The Homewood Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously Thursday, Sept. 8, to recommend granting a special use permit and zoning variance that would enable Big Brothers Tattoo to open in the Cherry Creek shopping center in Homewood.
The two measures will need approval from the village board before development of the shop can proceed.
Payton Bernard of Chicago told the commission he chose the location because of his ties to the community. He is a 2016 Homewood-Flossmoor High School graduate and had lived near Cherry Creek shopping center.
A special use permit is required for any tattoo parlor in a B-3 commercial zone. The variance is required because Homewood’s current zoning code does not allow tattoo parlors within 1,000 feet of any school or place of worship. The location, at 18354 Governors Highway, is in the middle of the shopping center and is about 300 feet from Woodland Community Church at the southeast corner of Governors Highway and 183rd Street, according to village officials.
The materials for Bernard’s application include a letter from Lamont Henderson, executive pastor of Woodlands, offering the church’s approval of the tattoo parlor. Economic Development Director Angela Mesaros reported that no responses were received from any of the 144 property owners, both residents and businesses within 250 feet of the location, who were notified about the proposed business.
In a memo to the commission, Village Planner Valerie Berstene notes that the major update to the village zoning code, which is nearing completion, does not include the buffer requirement for tattoo parlors.
“The separation requirement may reflect outdated views towards personal appearance and perceived influence,” she said in the memo. “The hardship of this request, therefore, is based not on a geographical or physical constraint of the site, but on outdated societal norms.”
Commission members acknowledged the point as they questioned Bernard about the details of his business plan.
“Times have really changed since the last time I did anything with the ordinances for tattoo parlors,” commission member Maureen Alfonso said. “It’s much more acceptable these days. People are just looking for a nice, safe place to have it done.”
Bernard said his shop will be a quiet place, unlike the stereotype some people have of tattoo parlors as rowdy places. He said tattoos can take several hours to complete, and both artist and patron tend to be focused on the task at hand.
“We just want to sit there and do our work,” he said.
A couple of times, commission members showed their knowledge of tattoo art and invited Bernard to share his approach.
Bernard’s application indicates he plans to use the 1,700 square foot space to create six artist stations and a break room.