In just a few months, Grayson residents can get tatted up without making the drive to another metro Atlanta city.
Tattooed residents from across Gwinnett County packed the Grayson City Council meeting Tuesday evening to voice their support for a tattoo parlor in the small city. Council approved a special-use permit for Brent Musgrove to open Numerica Tattoo in the Bay Creek Village shopping center, but he first had to plead his case to the city leaders.
Musgrove met Mayor Allison Wilkerson at a public event, telling her his plans and that he had already spent thousands of dollars on construction. However, Musgrove had yet to receive the necessary permits for the business.
He proceeded to strip the inside of his store before applying for the permits and licensing of his artists through the Gwinnett County Board of Health, despite warnings from the city to his broker. This led the city to lock down any further renovations to Musgrove’s storefront on Moon Road.
Tuesday evening, Wilkerson said Musgrove ignored the city’s messages and warnings. Musgrove said his broker left him in the dark about the proper procedures to follow. Wilkerson worries the owner doesn’t understand the role of city government, she said, and he’d have trouble complying with procedure.
“We didn’t exactly get started on the right foot,” Wilkerson told Musgrove. “What I want you to make sure you understand is we’re not playing.”
In addition to Musgrove’s failure to initially meet legal requirements, the city had reservations about a tattoo parlor opening at all. The planning and zoning commission raised concerns over what it could mean for the “integrity” of the city.
A resident of Loganville, Musgrove chose Grayson as the destination for his tattoo parlor for the city’s “upscale representation and reputation,” citing the exponential growth it has experienced over the last decade. He said his parlor will fit the city’s image, and it will embody both “patriotism” and “diversity” while pulling business away from tattoo parlors with bad reviews in neighboring cities.
“We’d love to be part of the Grayson community, and us being believers of the free market, we want you to let the community decide whether or not we will flourish,” said Musgrove, president of security company SCAR Services.
Brittany Ammons, executive assistant for Musgrove’s company, argued that the tattoo parlor would benefit the city. It’s located next to other body-related businesses — a gym and hair and nail salons — and it fits with Grayson’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan to create a “complete city” for residents to meet all their needs without traveling elsewhere.
In regard to the stigma associated with tattoos, Ammons said it’s “antiquated” and going away. People from every career imaginable now have tattoos, she said, and tattoos do not reflect someone’s character or reputation.
Beau Offutt, a resident of Lawrenceville, spoke out in favor of the tattoo parlor. Tattoos represent “freedom,” he said, as it allows people to express themselves through art.
Despite a recommendation from the city’s planning and zoning commission to deny Musgrove the special-use permit, the Grayson City Council voted 3-1 to approve it with a few conditions. The tattoo parlor may only open from 12 p.m.-12 a.m., Musgrove’s business must vacate if the permit expires and the special-use permit would cease if ownership changes.
Musgrove and Ammons said they’re working toward applying for a building permit and ensuring all of their tattoo artists receive licensing from the county. While they hoped to open up shop by the end of the month, Musgrove expects his artists to start tattooing customers by April.
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