Council denies request to permit tattooing in Firewheel Town Center, limits on body piercing debated

The Garland City Council voted to deny a request from Sweetness Sweets to amend the planned‑development and obtain a specific‑use permit that would allow tattooing and body‑piercing services at 410 Town Center Boulevard, a space inside Firewheel Town Center.

Staff recommended approving only the body‑piercing portion of the business with a short, five‑year SUP and a PD amendment that would limit the exception to this pair of businesses because the nearby studio is primarily tattoo‑focused. Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Dutton said the city’s development code exists “for a reason” and warned against routinely waiving the 500‑foot separation rule that prevents clustering of tattoo/body‑piercing establishments. “We make rules for a reason,” Dutton said during deliberations.

Council members debated whether the applicant’s move was voluntary and whether prior noncompliance at other locations should factor into the land‑use decision. Staff clarified that an SUP is required for any tattoo/body‑piercing use and that the PD amendment sought a narrow, site‑specific exception in the Firewheel Town Center. After several motions and roll‑call votes, the council approved a motion to deny the PD amendment and SUP by a final roll call, with an 8–1 result on the deciding motion (the mayor was recorded in opposition to one procedural motion earlier in the sequence). The council left in place the underlying 500‑foot standard in the Garland Development Code and required future applicants to seek the same process if they wished to be considered for exceptions.