state‑certified.
The committee asked law staff to prepare draft language that recognizes state licensure but preserves city authority to require property‑level safety and building standards where appropriate.
