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Planning commission backs variance for downtown tattoo studio at 475 Locust
Summary
The Columbia Borough Planning Commission voted to recommend support for Jalen Anderson’s request to operate a tattoo parlor at 475 Locust Street, citing owner-occupancy and restricted hours as mitigating factors; the final decision rests with the Zoning Hearing Board.
The Columbia Borough Planning Commission voted to recommend support for a variance allowing a tattoo parlor at 475 Locust Street, the commission said Dec. 16. The recommendation will be forwarded to the borough Zoning Hearing Board, which makes the final decision.
The applicant, identified in the meeting as Jalen Anderson, told the commission they live above the proposed shop and submitted a written letter and renderings showing an arts-studio–style interior. Anderson said the property was settled after the ordinance change and emphasized owner-occupancy and limited hours as key features of the proposal.
Commissioners praised the applicant’s presentation and repeatedly cited owner-occupancy and limited operating hours as the reason the business differs from tattoo parlors that had generated late-night disturbances in other downtown locations. One commissioner told the applicant that the proposed hours (about 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with no Sundays) and an owner-on-site model would reduce the likelihood of the “riffraff” and late-night police calls associated with past businesses.
The planning commission’s chair explained the body is advisory: it can recommend but not grant the variance. The commission made a motion to recommend in favor of the variance; the motion was seconded and passed on a voice vote. The transcript records multiple vocal “ayes”; it does not list individual vote tallies.
Next steps: the recommendation and the applicant’s presentation materials will be considered at the Zoning Hearing Board hearing scheduled for Dec. 31. The Zoning Hearing Board may accept the recommendation, impose conditions (hours, owner-occupancy, appointment-only restrictions) or reach a different outcome.
Quotation from the record: the applicant said, “I live upstairs,” underscoring the owner-occupied nature of the proposal. The commission also advised Anderson to present a concise management plan and suggested offering conditions to the Zoning Hearing Board to reduce neighbor concerns about hours and late-night activity.
The commission closed the agenda item by wishing the applicant luck and confirming the commission’s written recommendation would accompany the application to the Zoning Hearing Board.
