City Council members proposed a six month ban on specific business types in New Port Richey City limits on Tuesday, again bringing up an ordinance which would prevent the opening of businesses that they consider “problematic uses.” New Port Richey previously attempted a similar ordinance in January 2009. It was never implemented.
Among the business proposed to be restricted are tattoo parlors, pawn shops, check cashing stores, body piercing shops, blood plasma donation centers, day labor establishments, tattoo studios, and cannabis manufacturers.
Some have criticized the measure, citing the City’s large number of vacant retail and commercial properties in the downtown area.
The ordinance will go into effect only after a second reading and a vote on Tuesday, September 15th, 2015.
Correction: “Custom Creations Tattoo” is located on Massachusetts Avenue at Congress Street, not in New Port Richey’s downtown district.
Custom Creations Tattoo is on Mass. Avenue, not on Main Street.
Cherry Bomb Tattoos is on US 19, just south of the bridge.
Both are currently in the city, but neither is downtown.
Our current zoning code speaks to appropriate locations for tattoo parlors. They are specifically excluded from the downtown business district.
The code does not address some other potential businesses that I suspect were not even contemplated the last time the zoning code was addressed.
Care to comment as to why bars are not considered part of the “problematic uses” in downtown New Port Richey?
You don’t think those businesses have given downtown a negative reputation?
Anecdotally, whenever I speak with citizens, they name the number of bars, homeless, and drugs as major issues in the city.