One empty storefront in downtown Homewood did not remain so for long. 

Homewood trustees approved a special use permit Tuesday, Feb. 24, allowing A2Z Nail Spa to expand its business to include foot massage services in 18120 Dixie Highway.
 

The former Blackberry Harvest Dollhouse Museum space, which is adjacent to A2Z’s current operation, has been unoccupied since November.

Village Manager Jim Marino noted in his introduction of the measure that the village enacted the requirement for a special use permit a couple of years ago because there was concern the downtown area was becoming saturated with salon-type businesses — there are more than 20.

Trustees Barbara Dawkins and Ray Robertson said they are generally reluctant to approve additional salon-type businesses in the downtown area.

But they and other trustees said they supported A2Z’s application because it is the expansion of an existing business rather than an additional salon business and because foot massage is a new service not available elsewhere in the village.

In other business, trustees restored the village amusement tax to its original rate of 5 percent of sales on any form of entertainment where tickets to enter the premises are sold for profit, according to the ordinance. The definition also specifically includes bowling, bowling shoe rental, billiards, laser tag, and other similar participatory forms of entertainment offered for profit. 

The tax was implemented in January 2014 as part of the village government’s efforts to diversify revenue sources, but after a little more than half a year of collections, representatives of Brunswick Zone XL asked that the tax be rescinded. 

In September, Trustees agreed to reduce the rate to 2 percent.

The bowling center was the only business in Homewood significantly affected by the amusement tax, according to village officials.

Brunswick Zone was subsequently purchased by AMF, which abruptly closed the bowling center early in January. 

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, at Village Hall, 2020 Chestnut Road.