Tattoo shop draws a protest

The new tattoo establishment off Lafayette Street in Marianna opened on Halloween, and at least one neighbor thought it was a holiday prank when she saw the banner advertising it.
Dot Werner, who lives in the city’s historic district near the parlor, told Marianna City Commissioners on Tuesday that she was appalled to learn that it was a real advertisement.
In addition to her objections about the banner, she is unhappy that such a business has moved into the historic district.
It is located behind the building once occupied by Dr. Daniel Fulmer, with both structures owned by the same entity. The tattoo business is not as easily visible from Lafayette as the other building.
“I don’t see ... putting this in an area of historic homes and buildings. There were plenty of other open places this could have gone,” Werner said. “I think you should change the zoning to not allow these types of businesses in the area,” she told the board.
There may not be anything in the city’s zoning regulations that will prevent this one from staying, she acknowledged, but she thinks the city needs to address it going forward, even if this one is grandfathered in.
Some commissioners, like James Wise, agree that historic zoning regulations as a whole may need to be revised in the future.
In the meantime, city staff is reviewing the ordinances to double-check that the business is, in fact, allowed in the mixed-use zone it occupies. City officials at the meeting did acknowledge that the owner went through all the proper procedures.
As far as the advertisement goes, O.C.D. Body Art owner Denise Harrell said it’s only temporary and will be replaced with a professional sign within 14 days of it having been placed there late last week. City regulations allow temporary banners under certain conditions.
Harrell said the banner was at one point affixed to support posts and during that time, she acknowledged, it was out of compliance because it was then viewed as a permanent sign that didn’t meet code requirements. Once she became aware that, instead, it needed to be suspended, she made that correction.
Harrell said she is confident that her business will be an asset to the community, not a detriment.
“My take on it is this: We obtained our business license, all our occupational permits, just like any business in the city did,” Harrell said. “The people who sign off on those things are okay with that. We’re a legitimate business, bringing revenue into this county. We’ve only been open a week. (Those who complain) haven’t given us a chance to prove ourselves. I think they are being unfair to us. It’s unfortunate that this has created an issue, especially right out of the gate for a new business. It appears to me that it’s been blown out of proportion somewhat. We don’t want to cause any disruption in the community, but the way we look at it, we’re a legitimate business.”
Harrell said she first became aware there was a problem after she found a note on her door and a message on her cell phone when she got back into town this week after a training session out of the city. She said she hopes and believes the community will embrace the business once the neighbors see how it is operated.