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Licensed massage therapists urge Edmond council to ease new SUP requirement
Summary
Two licensed massage therapists told the council the ordinance requiring existing massage businesses to obtain a Specific Use Permit (SUP) places significant financial and administrative burdens on small, state‑licensed practitioners and asked for a streamlined grandfathering or administrative verification process.
Victoria Johnson, owner of Kineticsense Therapies, told the council she supports efforts to shut down illegal massage operations but said the city’s new ordinance forces lawful therapists into a land‑use process they did not expect.
“My concern is that the solution is placing substantial burdens on the same professionals who were already following the law,” Johnson said, explaining that the SUP requires application fees, property‑owner records, public notifications and multiple planning reviews.
Wendy Spinelli, owner of Edmond Massage and Body Contouring, told council the permit process had already cost her more than $400 and she expected the full expense to top $500 for a single-operator business. She said Oklahoma already requires rigorous training and licensing and that the city should target enforcement at illegal operators instead of imposing costly procedures on compliant therapists.
“I respectfully urge the council to reconsider the requirements and focus city resources on illegal operators,” Spinelli said. Both speakers suggested an administrative grandfathering process that would verify state licenses and limit the need for full SUP review.
The council did not take immediate action on the public comment; Mayor and council members asked staff to look into whether the permit implementation could be adjusted to reduce burdens on legitimate businesses while preserving enforcement tools.
