Waldwick zoning board approves tattoo studio and gallery at 4 Frederick Street over parking concerns

WALDWICK '026 '026

The Waldwick Zoning Board voted 5—2 to grant a D(1) use variance for an 800-square-foot appointment-only tattoo studio with a small attached art gallery at 4 Frederick Street, clearing the way for the business the applicants referred to in the hearing record as "Lucky Bridal." The board's decision followed testimony from the owner, a certified planner and the proposed gallery operator and came despite repeated concerns about off-street parking.

Applicant Adam Ramos told the board the studio would be a controlled, appointment-only operation with two artists, no walk-in traffic and limited hours (about 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday—2Friday, and shorter weekend gallery hours). "This is not a traditional walk in tattoo shop," Ramos said, describing the proposed venue as a "boutique" studio that would meet or exceed New Jersey Department of Health sanitation standards and use a licensed medical-waste vendor, AdvoWaste Medical Services.

Planner Michael d Kauker, testifying as an expert for the application, described the request as a D(1) use variance for a use the ordinance currently lists as prohibited. Kauker presented aerial and drone photos of the site, interior pictures and a planning analysis that applied the Municipal Land Use Law's positive-and-negative criteria along with the Medici enhanced-quality-of-proof standard. He said the site is located in the borough's C-1 Village Commercial District, is already improved and adjoins other personal-service uses, and argued the tattoo/gallery combination is a low-intensity personal service compatible with adjacent uses.

Kauker also addressed parking, estimating Frederick Street can usually accommodate "about 12 vehicles" on-street and noting that several commercial tenants historically rely on on-street spaces and some shared off-site parking such as the nearby Rite Aid lot. Board members repeatedly cited the technical parking standard in the record (one off-street space per 200 square feet) and questioned whether on-street parking and intermittent use patterns would meet that requirement.

Several commissioners said they were not fully satisfied with the applicant's documentation about off-street parking or written permission to use off-site spaces. One commissioner told the board he was "really not satisfied with the answer on the parking," while others said the borough had approved similarly prohibited uses in the past (citing a vape shop and a car-wash example) that had not created problems.

Shaila Nolan, who will operate the gallery side of the space, described plans to host rotating exhibitions, community programming and occasional family-friendly gallery events. Nolan said tattooing would be conducted strictly by appointment and that gallery events would be scheduled so they did not overlap the tattooing operation. "We're going to make sure we're not encouraging any irresponsible behavior," Nolan said, adding the concept aims to broaden arts access and support local artists.

At the end of the hearing a board member moved to approve the application; another member seconded. The roll call produced five votes in favor and two opposed, and the motion passed. The board did not place a date for any building work to begin in the hearing record and asked that the applicant address outstanding questions about parking and signage as part of the permit process.

The variance permits the adaptive reuse of the existing interior waiting area into a combined two-artist tattoo studio and a small art gallery. The record shows the applicant intends to keep the barbershop portion of the building separate, to install privacy curtains or similar measures in the studio, and to follow applicable age and parental-consent laws for tattooing.

The board's approval was technical and conditional in tone: several members supported the adaptive-reuse and economic arguments offered by the planner and applicants, while others registered continuing concern about meeting the off-street parking standard and asked the applicant to resolve those issues with the borough's zoning officer and property owners before final permits are issued.

The zoning board moved on to other items and adjourned after brief announcements about upcoming applications.