Laguna Greenlights Upscale Tattoo 'Gallery' Despite Objections

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Laguna Beach, famous for its art galleries, is getting a new kind of gallery. The City Council voted 4-1 this week to approve an upscale tattoo parlor on South Coast Highway designed to emulate the city's famed gallery experience.

City leaders reviewed and affirmed a permit for Bare Bones Tattoo at 2940 S. Coast Highway despite objections by some in the community about parking and possible crime associated with tattoo parlors. Councilwoman Toni Iseman cast the lone vote against the permit, arguing that a tattoo establishment wouldn't fit with the character of the neighborhood. Some in the community, including parents from nearby St. Catherine of Siena Parish School, opposed the business out of concern it could pose a safety threat to children by attracting unsavory customers.

However, according to a city staff report, a review of police calls and code enforcement calls at the city's four existing tattoo parlors found no complaints made at any point during the last two years.

Also according to city staff, Laguna Beach does not have zoning that specifically allows for a tattooing business. The area's zoning allows for personal service shops such as hair salons, and city staffers recommended approving the permit as a business similar in nature to personal beauty service.

"It doesn't seem like it's serving residents," argued Iseman. "That seems like a stretch."

She also said the city already has enough tattoo parlors.

"I would say saturation would be a consideration. This would be the fifth tattoo parlor in Laguna."

Zane Leibowitz, the proposed owner of Bare Bones Tattoo, said he hopes his business will stand out for its upscale clientele.

"My goal is to provide quality service to local community members that are seeking to express themselves artistically via ink on skin in a comfortable, low-key tattoo gallery," Leibowitz told the City Council. "I am stepping away from the stereotypical tattoo shops and creating something completely different, a gallery-influenced environment."

Amy Connelly, a mother of three boys who attend nearby St. Catherine of Siena Parish School, asked the council to deny the permit request because she fears the tattoo parlor's clientele would create an unsafe environment for the students.

"One of the main reasons we send our kids to a Catholic School, to St. Catherine's School, is because it is a safe environment. It is a safe place where kids can go to learn," she said. "I am here to plead to you to consider the children...Consider the fact that we make sacrifices to send our school to this school."

Leibowitz attempted to assure parents that his business would not attract unsavory clients. There will be no drug use or smoking allowed on the premises, and staffers will be required to dress in professional attire, he said.

“Stereotypes of tattoo shops, sure there are those, but times have changed. I mean, I've tattooed doctors, lawyers, everything,” he said.

Mayor Pro Tem Steve Dicterow, who lives near one of the city's existing tattoo establishments, said he hasn't seen any crime stemming from the shop. Dicterow made the motion to sustain the Planning Commission's permit approval, and Councilman Peter Blake seconded the motion.