Hamilton’s planning staff, which regularly reviews the city’s zoning ordinances, checking consistency in the code and to check quality assurances, is recommending to allow tattoo shops and services in more zones within the city.
If those changes are approved by city council later this month, that would mean Moore would likely relocate his business to the city.
“With my other three businesses being inside the city, it would be a lot more convenient, rather than me having to drive all around,” said Moore, who just celebrated 18 years at Immortal Canvas Tattoo & Piercing Studios on Hamilton-Middletown Road (Ohio 4), just north of Hamilton in Fairfield Twp. Moore also owns Immortal Vibes at 230 Main St. and Immortal Fitness at 940 Main St.
Nearly two decades ago, the landscape of Hamilton was different, and not in a good way, said Moore, which is why he chose to open his business outside the city limits. But now, with the landscape having evolved for the better over the past dozen or so years, he wants his tattoo shop to be part of his other Immortal-brand businesses.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
“I love what’s going on in the city, being a part of it,” said Moore, who’s wife, Allyson Moore, is also a Hamilton business owner with Chubby Bunny Bakery next door to Immortal Vibes on Main Street.
But Moore isn’t the only who’d like to see the city’s zoning code updated. Hamilton Executive Director of Neighborhood Services Liz Hayden said there are some salons who want to incorporate what’s called fine-line tattooing as an additional service.
“This has really been an evolving land use and we’ve had a lot of inquiries about,” said Hayden. “It’s become a trend to see some of our beauty salons wanting to do fine-line tattooing as an accessory use, and our zoning ordinance doesn’t allow it.”
Zoning code regulations today only allow tattooing services within five zoning districts, including three industrial and one business. The recommended changes would triple the number of zoning districts, which would include all business and Main Street districts, two of the three downtown districts, and one of the traditional neighborhood districts.
But if the zoning code changes to make tattooing more permissible in the city, it does not mean that any tattoo business and open, or service added to a beauty salon, Hayden said. Each business would need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
If Moore can relocate Immortal Canvas into Hamilton, he said he would be respectful to other shops in the city, and not move too close to another, such as Silkworm Tattoo, in the 500 block of Main Street. If a storefront is available, he’d like to open in the 100 or 200 block of Main Street.
“I grew up in this area. I remember when Hamilton was a thriving city in the ‘70s and ’80s, and I watched Hamilton struggle,” he said. “But it’s been wonderful to watch Hamilton come back to life with all the interesting things coming into the city. We have a nice diversity of types of businesses, and I’d just like being a part of it.”
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