At the Heber planning commission meeting Tuesday, Feb. 11, the group talked with Julie and Oakley Franklin, a local mother and daughter who are urging the city to lift its 2022 ban on tattoo shops.
Oakley Franklin, a tattoo artist who wants to open her own business in downtown Heber, argued it makes sense for the city to allow body art because Heber can then regulate those businesses to ensure they’re sanitary and well-run.
Several commissioners said they’re receptive to asking the city council to amend the zoning laws to make tattoo or body art shops a permitted or conditional use in some areas.
Commissioner Dennis Gunn said he didn’t understand why the ban was implemented in the first place.
“I don’t understand that,” he said. “I don’t think it’s any different than the color of clothes. You may not like the way somebody dresses, but we have to put up with it, right?”
He said since the health department ensures tattoo shops are sanitary, he sees no reason they shouldn’t be allowed.
Julie Franklin said she believed the prohibition was a product of cultural assumptions about who got tattoos, but the norms have changed.
“The mentality was that criminals, prisoners, scallywags, bikers and things like that,” she said. “And I think that has absolutely gone away. It’s a $4.1 billion industry right now.”
She said a large percentage of young people nationwide get tattoos.
Commissioner Robert McKinley said the share of Heber residents who have or want tattoos is likely smaller than the national average.
“I would be a little bit careful about being too expansive in terms of the number of young people that want to do this, because there is a significant number that don’t want to do it,” he said.
Commissioner Robert Wilson was also hesitant to support the proposal. He said he worried what kind of businesses would want to come to Heber next, although he wasn’t specific about his concerns.
But Commissioner Darek Slagowski was more receptive, arguing it’s up to the market to determine demand, not the planning commission.
“I don’t see why it wouldn’t be permittable in any of our commercial zones, if you have a tattoo artist that’s in demand and can make good money doing it,” he said. “I feel like the private sector and everything – it’ll take care of itself. If they’re not profitable, they’ll have to close up.”
And he said people will get tattoos regardless, so it would be better for Heber to be able to regulate tattoo businesses.
The commission directed city planners to do some research into zoning policies in similar towns that might also be appropriate for Heber. Staff will also talk with the Wasatch County Health Department about how it ensures shops are sanitary.
From there, the planning commission can make a recommendation to the city council, and it would be up to the council to enact any zoning changes.
