Ojai panel approves similar-use finding to allow Ice House body-art studio at 310 Fox Street, limits active stations to one

The Ojai Planning Commission on Wednesday voted to allow a body-art studio—the Ice House studio—at 310 Fox Street, finding the use sufficiently similar to “personal services” (for example, barber or beauty services) in the Village Mixed Use (VMU) zone and approving conditions intended to limit parking impacts.

Community Development Director Lucas Seibert told the commission the code does not explicitly list tattoo or body-art studios but allows a similar-use determination. Staff recommended treating the proposed studio as a form of personal services and noted parking standards for personal services require three parking spaces per station with a minimum of four spaces on-site.

Applicant Hannah Green, owner and operator of the Ice House studio and a lifelong Ojai resident, told the commission the business would be appointment-based, client-focused and primarily operated by her. “I m a self employed female tattoo artist and mom and building a small business in the town that built me,” she said during her testimony, describing the studio as an “upscale appointment only professionally managed small business.” Green said most sessions she schedules run about two hours, that she typically books no more than two clients per day and that roughly 80 percent of her clients return for additional work.

Public comment ran long and was mixed. Supporters — including family members, other local business owners and neighbors — described Green as a responsible local artist whose clients would boost nearby commerce. Several residents across Fox Street and one who joined remotely said narrow streets, the lack of sidewalks and heavy parking pressure from the nearby Ojai Valley Athletic Club made any additional on-street parking a safety concern. One remote speaker also said earlier online materials had listed multiple artists at the site, a claim later removed from the applicant's site; the applicant and staff said the business will initially operate with a single active station and by appointment only.

Seibert told commissioners a revised floor plan in the meeting materials showed two physical stations but staff proposed limiting use to one active station at a time to meet parking standards. He said the site plan shows at least four on-site spaces, though some rely on tandem arrangements; the body has the authority to approve tandem parking where appropriate. Ventura County Environmental Health inspects and licenses body-art operations; Green said her facility would be inspected and that bloodborne-pathogen training and inspections are required every six months with an annual license.

Commissioners asked how the city would ensure only one station is used if ownership or operations change in the future. City counsel explained that tattooing has been treated by federal courts as a form of expressive conduct and that time, place and manner restrictions are permissible only if they are reasonable and not overly restrictive of protected expression. Staff said any expansion to active stations in the future would likely trigger a new review and an evaluation of parking impacts.

After public comment and discussion, the commission voted to approve the draft resolution and conditions in the staff packet. The roll call showed four votes in favor (Murphy, Chesley, Bennett and Graham); Chair Trent recused himself from the hearing because of a personal relationship with the applicant's family. The resolution limits operations to one station in use at a time and requires the applicant to demonstrate required on-site parking per the conditions; staff said they would revisit the decision if the business sought to expand operations.

The commission also discussed wider parking policy for the VMU and directed staff to prepare, for future council consideration, a request to develop an RFP for a citywide parking evaluation. That recommendation came later in the meeting as part of a separate agenda item.